Snickerdoodles are a delightfully soft and chewy cookie that are enjoyed all year round. However, these pumpkin sourdough snickerdoodles have such a fun autumn twist to them. They are still soft and chewy, but there is pumpkin and cozy spices in the dough. Then each cookie is rolled in cinnamon sugar, with a bit of pumpkin pie spice to make these the perfect cookie for any fall party. This recipe is super easy to make and uses simple ingredients. There are options to freeze the dough as well so they can be saved for a busy day! These will soon become your favorite fall cookie.
Sourdough
Anytime I can long ferment a recipe, I do. It makes it easier for us to digest because the wild yeasts break down the flour. The glycemic index also goes down which means it can be easier for diabetics to enjoy those baked goods. Active sourdough starter doesn’t have to be used in order to long ferment. This recipe can be long fermented, and it uses discard. Some of our favorite long ferment recipes with discard are chocolate chip scones, tortillas, muffins, and blueberry buckle. And I know the thought of sourdough cookies is a bit weird, but I added some to our go-to gingerbread cookies and they were transformed into something even better, both in texture and flavor.
The active starter can also be incredible. I love that the starter forces us to slow down and enjoy the process more than when using commercial yeast. We use it for everything that we would usually add yeast to: cinnamon raisin bread, bagels, donuts, and artisan bread.
I also wrote a book because I was so overwhelmed when I first started. It is to help others enjoy the process without getting burned out on all the little finicky steps. It is a simplified method that I have been using for years, even with two kids and a very busy schedule. Check it out: “The Art of Sourdough“.
Tools
Bowl
Wooden spoon or rubber spatula
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Plastic wrap or beeswax wrap
Sheet tray
Parchment paper
Ingredients
Cookies – Wet ingredients
Butter – Salted or unsalted butter can be used. We prefer to use the salted butter because we all love salt.
White sugar – Organic cane sugar is my go-to. It adds the right amount of sweet. In this recipe the sugars are added with the wet ingredients.
Brown sugar – Adding a little brown sugar adds a bit of a caramel note to the cookies because of the molasses in brown sugar.
Vanilla – This adds a lovely layer of flavor to the dough without adding any extra sugar. If I have homemade vanilla extract, I will use that!
Egg yolk – A whole egg would make this dough too wet. Adding just the yolk still helps to bind the dough together without having to add an excess of flour.
Pumpkin puree – I wouldn’t be able to call these pumpkin sourdough snickerdoodles if they didn’t have at least a little bit of pumpkin in them. If using homemade pumpkin puree (from baking a pie pumpkin) it needs to be strained. Homemade puree often is higher in moisture than canned pumpkin. To solve this problem, take a scoop or two of pumpkin and place it in a bit of cheesecloth. Squeeze it to remove the excess water. Measure the strained pumpkin and add to the recipe as directed.
Sourdough discard – This adds such a nice bit of tang to the dough and allows it to be long fermented.
Cookies – Dry ingredients
Flour – Organic and unbleached all-purpose flour is what I use.
Pumpkin pie spice – I usually make my own blend from the individual spices, but a store-bought blend works just as well.
Baking soda – This gives the cookies a little bit of a puff during the bake.
Cream of tartar – This is what helps to activate the baking soda and give the cookies a nice chewy texture. It is a key ingredient in snickerdoodles.
Salt – I do not think that a recipe is complete without a little salt. It balances out the sweetness and enhances the flavors. If you are using salted butter this amount can be reduced if desired.
Topping
Sugar – A classic snickerdoodle has a cinnamon sugar coating. I do not like using brown sugar because I find it tends to not coat as well.
Cinnamon – Necessary for the flavored sugar and classic coating.
Pumpkin pie spice (optional) – I like leaning into the fall theme but adding a bit of pumpkin pie spice to the cinnamon sugar mixture. If you want just the traditional cinnamon sugar, leave out the spice and increase the cinnamon to 1 tsp.
Additional ingredients and substitutions
Baking powder – I have heard that baking powder can be used as a substitute for cream of tartar. I personally have not tried this, but it can be used in a pinch. It will not react with the baking soda in the same way though.
Fresh pumpkin puree – This can easily be used. Just be sure to squeeze out any excess moisture since it is often more wet than canned pumpkin.
Active sourdough starter – Active starter can absolutely be used in place of the sourdough discard.
Pumpkin pie filling – Do not use this. It has other ingredients other than pumpkin and spices and can affect not only the flavor, but also the texture. Be sure to use pure pumpkin puree.
Let’s make pumpkin sourdough snickerdoodles!
Making the dough
Combine the Melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla in a bowl. Mix until smooth and fully combined. Use a spoon, spatula, or pastry blender.
If mixing in an electric mixer be careful to not incorporate too much air while mixing. The butter is not getting creamed with the sugars because that will produce a cake-like cookie.
In a separate medium bowl, add all the dry ingredients: flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix to combine.
Add in half of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Mix until most of the flour is incorporated.
Add the other half of the flour and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.
Chilling
Divide the dough into two or three chunks and wrap each part in plastic wrap, parchment paper or a beeswax wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least 45 minutes.
Baking
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
Roll the dough into balls that are 1 tablespoon. If making larger cookies, additional baking time might be needed.
In a small bowl combine the sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice, if using.
Roll each cookie dough ball until fully coated.
Place the cookies onto the prepared sheet tray.
Bake for 5 minutes, rotate the tray, and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes.
Enjoy!
Storing
Store any leftovers covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. Make sure they are fully cooled before storing.
Freezing
Prepare the dough as directed above. Chill it and roll it into balls, but do not coat in cinnamon sugar. Place the cookie dough balls into a freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
When ready to bake, roll in cinnamon sugar, place onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake. An few extra minutes will be needed when baking frozen cookie dough.
Long ferment pumpkin sourdough snickerdoodles
This recipe could not be any easier to long ferment. Once the dough is made and wrapped, place it in the fridge to chill. Leave it overnight or up to 48 hours, keeping in mind that the longer it is in the fridge the more the tangy flavor will increase. Then shape, roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, and bake as normal.
Tips for success
Melted butter – The first time I made these I creamed the softened butter with the sugars, and they turned out more like little cakes. They did not have the chewy texture you look for in a snickerdoodle cookie. So, I tweaked some of the ingredients and used melted butter instead and they are so much better. So, use melted butter and do not beat air into them and the texture will be perfect!
Don’t overmix – Gluten is naturally occurring in wheat flour. The gluten strands are activated when the flour is hydrated and friction is added. This is why we knead things like bagels or bread dough. We want those developed gluten strands. But we want chewy cookies, not tough ones . A little bit of mixing is fine, but don’t turn it on and walk away after adding the flour.
Chill – For the best results, these cookies need to be baked after chilling. If they are not the dough will spread too much, and the texture will be off.
Thank you!
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do. It is always such a delight hearing about how much you enjoyed a recipe or what you think could be improved. So, thank you for leaving a comment! Don’t forget to share with friends and family so they too can enjoy making pumpkin sourdough snickerdoodles. Thank you!
Pumpkin Sourdough Snickerdoodles
These cookies are such an exciting autumn twist on the beloved snickerdoodle cookie. They are soft and tender, while being flavored with pumpkin and cozy spices. Make the dough ahead of time and keep it in the fridge or freeze it as well!
Ingredients
Cookies
- 3/4 cup Butter
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1/3 cup Brown sugar
- 1/3 cup Pumpkin puree*
- 1/3 cup Sourdough discard
- 1 Egg yolk
- 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup All-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. Pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp. Baking soda
- 1 tsp. Cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
Topping
- 1/3 cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Cinnamon (ground)
- 1/2 tsp Pumpkin pie spice**
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter and set aside to cool a bit.
- In a small bowl add the sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, sourdough discard, egg yolk, vanilla and the melted butter. Mix until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, add all the dry ingredients: flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix to combine.
- Add in half of the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture. Mix until most of the flour is incorporated.
- Add the other half of the flour and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Divide the dough into two or three chunks and wrap each in plastic wrap, parchment paper, or beeswax wraps. Store in the fridge for at least 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 and line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
- Roll the dough into balls that are 1 Tbsp. If making larger cookies, additional baking time might be needed.
- Combine the sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Roll the cookie dough balls in it until fully coated.
- Place the cookies onto the prepared sheet tray. Bake for 5 minutes, rotate the tray, and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes.
- Allow to cool before storing leftovers.
- Enjoy!
Notes
* If you are using homemade pumpkin puree from a baked pumpkin instead of a can it needs to be dried. The pumpkin from a can tends to be lower in moisture which yeilds a better texture. If using homemade then place some into a cheesecloth and gently squeeze it to press out any excess water. Then measure the strained pumpkin to add to the recipe
** If wanting the standard cinnamon sugar coating for the cookies, leave out the pumpkin pie spice. But be sure to increase the cinnamon to 1 tsp.
Long ferment cookies
These are super easy to long ferment by just chilling them longer. Keep them in the fridge overnight or up to 48 hours. The longer they are in there the more the slight tanginess will increase. Then just roll and bake as normal.
Freezing cookies
For freezing the dough, I will take the dough after it is chilled and roll it into balls and freeze them. Then when ready to bake will roll in the cinnamon sugar and bake the frozen cookie dough. They need an extra few minutes to cook all the way through.
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