These pumpkin spice snickerdoodles take a classic cookie and dress it up with warm spices and a subtle autumnal twist. Soft, chewy, and rolled in cinnamon sugar, they’re the perfect cookie for fall.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

If you love cozy, spiced desserts, these cookies are a must. They’re easy to make, wonderfully fragrant, and offer just enough pumpkin spice flavor to feel festive without being overwhelming.

Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles have been a beloved cookie for generations, admired for their chewy centers, crisp edges, and that signature coating of cinnamon sugar. This version embraces the flavors of fall by adding pumpkin pie spices to the dough, turning a familiar classic into something seasonal and irresistible.

The blend of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg gives these cookies depth and warmth. Cream of tartar, a hallmark of snickerdoodles, ensures the cookies stay soft while also providing their distinctive tang. Together, these ingredients create a cookie that feels like autumn in every bite.

The dough benefits from a brief chill in the refrigerator, which not only makes shaping easier but also deepens the flavor. Once rolled into balls, each cookie gets a generous coating of cinnamon sugar before baking. As they spread in the oven, the coating creates a crinkled, slightly crisp exterior that contrasts beautifully with the tender inside.

These cookies are versatile enough for everyday snacking but special enough to bring to holiday gatherings. Their spiced aroma fills the kitchen, making them as enjoyable to bake as they are to eat.

Servings

24 cookies

Time

• Prep: 15 minutes

• Chill: 1 hour

• Cook: 12 minutes

• Total: About 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the dough

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

• ¼ teaspoon allspice

• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg

• ½ cup unsalted butter

• ½ cup white sugar

• ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 large egg

For rolling sugar

• ¼ cup white sugar

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Optional glaze

• ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

• 1 tablespoon milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment.

2. Whisk flour, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar, and spices.

3. In another bowl, cream butter with both sugars until smooth. Mix in vanilla and egg.

4. Stir dry ingredients into wet until just combined. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

5. Roll dough into 2-tablespoon balls, coat in cinnamon sugar, and place on baking sheet. Flatten slightly.

6. Bake 10–12 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes before transferring to rack.

7. If desired, whisk glaze ingredients and brush onto cooled cookies.

Tips

• Do not overbake; cookies should stay soft in the center.

• Add extra cinnamon to the sugar coating for more spice.

• Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.