These Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies are sweet with some woodsy spice thanks to the wonderful combination of pumpkin and cinnamon! They have a nice crisp exterior from the cinnamon sugar coating and a lovely chewy middle. With only 30 minutes of chill time, you'll have pumpkin snickerdoodles in an hour! If that wasn't enough, these beauties are gluten free, nut free, naturally eggless and easily can be vegan!
If you're looking for a chewy snickerdoodle recipe, these Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies are perfect! You guys love all my sugar cookies with fruit, but this recipe is perfect for autumn. These fall cookies are a combination of my easy snickerdoodle recipe and my chewy pumpkin cookies! This recipe makes 6 large or 12 small cookies and only requires 30 minutes of chill time!
If you're looking for more sugar cookie recipes try my Sprinkle Sugar Cookies, Dark Chocolate Sugar Cookies or my super popular Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookies.
Reasons to Love These Cookies
- Allergy Friendly- These cookies are gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be dairy free (vegan)!
- Naturally Egg Free- This recipe requires zero egg replacer! The pumpkin is what binds the cookies together!
- Small Batch- This recipe only makes 6 delicious treats just like with my Small Batch Sugar Cookies!
- Crispy Exterior yet Chewy Interior- These cookies are the most perfect texture. Crispy on the outside thanks to the cinnamon sugar coating yet...thick, soft and chewy inside!
- Covered in Cinnamon Sugar- The sugar coating gives a nice woodsy sweetness like with my Apple Cinnamon Cookies!
- Autumn Flavors- The cinnamon mixed with the pumpkin remind us of fall!
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten Free Flour- If you also have nut allergies, make sure to use a brand that’s made in a nut free facility. I really love to use this gluten free flour because it’s nut safe but it does contain dairy. It also contains xanthan gum which really helps give baked goods their bounce.
- Butter/ Vegan Baking Stick- Only use room temperature. If you use melted, the cookies will spread too much while baking. If using vegan butter, make sure it's more on the cold side versus room temperature.
- Granulated Sugar- I would not use light brown sugar; the granulated sugar helps the cookies keep that orange hue. Also, there is enough moisture due to the pumpkin.
- Cinnamon- It wouldn't be a snickerdoodle without lots of this woodsy ingredient!
- Pure Pumpkin- Make sure to use only canned pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, like in my Pumpkin Cupcakes. I like Libby's brand.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make these Vegan
- Use a gluten free flour that’s free from dairy.
- Make sure the brand of sugar you use is vegan.
- Use vegan baking sticks instead of butter.
- Read the label on your pumpkin to make sure there are no weird fillers. It should be canned pure pumpkin.
To Make this Recipe with All Purpose Flour
- Use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed AP flour (168 grams plus 2 tablespoons).
- You still need to chill the dough due to the lack of eggs.
Make Smaller Cookies
- Use a small cookie scoop or roll the dough into 1 inch balls.
- Bake the cookies at the same temperature but for 13 minutes. Reshape as needed. Should make 12 cookies.
This recipe has not been tested with all of these substitutions and/or variations due to celiac disease and food allergies. If you change any of the ingredients, please let us know how the recipe turned out in the comments below!
How to Make Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
Here are the step by step instructions to make this pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies recipe!
Step 1: Whisk Together the Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
Step 2: Cream the Butter and Sugar
In the large bowl of an electric mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the room temperature butter or vegan baking stick with ¾ cup of granulated sugar until smooth and creamy. About 2 minutes.
Step 3: Combine the Pumpkin and Vanilla and add to the Creamed Butter and Sugar
In a small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and the vanilla until combined.
With the mixer on low speed, beat the pumpkin and vanilla into the creamed butter and sugar until all combined. The mixture will be slightly chunky and that's normal.
Step 4: Mix In The Dry Ingredients
With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the gluten free flour mixture and mix until just combined.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with the spatula and combine.
Step 5: Freeze The Dough and Preheat the Oven
The dough will be super sticky, almost like cake batter. Transfer to a bowl and pop the entire bowl uncovered in the freezer for at least 30 minutes; make sure the bowl is freezer safe.
When the dough has 15 minutes left of chilling, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 6: Make the Cinnamon Sugar
In a small bowl, combine the ¼ cup of granulated sugar and the ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Whisk to combine.
Step 7: Scoop The Dough and Coat with Sugar
Take the bowl of dough out of the freezer. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the dough out into 6 scoops.
The cookie dough will be quite sticky and may stick to your hands if they're warm. If this happens, rinse your hands and then shake off any excess water. You want them slightly wet but not dripping wet. This will help prevent the dough from sticking. You can also wash the cookie scoop half way through.
Drop the dough balls one at a time into the cinnamon sugar and coat completely.
Step 8: Bake the Cookies and Cool
Place dough balls about 3-4 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake the cookies in the center rack of the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes until golden on the bottoms. You can carefully use a cookie spatula to check.
Immediately reshape the cookies into a circle with a spatula when they come out of the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 min before transferring to a cooling rack. If you don't let them cool on the baking sheet, the cookies will break apart into a giant mess.
If the cookies haven't gone down all the way in the center, simply press the centers gently with the spatula and then reshape again.
Expert Baking Tips
- Use Packed Cups of Flour- Normally in baking we do not use packed cups however, when working with gluten free, I've found using packed cups works best to help the baked goods keep their shape. For this recipe use packed cups or the gram amount:(168 grams plus 2 tablespoons).
- Use Room Temperature Butter/ Vegan Baking Stick- Do not use melted butter. Since these cookies have no eggs, if you use melted butter they will spread into a giant mess while baking. If using vegan butter, I would have it be more on the colder side vs room temperature.
- Freeze the Dough- If you don’t freeze the dough for at least 30 minutes, the cookies will spread and be flat and thin.
- Wash Your Cookie Scoop- If you noticed the dough is starting to get sticky, wash and dry your cookie scoop halfway through making the dough balls.
- Wet Your Hands- The cookie dough will be quite sticky and may stick to your hands if they're warm. If this happens, rinse your hands and then shake off any excess water. You want them slightly wet but not dripping wet. This will help prevent the dough from sticking. If the dough balls need some reshaping, simply use your slightly wet hands to make the dough ball tops smooth.
- Reshape the Cookies- If you want your cookies nice and round, reshape them as soon as they come out of the oven. Use a spatula to push them back into a circle shape.
Recipe FAQs
The main way is to chill that dough for the full 30 minutes.
Second, make sure you do not grease your baking sheet. Only use parchment paper or a silicone mat with no grease.
Third, use packed cups of flour or read the gram amount.
You can make the dough the night before. Keep it in a bowl and cover the top with plastic wrap in the fridge.
If doing this, there is no need to chill it again, prior to baking.
Or you can wrap the dough in plastic and freeze the dough for up to 30 days. Thaw the dough in the fridge the night prior to using.
Most gluten free baked goods are best made the same day, but you can make these cookies a day before!
Unlike most eggless and gluten free cookies, they stay soft for several days!
Once the cookies have cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Since this recipe only makes 6 cookies, that shouldn't be too much of an issue. Haha!
If you want them warm, heat the cookie in the microwave for a few seconds prior to serving. Be careful not to burn your mouth.
Other Autumn Recipes You'll Love
Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!
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📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons gluten free flour (I use a gluten free multipurpose flour with xanthan gum already in it)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick, room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons gluten free flour, the ¾ teaspoon baking powder, the 1 ¼ teaspoons of cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt. Set aside.
- In the large bowl of an electric mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the ¼ cup room temperature butter or vegan baking stick with ¾ cup of granulated sugar until smooth and creamy. About 2 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons pumpkin and the 2 teaspoons of vanilla until combined.With the mixer on low speed, beat the pumpkin and vanilla into the creamed butter and sugar until all combined. The mixture will be slightly chunky and that's normal.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the gluten free flour mixture and mix until just combined.Scrape down the sides of the bowl with the spatula and combine.
- The dough will be super sticky, almost like cake batter. Transfer to a bowl and pop the entire bowl uncovered in the freezer for at least 30 minutes; make sure the bowl is freezer safe.When the dough has 15 minutes left of chilling, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine the ¼ cup of granulated sugar and the ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Whisk to combine.
- Take the bowl of dough out of the freezer. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the dough out into 6 scoops. The cookie dough will be quite sticky and may stick to your hands if they're warm. If this happens, rinse your hands and then shake off any excess water. You want them slightly wet but not dripping wet. This will help prevent the dough from sticking. You can also wash the cookie scoop half way through.
- Drop the dough balls one at a time into the cinnamon sugar and coat completely.
- Place dough balls about 3-4 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies in the center rack of the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes until golden on the bottoms. You can carefully use a cookie spatula to check.
- Immediately reshape the cookies into a circle with a spatula when they come out of the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 min before transferring to a cooling rack. If you don't let them cool on the baking sheet, the cookies will break apart into a giant mess.If the cookies haven't gone down all the way in the center, simply press the centers gently with the spatula and then reshape again.
John
These cookies were so delicious and perfect! Thank you!!
Megan Moss
The cookies turned out so good! I had never heard of pumpkin and snicker-doodles together, but they were surprisingly moist and the perfect amount of sweetness. Even some of my friends who are not gluten free thought they tasted very fall-like!
Katelyn
Delicious! I followed the gram measurement on my pumpkin can rather than the listed metric measurement here since they were very different and it worked great.
Caylynn Newsome
These cookies are an amazing addition to your usual fall desserts! Try them out!!
Lee
Thanks so much!!!!
Ellie
Wow you would never guess these were gluten free and eggless! My family who aren’t gluten free didn’t even notice. Amazing fall recipe!!
Lee
Thank you so much!!!