Chewy Pumpkin Cookies: Soft and Spiced Snickerdoodle Style

Chewy Pumpkin Cookies

Soft, chewy pumpkin cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar are the bake I reach for the moment the air turns crisp.

If you have ever pulled a tray of pumpkin cookies from the oven only to find them puffy and cake like, you are in good company.

Pumpkin puree carries a lot of water, and that moisture is exactly what pushes a cookie toward a spongy crumb instead of the tender chew we are after.

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This recipe fixes that with one small extra move and a few easy habits that cost almost no time. Below you will find my tips, the full ingredient list, and clear instructions, so you can bake a batch with confidence.

The cookies come out spiced with cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice, coated in cinnamon sugar, and just right with a cup of coffee on a cool afternoon. If you like pumpkin desserts that stay chewy rather than fluffy, this one belongs in your rotation.

What I love most about this batch is how quickly it comes together. There is no chilling time and no complicated equipment, just a bowl, a mixer, and about half an hour from start to finish.

The cinnamon sugar coating gives every cookie a slightly crackled top and a warm, spiced edge that tastes like the best part of a snickerdoodle.

Around my table, these disappear before they are fully cool, and I always end up baking a second tray the same week.

Tips for making the cookies

These tips are the difference between a good pumpkin cookie and a great one, and none of them add real work to your day.

Spoon and level the flour. Scooping straight from the bag with your measuring cup packs the flour down, and packed flour means dry dough that refuses to spread.

Stir the flour first, spoon it into the cup, then sweep the top level with a flat edge. A kitchen scale works just as well if you prefer weighing, and it is the most consistent way to bake the same cookie twice.

Blot the pumpkin puree. This is the most important step. Spread the puree on a plate, press a paper towel into it, and repeat with fresh towels until the puree looks like a soft dough rather than a wet sauce.

I press two sheets at a time, then go four more rounds after the first press. Skip this and you will bake something closer to a muffin top than a cookie.

Wet pumpkin is the number one reason pumpkin cookies turn out cakey. Take two minutes to blot it, and the texture takes care of itself.

Flatten the dough balls lightly. Give each ball a gentle press with your hand before it goes into the oven. A flat top gives the cookie a head start on spreading, which is how you get those crackled, cinnamon sugar tops instead of a domed mound.

Let the dough rest while the oven heats. Those 10 minutes do two jobs at once. The flour hydrates, and the oven reaches temperature, so your first tray goes in at the right heat instead of a lukewarm one.

One more habit that helps: take the butter and the egg yolk out of the fridge about two hours before you bake. Room temperature butter creams properly with the sugars, and that creaming step is what builds chew. Cold butter leaves little lumps that never fully blend.

If you bake these, a quick note or a star rating tells me how they turned out in your kitchen. I read every one.

Ingredients

This recipe makes 14 cookies, so it is a nice small batch for a weeknight. Gather everything before you start and the dough comes together in minutes.

For the dry mix

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the dough

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed, light or dark
• 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree, blotted to remove extra moisture
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature

For the cinnamon sugar coating

• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

One note on the pumpkin: use plain canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling is already sweetened and spiced, and it will change both the flavor and the texture of the finished cookie.

Light brown sugar gives a softer caramel note, while dark brown sugar brings a deeper molasses flavor. Both work beautifully, so use what you have in the pantry. Set the butter and egg yolk out on the counter ahead of time so they are ready when you are.

I like to mix the coating in a shallow bowl before I scoop anything. It keeps my hands cleaner and lets me roll each ball in one quick motion.

Instructions

Here is the whole process, start to finish.

1. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt together. Set the bowl aside.
2. Place the pumpkin puree on a plate. Press one paper towel into the pumpkin to soak up the moisture, then repeat four more times. By the end it will look like a soft dough.
3. Using a mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on high speed for 2 minutes. Add the blotted pumpkin puree, vanilla, and egg yolk, then mix on medium speed until combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Stop as soon as the last streaks of flour disappear, since overmixing builds gluten and makes the cookies tougher.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Let the dough sit for 10 minutes while the oven preheats. In a small bowl, mix the 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon together for the coating.
6. Use a large cookie scoop to portion the dough. Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar, place 6 balls on a prepared sheet, sprinkle extra cinnamon sugar on top, and lightly press each ball down with your hand to flatten it.
7. Bake one sheet at a time for 13 to 15 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden. Let the cookies sit on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.

Here is how the dough looks as you go. Once the dry ingredients go in, it is soft, a little sticky, and speckled with spice. That is exactly what you want. The 10 minute rest gives the flour time to hydrate and lets the oven finish preheating, so nothing waits around longer than it needs to.

A large scoop gives even balls, and rolling them in the cinnamon sugar takes just a few seconds each. Six cookies per sheet leaves plenty of room for spreading, so resist the urge to crowd the tray.

Baking one sheet at a time keeps the heat even. If you slide two sheets in together, the lower tray usually browns unevenly and the tops stay pale.

The 5 minute rest on the hot sheet is worth waiting for. It finishes setting the centers, so the cookies hold together when you lift them onto the rack. They will still be warm when you sneak the first one.

Notes

Keep these notes handy for your next batch.

• Spoon and level your flour, or weigh it on a kitchen scale. Flour that has been packed into the cup dries out the dough and stops the cookies from spreading.
• Baking at high altitude? Add an extra 2 tablespoons of flour to the dry mix.
• Take the butter and the egg yolk out of the fridge about 2 hours before baking so they reach room temperature.
• Blot the pumpkin puree every single time. It is the step that keeps the texture chewy.

If your first batch spreads less than you like, check how you measured the flour before you change anything else. Packed flour is the usual suspect.

In my kitchen these cookies rarely make it past the first afternoon, but if you do have leftovers, let them cool completely and keep them in a covered container on the counter so they stay soft.

Recipe details

Prep time is 15 minutes, cook time is 15 minutes, and the total time comes to 30 minutes. One batch makes 14 cookies.

Nutrition information from the source recipe, per cookie, is listed below.

Serve them warm with coffee or a glass of cold milk, or let them cool completely before stacking them for later.

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Chewy Pumpkin Cookies

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Chewy Pumpkin Cookies Soft, chewy pumpkin cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar are the bake I reach for the moment the air turns crisp. If you have ever pulled a tray of pumpkin cookies from the oven only to find them puffy and cake like, you are in good company.

• Total Time: 30 min
• Yield: 14 cookies 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

2 cups All-purpose flour
2 tsp Ground cinnamon
1 tsp Pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Salt
1 cup Unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup Brown sugar, packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup White granulated sugar
3/4 cup Canned pumpkin puree, blotted out the extra moisture. Not pumpkin pie filling
1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
1 Large egg yolk, room temperature
1/2 cup White granulated sugar
1 tsp Ground cinnamon

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Instructions

1-In a medium bowl, sift the flour,: In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Place the pumpkin puree on top of a plate. Press 1 paper towel on the pumpkin to soak up the moisture. Do this again 4 more times. In the end it will look like a soft dough.
2-Using a mixer, beat the butter, brown: Using a mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and sugar on high speed for 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin puree, vanilla, and egg on medium speed until combined.
3-Add the dry ingredients and mix on: Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.
4-Preheat the oven to 350°: Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Let the dough sit for 10 minutes while the oven preheats. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon together.
5-Use a large cookie scoop to scoop: Use a large cookie scoop to scoop the cookies. Roll each cookie dough ball into cinnamon sugar. Place 6 cookie dough balls on to the cookie sheet. Sprinkle extra cinnamon sugar on top. Lightly press down on the cookie dough balls with your hands to flatten them.
6-Bake on sheet at a time for: Bake on sheet at a time for 13-15 minutes. Bake until the edges are slightly golden.
7-Let the cookies sit for 5 minutes: Let the cookies sit for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 15 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Calories: 289
• Sugar: 26g
• Sodium: 228mg
• Fat: 13g
• Saturated Fat: 8g
• Carbohydrates: 41g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 2g
• Cholesterol: 35mg