Description
Soft, chewy pumpkin snickerdoodles made with nutty brown butter, pumpkin puree, warm fall spices, and a crisp cinnamon-sugar coating. Perfect for fall gatherings, holiday baking, or cozy afternoons.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter, for browning
- Pumpkin puree
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Egg yolk
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Cream of tartar
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Ground ginger
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Granulated sugar and cinnamon, for coating
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring and swirling occasionally. Continue cooking until the milk solids turn deep golden brown and the butter develops a nutty aroma.
- Remove from heat, transfer to a heatproof bowl, and cool for about 10 minutes.
- Whisk the cooled brown butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar until smooth.
- Add the pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, and egg yolk. Whisk until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes to make it easier to handle and help prevent excessive spreading.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Portion the dough into 1–2-inch balls and roll each one in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers remain soft.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Cool the brown butter before adding it to the dough; hot butter can make the dough too loose and cause excessive spreading.
- Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. It can be chilled for up to 2 hours if it remains sticky.
- Use pure pumpkin puree rather than pumpkin pie filling.
- Do not overmix after adding the flour to preserve a soft, chewy texture.
- Optional additions include white chocolate chips, pecans, walnuts, dried cranberries, or raisins.
- For a vegan version, use plant-based butter and a flaxseed egg.
- For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend with xanthan gum.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for about 1 week. Baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 10–12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 160 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 100 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
Keywords: Brown butter pumpkin snickerdoodles, pumpkin snickerdoodles, pumpkin cookies, brown butter cookies, fall cookies, pumpkin spice cookies