Table of contents
- Brown Butter Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- How to Make Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Serving and Storage
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodles Video Tutorial
- Other Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love
Brown Butter Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
I love pumpkin baking in the fall, and as cookie season approaches these brown butter pumpkin snickerdoodles are an easy, crowd-pleasing choice. They combine the warm spices of pumpkin with the toasty depth of brown butter for soft, chewy cookies that come together quickly.
With years of cookie testing behind me, I designed this recipe to deliver dense, chewy snickerdoodles without becoming cakey. They’re a one‑bowl, no‑mixer recipe and are egg‑free, making them simple to pull together on busy days.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Flavor. Rich pumpkin and warming spices are amplified by nutty brown butter.
- Texture. These cookies are intentionally dense, soft, and chewy—not cakey—by removing excess moisture from the pumpkin puree.
- Easy to make. One bowl, no mixer, and a short chill time. The recipe yields 14 cookies.
Ingredients and Substitutions
These cookies use everyday pantry ingredients. Notes and substitution tips are included so you can adapt the recipe if needed.
- Butter: Unsalted preferred. If using salted butter, reduce added salt to 1/8 teaspoon.
- Light brown sugar: Provides molasses flavor and moisture; dark brown sugar works as a 1:1 substitute.
- Granulated sugar: Balances sweetness and helps the cookies spread.
- Pumpkin: Use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Squeeze out excess moisture before measuring (see Notes).
- Vanilla: Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Cinnamon & pumpkin pie spice: Key to snickerdoodle flavor; if you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, use extra cinnamon.
- All-purpose flour: No special flour is required.
- Fine sea salt: Balances sweetness.
- Baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar: Provide lift and the classic snickerdoodle snap at the edges.
How to Make Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
These cookies are straightforward and quick. Below is a concise step-by-step overview; full measurements are included in the recipe card.
Serving and Storage
Serving: These cookies are great warm straight from the oven or cooled to room temperature.
Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles Video Tutorial
@mikebakesnyc Soft & chewy brown butter pumpkin snickerdoodles 😍 #snickerdoodles #pumpkincookies
♬ 1901 – Phoenix
Other Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love
- Brown Butter Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
- No-Bake Pumpkin Pie Bars
- Maple Glazed Pumpkin Bread
- Small Batch Pumpkin Crumb Cake Muffins
Note: I develop recipes using grams because they are the most accurate for baking. If you prefer volume measures, use the recipe card conversion to switch to US Customary.
If you make these Soft & Chewy Brown Butter Pumpkin Snickerdoodles, tag @mikebakesnyc on Instagram and leave a rating and review below.
Print Recipe
Soft & Chewy Brown Butter Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 113 g unsalted butter *see Notes*
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 55 g light brown sugar
- 60 g pumpkin puree *see Notes*
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 125 g all-purpose flour
- 1¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
For the Rolling Mixture:
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
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Cube the butter and place it in a light-colored skillet. Melt over medium heat, stirring constantly. After 5–8 minutes the butter will brown and smell nutty. Immediately remove from heat and pour into a heatproof bowl. You should have about 7 tablespoons (98 g) of brown butter.
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Whisk the granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree (squeezed of excess moisture), and vanilla into the brown butter until combined, about 1 minute.
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Add the flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt. Stir with a silicone spatula until just combined; the dough will be thick and slightly greasy.
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Use a medium (1½‑tablespoon) cookie scoop to portion dough into balls. Place on a lined baking sheet, loosely cover with plastic, and chill for 15–20 minutes.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Mix the rolling sugar: combine sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
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Roll each chilled dough ball in the spiced sugar and bake 10–12 minutes, until lightly browned at the edges and centers still look slightly soft. Cool on the baking sheet 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
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Once cool enough to handle, optionally dip baked cookies in any remaining spiced sugar for extra coating.
Notes
Pumpkin: Canned pumpkin puree contains a lot of water, which can make cookies cakey. Place the puree on paper towels and squeeze out excess liquid over the sink. Measure ¼ cup (60 g) after squeezing—the recipe is formulated for that drained amount.