Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Looking for a tasty fall treat? Try making pumpkin snickerdoodles! These cookies are soft, chewy, and full of pumpkin and spice flavor. Perfect for a cozy autumn day. (gluten free option, dairy free option, vegan, vegetarian, FODMAP friendly)

Time to Make Pumpkin Snickerdoodles-The Perfect Fall Treat!

Several afternoons a week, my german shorthair pointer dog and I head up the canyon for a jog. This time of year is so beautiful with the leaves changing colors. She is a bird hunting dog, and is fun to watch as we run. She usually runs several lengths ahead of me sniffing for birds, her body going rigid at attention when she finds some. Squirrels though? They are a different story. She will go racing off the road into the bushes to chase those. They are fair game.

On our run the other afternoon, she went off the side of the road to investigate something. Thinking maybe it was another dog I thought nothing of it. She then came racing back and heeled right at my side. She never does that! She is always too busy exploring. I kept running and the dog stayed right at my side. Several minutes later a couple on bikes stopped me and said that they recommended I turn around and head back. They spotted a bear on the side of the road not ¼ mile away from me.

It's a Bear!

Not wanting to become friends with a bear, I took the couple's advice and headed back down the mountain. Last year we spent the summer in Vallecito, Colorado and saw bears all over the place. They would come right past your car in some areas. They were bigger than I thought--even the "little" black bears.

I think we made our best time ever down the mountain. Adrenaline is a great motivator. I also decided it was probably time to end the canyon runs and save them just for my long Saturday runs when the canyon road is full of people.

When I got back down my trusty GPS tracker app showed me how many calories I had burned. Running scared is good for that. I was tired though, and my freezer was full of these yummy pumpkin snickerdoodles I was saving for the football game. I decided to have one as I headed to the shower. These cookies are the perfect pumpkin recipe! If you missed out, we shared a whole week of amazing pumpkin recipes. I saved this one for later--I didn't want you to get tired of pumpkin!

Ingredients

Fall is the season of pumpkins, and what better way to enjoy the cozy autumn days than with some warm and delicious pumpkin snickerdoodles. These cookies are a perfect blend of sweet and spice, with a soft and chewy texture that will leave you craving for more.

The ingredient list includes:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar (can use coconut sugar)
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ¾ cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
• 1 large egg
• 3 ¼ cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ginger
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp cloves

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Mix in the pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice.
5. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
6. In a small bowl, mix together the rolling ingredients: sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice.
7. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, form the dough into balls, then roll them in the sugar and spice mixture until coated.
8. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
9. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are set.
10. Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips for Making the Perfect Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies:

Make sure to measure your flour correctly by spooning it into a measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife. Too much flour can make the cookies dry and crumbly.

If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, you can substitute it with a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice.

For a gluten free cookie simply substitute gluten free flour.

To make the cookies dairy free, substitute dairy free butter.

Variations

If you think these cookies can't taste good enough on their own, there are some amazing variations of this cookie too!

1. Chocolate chip pumpkin snickerdoodles - Add 1 cup of chocolate chips to the cookie dough for a delicious chocolatey twist.
2. Cream cheese pumpkin snickerdoodles - Add 4 oz of softened cream cheese to the cookie dough for a tangy and creamy flavor.
3. Maple glazed pumpkin snickerdoodles - Drizzle the cooled cookies with a maple glaze made with powdered sugar, maple syrup, and milk.
4. Pecan pumpkin snickerdoodles - Add 1 cup of chopped pecans to the cookie dough for a crunchy and nutty texture.

Recipe Adapted From Six Sister's Stuff