Pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies are everything you love about a classic snickerdoodle, with real pumpkin and warm fall spice baked right into a soft, pillowy center. They’re rolled in cinnamon sugar before baking, so you get that signature crackly top, and there’s no chilling required. Bake them in the air fryer in about 8 minutes, or in the oven if you’re making a big batch for a cookie tray.
My Air Fryer Snickerdoodle Cookies are one of the most-made cookies on this site, and every October I get asked for a pumpkin version. This is it. The trick is blotting the pumpkin so the cookies stay chewy instead of cakey, and I’ll walk you through that below.
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Soft and chewy, not cakey. Blotting the pumpkin and using just an egg yolk keeps them dense and tender.
- No chilling. Mix, roll, bake. The dough is ready to go the second it comes together.
- Air fryer or oven. Small batches in the air fryer in 8 minutes, or two full sheet pans in the oven.
- Real pumpkin flavor. Pumpkin puree plus pumpkin pie spice, not just cinnamon and orange food coloring.
- Freezer friendly. Freeze the dough balls and bake straight from frozen all season.
[Image — alt: Pumpkin snickerdoodle cookie broken in half showing the soft orange center]
Ingredients for Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Unsalted butter: Softened to room temperature so it creams smoothly with the sugars. If you only have salted, skip the added salt.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the dough and makes up most of the cinnamon sugar coating.
- Light brown sugar: Adds a bit of chew and a hint of molasses that pairs beautifully with pumpkin.
- Pumpkin puree: Use 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, and blot it with paper towels before mixing. This is the secret to chewy cookies instead of cakey ones.
- Egg yolk: Just the yolk. A whole egg adds too much moisture and makes the cookies puffy; the yolk alone keeps them dense and soft.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out the spice and pumpkin flavor.
- All-purpose flour: Spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off so you don’t pack in extra flour.
- Cream of tartar: This is what makes a snickerdoodle a snickerdoodle. It gives the cookies their signature tang and soft, tender texture. Don’t skip it.
- Baking soda: Works with the cream of tartar to give the cookies lift.
- Pumpkin pie spice: The warm blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves that makes these taste like fall.
- Ground cinnamon: A little in the dough and more in the coating for that classic snickerdoodle flavor.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the spices.
For the cinnamon sugar coating: Granulated sugar, ground cinnamon and a pinch of pumpkin pie spice, stirred together in a shallow bowl for rolling.
How to Make Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
Step One: Blot the pumpkin. Spread the pumpkin puree on a few layers of paper towels, top with more paper towels, and press gently. Let it sit 5 minutes and press again. You want to remove about a third of the moisture. This is the step that keeps the cookies chewy.
Step Two: Cream the butter and sugars. Beat the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Step Three: Add the wet ingredients. Beat in the blotted pumpkin, egg yolk and vanilla until smooth. The mixture may look slightly curdled; that’s fine.
Step Four: Add the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt together in a separate bowl, then add to the wet ingredients and mix on low just until no flour streaks remain. Don’t overmix.
Step Five: Roll in cinnamon sugar. Stir the rolling sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice together in a shallow bowl. Scoop the dough into 1½-tablespoon balls, roll each one smooth, then roll generously in the cinnamon sugar.
Step Six (air fryer): Bake. Line the air fryer basket with parchment and preheat to 320°F for 3 minutes. Place the dough balls 2 inches apart (6 to 8 per batch depending on your basket) and gently press each one down slightly with your fingers. Air fry for 7 to 8 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops are crackled but the centers still look soft. Let them rest in the basket for 3 minutes before moving to a rack.
Step Six (oven): Bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the dough balls 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets and press down slightly. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a rack.
Tips for Soft Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Blot the pumpkin. It’s worth saying twice. Skipping it gives you cakey, puffy cookies that don’t crackle.
- Press the dough balls down before baking. Pumpkin dough doesn’t spread the way regular snickerdoodle dough does. A gentle press gets you a rounder, flatter cookie with a better crackle.
- Underbake slightly. They should look a little soft in the center when you pull them. They finish setting as they cool, which is how they stay soft for days.
- Don’t skip the cream of tartar. It’s not optional in a snickerdoodle. If you truly don’t have it, use 1½ teaspoons baking powder in place of both the cream of tartar and baking soda, but the texture and tang will be a little different.
- Double the coating. Roll the dough balls twice for a thicker cinnamon sugar crust.
- Air fryer batches cook fast. Check the second batch a minute early since the basket is already hot.
Variations
- Pumpkin chocolate chip snickerdoodles: Fold ½ cup mini chocolate chips into the dough.
- Cream cheese frosted: Skip the coating and top the cooled cookies with a swirl of cream cheese frosting and a dusting of cinnamon.
- Brown butter: Brown the butter first, let it cool until solid but soft, then cream as directed. Deeper, nuttier flavor.
- Maple: Replace the vanilla with 1 teaspoon maple extract and drizzle with a maple glaze like the one on my Air Fryer Pumpkin Scones.
- Cookie fries: Roll the dough into logs, cut into fry shapes and bake like my Air Fryer Cookie Fries for a fun snack.
Storing and Freezing
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Add a slice of bread to the container to keep them soft.
- Freezing baked cookies: Cool completely and freeze in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
- Freezing dough: Roll the dough balls in cinnamon sugar, freeze on a sheet pan until solid, then bag. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the time.
Pumpkin Snickerdoodle FAQs
Why are my pumpkin snickerdoodles cakey? Too much moisture from the pumpkin. Blot the puree with paper towels before mixing, and use only the egg yolk, not the whole egg.
Do I have to use cream of tartar? It’s what gives snickerdoodles their tangy flavor and soft texture. You can substitute 1½ teaspoons baking powder for the cream of tartar and baking soda combined, but they’ll taste more like a pumpkin sugar cookie.
Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of puree? No. Pie filling is already sweetened and spiced, and it’s much wetter. Use 100% pure pumpkin puree.
Can I make these in the air fryer? Yes, that’s my preferred method for small batches. Line the basket with parchment, air fry at 320°F for 7 to 8 minutes, and cook in batches of 6 to 8 so they don’t touch.
Why didn’t my cookies spread? Pumpkin dough is thick and doesn’t spread much on its own. Press each dough ball down slightly before baking for a flatter, crackly cookie.
Can I make the dough ahead? Yes. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling so it scoops easily.
How do I keep them soft? Pull them from the oven or air fryer while the centers still look slightly underdone, and store airtight with a slice of sandwich bread.
Can I double the recipe? Yes. Double everything and bake in batches. The dough holds fine at room temperature while you work through it.
More Fall Cookie and Pumpkin Recipes
- Air Fryer Homemade Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Air Fryer Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
- Air Fryer Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts
- Air Fryer Pumpkin Tarts
- Air Fryer Snickerdoodle Muffins
- Air Fryer Canned Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Snickerdoodle Cookies (Air Fryer or Oven)
Description
Ingredients
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup pumpkin puree, blotted with paper towels
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cinnamon sugar coating
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Spread the pumpkin puree between layers of paper towels and press to blot out excess moisture. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the blotted pumpkin, egg yolk and vanilla until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and mix on low just until combined.
- Stir the coating sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice together in a shallow bowl.
- Scoop the dough into 1½-tablespoon balls, roll smooth, then roll in the cinnamon sugar.
- Air fryer: Line the basket with parchment and preheat to 320°F for 3 minutes. Place 6 to 8 dough balls 2 inches apart, press each down slightly, and air fry for 7 to 8 minutes until the edges are set and tops are crackled. Rest 3 minutes in the basket before moving to a rack. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Oven: Preheat to 350°F. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on parchment-lined sheets, press down slightly, and bake 10 to 12 minutes until edges are set. Cool 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a rack.
Equipment
- Air fryer or baking sheets
- Parchment Paper
- Hand or Stand Mixer
- 1½-tablespoon cookie scoop
Notes
- Blotting the pumpkin is essential for chewy (not cakey) cookies.
- Cookies will look slightly underdone in the center when done; they set as they cool.
- Store airtight at room temperature up to 4 days, or freeze baked cookies or dough balls up to 3 months. Bake dough from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes.
Nutrition
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