Rich and nutty brown butter gives these brown butter pumpkin spice snickerdoodles so much depth and flavor. Sub out the traditional cinnamon for pumpkin spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cloves) and you’ve got soft, chewy, nutty, fall flavored snickerdoodles. They’re so good that you will definitely want to include them in your holiday cookie exchange.
What Makes These Cookies Pumpkin Spice ?
- pumpkin spice blend – I use store bought pumpkin spice. Pumpkin spice blends include cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and sometimes, allspice.
- pumpkin purée – only 2 tablespoons of pumpkin purée are needed for this recipe. I typically have a container in the fridge of pumpkin purée for random things like, pumpkin lattes, adding to smoothies, stirring into risotto and chili and adding to pancakes.
Why you should make these snickerdoodles
- They’re quick and easy to make and do NOT require refrigeration.
- You can store dough balls in the fridge or freezer if you plan on baking them later. Roll the dough balls in the sugar/spice mix right before baking.
- These snickerdoodles are easy to prepare with basic pantry ingredients. No special or hard to get ingredients in these cookies
- They’re perfectly spiced with slightly crispy edges and soft and chewy interior.
How to make brown butter pumpkin spice snickerdoodles
- Beat the room temperature brown butter with the granulated and brown sugars until well blended.
- Beat in the egg, egg yolk, pumpkin purée, and vanilla extract.
- Add the flour/spice mixture to the batter in two parts, and mix just until combined.
- Use an ice cream scoop (2 tablespoon size) to portion out the dough.
- Make the rolling sugar by mixing together the sugar and the pumpkin spice. Use a small whisk or fork to break up any clumps.
- Roll the dough balls in the sugar/pumpkin spice mixture. Gently push down on the dough balls with the bottom of cup to flatten slightly. Bake the cookies until they are puffed up, and just set in the middle, about 10 minutes.
- The cookies will deflate a bit as they cool, giving the cookies their signature cracks.
Can I Make Any Substitutes?
- Not wanting to open up a can of pumpkin purée? Use sour cream or yogurt in place of the pumpkin.
- You can also make pumpkin spice instead of purchasing it. Whisk together 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon of cloves and 1/8 teaspoon of allspice.
- Apple spice can be subbed in place of pumpkin spice and is also amazing with these cookies.
How to Freeze Cookie Dough
After scooping the dough into balls, refrigerate to firm up the dough. Place the dough balls into a freezer bag, or airtight container and place in the freezer for up to three months. I prefer to defrost the dough balls in the refrigerator before rolling in the pumpkin spice/sugar mixture, but you can roll the dough balls in the spice/sugar mixture and bake these directly from the freezer.
If you make these brown butter pumpkin spice snickerdoodles, let me know! Drop a comment or tag me on Instagram.
Enjoy!
Ash xx
For more fall baking recipes, check out these posts:
Mulled Apple Cider Cake Donuts
Brown Butter Maple Pecan Cookies
Sweet Potato Pie with Toasted Marshmallow Meringue
Brown Butter Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
Brown Butter Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter
- 2 ½ cups (300g) all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoons pumpkin spice
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (213g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin purée
Rolling Sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoons pumpkin spice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the butter into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Let the butter cook while occasionally stirring to ensure the butter is cooking evenly.
- Cook the butter until it is a golden brown color and smells nutty and toasted, about 5 -7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Let the butter cool to room temperature.
- Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and ½ teaspoon of pumpkin spice in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the brown butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until well blended/
- Beat in the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and pumpkin purée.
- On low speed, add the flour mixture, beating just until incorporated.
- Scoop the dough with a medium size/2 tablespoon ice cream scoop onto a lined cookie sheet.
- Whisk together the granulated sugar and 1 ¼ teaspoon of pumpkin spice.
- Roll each dough ball in the sugar mixture until coated. Use the bottom of a cup or measuring cup to flatten the cookies just a bit.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the edges are lightly brown and the tops look just set. Transfer to cookie sheets to wire racks to cool, then serve.
