How to Make the Easiest Pumpkin Snickerdoodles (With a Super Easy Icing!)

These pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies use a simple dough made with pumpkin puree, butter, brown and white sugar, pumpkin spice, and one egg. They are rolled in cinnamon sugar and baked at 350°F for 9 to 10 minutes. A three-ingredient powdered sugar icing goes on top. Total active time is about 25 minutes plus a 30-minute chill for the dough.

I will be telling you how to make pumpkin snickerdoodles topped with a super easy icing!

If you love a softer pumpkin cookie, this recipe is absolutely perfect for you. By combining all those cozy fall spices with a classic cinnamon sugar coating, and finishing it off with a sweet drizzle that brings the whole thing together, you get the absolute perfect autumn treat!

Why You Will Love This Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Recipe

• It is super easy. The dough comes together fast, and the icing only takes three basic ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
• The perfect fall texture. These bake up nice and soft and smooth, giving you that pillowy pumpkin goodness we all crave this time of year.
• Totally customizable. I love a soft pumpkin cookie, but if you would like a more traditional and chewy snickerdoodle texture, it is so simple to adjust (more on that below!).

If you love an easy fall baking project that makes the whole house smell incredible, you are also going to want to check out my Easy Amazing Cinnamon Rolls, another pillowy soft bake that is absolutely perfect for this time of year.

What You Will Need

Special Equipment

• Stand mixer (or large bowl with an electric hand mixer)
• Medium mixing bowl
• Whisk
• 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Wire cooling rack
• Piping bag (or a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped)

The Dry Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (180g) all purpose flour
• 1/2 tbsp (1 1/2 tsp / 4g) pumpkin spice
• 1/2 tsp (3g) baking soda
• 1/4 tsp (1.5g) salt

The Wet Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated white sugar
• 1/4 cup (50g) packed brown sugar, light or dark
• 1 large egg, at room temperature (see the FAQ below if you want a chewier texture!)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (60g) pumpkin puree (blotted slightly with a paper towel to remove excess moisture)

For the Snickerdoodle Topping

• 2 tbsp (25g) granulated white sugar
• 1 to 2 tsp ground cinnamon (use 2 for a stronger flavor)

For the Super Easy Icing

• 2/3 cup (80g) powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp (15ml) milk, plus more if needed
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Let us Get Baking!

1. Bringing the Dry Ingredients Together

Start off by combining your dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Whisk together the all purpose flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, and a little salt. Whisk this until everything is well combined, and set aside.

2. Cream the Butter and Sugars

Next, move to the stand mixer to cream the room temperature butter on low until it is nice, soft, and smooth. Add the granulated white sugar and packed brown sugar. Cream on low until well combined.

3. Add the Egg and Vanilla

Add in your room temperature egg and vanilla extract. Mix for 2 minutes on low until it is nice, pale, and smooth. Scrape down your bowl as needed! Note: if you want a chewier and more traditional snickerdoodle texture, use just the egg yolk here and leave out the white.

4. Mix in the Pumpkin

Before you add the pumpkin, give it a quick blot on a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. This keeps your dough from getting too wet! Add the pumpkin puree and mix on low until it is incorporated. Now, your mixture might split a little bit. If your puree was cold while you added it, it will cause the dough to separate slightly. But do not worry if that happens! It will all come right back together once you add in those dry ingredients.

5. Bring the Dough Together

Add the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl. Mix on low for about 30 seconds, or just until the dough comes together. You definitely do not want to over mix it!

6. Chill the Dough

Next, you have to cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Do not skip this step! Pumpkin adds extra moisture to the dough, and baking it right away will cause the butter to melt too fast in the oven, giving you flat and greasy cookies.

7. Make the Cinnamon Sugar Coating

While that chills, make the snickerdoodle topping by whisking together the 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and the ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Pro tip! If you want a stronger cinnamon flavor, go ahead and add a second teaspoon of cinnamon.

8. Preheat and Prep

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

9. Scoop and Roll!

Once the dough is chilled, grab a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough. Drop the dough balls right into the cinnamon sugar coating, tossing them until all sides are completely coated. Place them on the prepared baking sheet.

10. Bake

Bake at 350°F for 9 to 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the pan for about 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely, about 20 to 30 minutes, before adding the icing. Icing on warm cookies will run right off!

11. The Super Easy Icing

You could absolutely enjoy these right out of the oven once they cool, but I like to add an icing! In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until it is nice and smooth. If it is too thick, add a little more milk. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar.

If you love baking bars just as much as cookies, my Easy Key Lime Pie Bars are another easy, three-ingredient icing situation that always gets the same excited reaction.

12. Drizzle and Serve

Transfer your smooth icing to a piping bag and drizzle it right over the top of your finished and cooled pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies. Enjoy!

How to Store Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies

• Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Make sure the icing has totally set before stacking them.
• Refrigerator: Store for up to 5 days in the fridge.
• Layering tip: Place a sheet of parchment or wax paper between layers so the icing does not stick the cookies together.
• Freezer: Freeze the un-iced baked cookies in a zip top freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and add fresh icing before serving.

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FAQs

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Super Easy Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies with Icing

Recipe by Sana ReiCourse: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

18

cookies

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Calories

140

kcal

Chill time

30

minutes

Total time

55

minutes

Soft, perfectly spiced pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar and drizzled with a sweet three-ingredient icing. The ultimate easy fall baking project!

Ingredients

• Equipment Needed:

• Stand mixer or electric hand mixer

• Medium mixing bowl

• Whisk

• 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop

• Baking sheet and parchment paper

• Wire cooling rack

• Piping bag or zip-top bag with corner snipped

• Ingredients:
• Dry Ingredients

• 180g (1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour

• 4g (1 1/2 tsp) pumpkin spice

• 3g (1/2 tsp) baking soda

• 1.5g (1/4 tsp) salt

• Wet Ingredients

• 113g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 100g (1/2 cup) granulated white sugar

• 50g (1/4 cup) packed brown sugar, light or dark

• 1 large egg, room temperature (use just the yolk for a chewier texture)

• 2g (1/2 tsp) vanilla extract

• 60g (1/4 cup) pumpkin puree, blotted with a paper towel

• Cinnamon Sugar Topping

• 25g (2 tbsp) granulated white sugar

• 2.5g to 5g (1 to 2 tsp) ground cinnamon

• Three-Ingredient Icing

• 80g (2/3 cup) powdered sugar

• 15ml (1 tbsp) milk, plus more as needed

• 1g (1/4 tsp) vanilla extract

Directions

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer on low speed, cream the room-temperature butter until soft. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and cream until well combined.
• Add the egg (or just the yolk for chewier cookies) and vanilla extract. Mix on low for 2 minutes until pale and smooth. Scrape down the bowl.
• Blot the pumpkin puree on a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Add to the mixer and mix on low until incorporated. The mixture may look slightly split; this is normal.
• Add the dry ingredients and mix on low for about 30 seconds until a dough forms. Do not overmix.
• Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Do not skip this step.
• Whisk together the granulated sugar and cinnamon for the topping in a small bowl.
• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop, drop portions of chilled dough into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Toss to coat all sides and place on the baking sheet.
• Bake for 9 to 10 minutes. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely, about 20 to 30 minutes, before icing.
• Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together until smooth. Adjust consistency with extra milk if too thick or extra powdered sugar if too thin.
• Transfer icing to a piping bag and drizzle over the completely cooled cookies.

Notes

• Soft vs. Chewy: For soft pillowy cookies, follow the recipe exactly. For a chewier traditional snickerdoodle texture, omit the baking soda and use just the egg yolk.
• Pumpkin Puree Moisture: Always blot your puree on a paper towel before measuring. Excess moisture = flat cookies.
• Chill is Mandatory: 30 minutes in the fridge is non-negotiable. It prevents flat, greasy cookies.
• Cream of Tartar: This recipe does not use cream of tartar. For a tangier, more traditional snickerdoodle flavor, add 1/4 tsp to the dry ingredients.
• Storage: Airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerator for up to 5 days. Use parchment paper between layers.
• Freezing: Freeze un-iced cookies for up to 2 months. Add fresh icing after thawing.
• Allergen Note: Contains gluten (all-purpose flour), dairy (butter), and eggs.
• Nutrition: Calories are estimated and will vary based on cookie size and amount of icing used.