Dorothy Kern
Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles are snickerdoodles filled with pumpkin pie spice!! These are the best fall cookie; they’re sweet and warm with that familiar spice mix and we love making them all year long!
I used my favorite snickerdoodle recipe and added my favorite spice to make this easy cookie recipe.
A friend of mine recently posted on Facebook that she hates pumpkin season because it ruins summer; that bloggers start posting pumpkin recipes in August when it’s still warm and not yet fall (guilty as charged). What do you think?
For me, I love summer for about 2-3 weeks. I love being able to travel without worrying about school schedules and I really love not having a schedule and being able to sleep in, etc. Like I said, however, that only lasts about 2-3 weeks.
I will admit that summer is much easier now that Jordan is older (I don’t have to keep her busy as much) but still – no schedule or routine is hard. Plus, I’m not a millionaire: travel is expensive. I have dreams of traveling all summer long but really, I’d miss Abby too much. And don’t even get me started on how freaking hot it is in Sacramento. This Bay Area girl loves her fog and boy, do we NOT get that.
So, for me, by August I’m in the fall anticipation stage: I’m building the excitement for myself because it’s back-to-school which means that fall is right around the corner (along with my birthday, ahem). Also, August means that in about 2 months (or three) it’ll finally drop into the 70s and I can break out my jeans (and hope they still fit).
Basically I’m in camp BRING ON THE PUMPKIN IN AUGUST because I just love fall way more than I love summer! What do you think?
Either way, these cookies can satisfy both camps because they’re pumpkin spice: no actual pumpkin was harmed in the making of these cookies.
Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles are my favorite snickerdoodle recipe with some pumpkin spices mixed in – they’re the perfect cookie to get you in the fall mood!
I love cookies. They’re so easy to make, easy to eat and great for serving at parties or giving away. I post a lot of chocolate chip cookies but if I’m being honest I love sugar cookies best. I love them with sprinkles, with frosting and when I turn them into snickerdoodles!
What is a snickerdoodle cookie?
My perfect sugar cookie recipe is the base for all of my snickerdoodles. After I created that recipe and started researching snickerdoodles, I realized that that recipe satisfied the main requirement for a cookie to be a snickerdoodle: cream of tartar. The acid in cream of tartar is what gives snickerdoodles their distinct flavor (and some of that softness). It’s what separates a snickerdoodle from a plain old cinnamon cookie.
Once I turned that recipe into snickerdoodles once, I knew I needed to do it again and again! That’s where this pumpkin spice version comes in.
What spices are in snickerdoodles?
For the traditional recipe, cinnamon is the spice. It’s not usually in the cookie but instead it’s mixed with sugar and the cookies are coated before baking. They have a crunch and a churro-like flavor to them because of the cinnamon sugar.
For my pumpkin spice version, instead of cinnamon I use pumpkin pie spice IN the cookies and with the sugar to coat them before baking. Pumpkin spice is like cinnamon but has additional spices like ginger and allspice, giving it that warm and cozy fall flavor.
You can buy pumpkin spice in the spice aisle or make your own pumpkin pie spice from my recipe!
Seriously, this is the best snickerdoodle recipe around. I love that the cookies are chewy but also pillowy soft. They’re one of my favorite cookies of all time.
The best part about this cookie recipe is that you don’t need to chill them!
That’s right: just mix and bake. That means pumpkin spice cookies in just 30 minutes or less.
Can you freeze snickerdoodles?
Since cookie making ramps up in the fall you might be wondering if you can make these ahead of time and you can. I love to freeze desserts, especially cookies. Just place them in an airtight container or bag and freeze for up to a month. Let them defrost on the counter and they’ll be just as good as when you made them.
Tips for making pumpkin spice snickerdoodles:
- Be sure not to over bake these cookies. I err on the side of under-baking them. Learn how to tell if your cookies are done!
- Make sure you measure your flour correctly so you don’t end up with too much.
- You can make these with apple pie spice too!!
More unique snickerdoodle cookie recipes:
- Peanut Butter Snickerdoodles – a fan favorite!
- Apple Butter Snickerdoodles
- Snickerdoodle Apple Cobbler
- Don’t Miss my BEST Snickerdoodle Recipe
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Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
For topping:
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat baking mats.
- Cream butter and ¾ cup sugar with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or you may use a hand mixer). Once the mixture is creamed and fluffy, mix in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth, then mix in the baking soda, cream of tartar, pumpkin spice and salt. Slowly mix in flour until the mixture is just combined.
- Place remaining ⅓ cup sugar and pumpkin spice in a small bowl and stir.
- Scoop 2 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough and roll them in the cinnamon sugar, then place them 2” apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the bottoms just start to turn golden brown. (These taste better if you err on the side of under rather than over done). Cool at least 5 minutes on cookie sheet before removing.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
Recipe Video
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
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All text and images © DOROTHY KERN for Crazy for Crust. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be accurate.
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Published on: August 25, 2019
OMG…I just made these for my niece and her college roommate (and my 11 year old son!)…these cookies are SOOO tender and sooo yummy!!!! Loved this recipe! Thank you!!!!
So glad you enjoyed them!
I live at high altitude and the cookies did not spread out properly, but I will know how to adjust next time. Overall, these are delicious, made the house smell incredible, and are a big hit around here.
Family loved them. Would make this again