Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

and baking with ease

There was a time not too long ago, where my subconscious told me that the more intricate a recipe was, the better it would most likely be. It was probably mostly pride, but I was under the impression that in the hierarchy of recipe development, the more technique involved was always important.

But now, I am the mom of a constantly moving toddler and I’m finding myself really leaning into to baking with a bit more ease. Instead of planning to make labor-intensive layer cakes or meaning to revive my sourdough starter from the fridge to embark on a multi-day bread journey and then never actually getting around to doing those things—I’m finding myself stirring together batters in one bowl with wooden spoons and whisks so that Marco can help mix and pour and dusting off my copy of Jim Lahey’s no-knead artisan bread recipe and it feels a little bit liberating.

These one-bowl, stir together, limited chill time pumpkin snickerdoodles fit the easy baking bill perfectly. They are pillowy and soft, rolled in crunchy pumpkin sugar and a real crowd pleaser.

about the cookies

I have very thin skin, and when I first published a rendition of this snickerdoodle recipe on my blog back in 2020, the very first comment I got on the post said “Snickerdoodles do NOT have. molasses. EVER.” And I cried.

But guess what, MY snickerdoodles do have molasses in them because it adds depth of flavor and, because it’s an invert syrup, it gives additional moisture to the dough resulting in the softest snickerdoodles around.

In addition to the controversial molasses addition, these snickerdoodles also feature browned butter, pumpkin pie spice (because we’re going for ease and making your own spice blend is not ease!) and canned pumpkin. The best canned pumpkin around is at Trader Joe’s. I’ve tested this recipe with multiple brands and you can absolutely tell the difference, but that being said, use what you’ve got! The thicker the pumpkin puree is, the thicker the cookie will be. If you can’t get your hands on Trader Joe’s brand, Libby’s is my second choice.

There is a teeny, tiny chill time. Only about 30 minutes to give the dough a moment to hydrate so that the cookies don’t spread all over the oven. Mix up the dough, pop it in the fridge for half an hour, and then scoop, roll and bake and you’ll be eating warm pumpkin snickerdoodles in under an hour!

pumpkin snickerdoodles

makes 12 cookies

Ingredients:

240 g (2 cups) all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

113 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, browned

200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar

56 g (1/4 cup) brown sugar

85 g (1/3 cup) pumpkin puree

1 large egg

2 tbsp molasses

1 tsp vanilla extract

for the rolling sugar:

6 tbsp granulated sugar

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Procedure:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cream of tartar, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.

2. Place butter in a small saucepan and set it over medium heat. Cook for 6-7 minutes, swirling occasionally until butter is nutty and fragrant with little brown flecks on the bottom. Transfer it to a large bowl and let cool slightly.

3. Add the sugar and brown sugar to the bowl with the butter and whisk until wet and sandy. Add the pumpkin puree, egg, molasses, and vanilla. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is smooth and homogenous.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until all of the flour is mixed in and no dry streaks remain. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

5. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375° F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

6. To make the rolling sugar, stir together the 6 tbsp sugar and 2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl.

7. Using a large cookie scoop, scoop dough into balls. Roll each ball in the pumpkin spice sugar and place 1-2” apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 8-9 minutes, just until the edges are lightly golden and the tops of the cookies are dry. Let cool for 5 minutes on the pan before transferring to cooling rack to cool completely.