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Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are thick & chewy, perfectly spiced, and made with real pumpkin! Roll them in plenty of cinnamon sugar and top them with vanilla rum caramel sauce while they’re fresh out of the oven, for the ultimate fall cookie.
Why you’ll love these Pumpkin Snickerdoodles:
- Thick & Chewy Cookies – Using melted butter in this recipe makes a chewy cookie, instead of a cakey one!
- Pumpkin Flavor – This cookie recipe is made with actual pumpkin, and lots of warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
- Vanilla Rum Caramel – The vanilla rum caramel sauce takes these to the next level – it compliments the pumpkin flavor so well.
Ingredient Overview:
- Butter – I always use salted buter for the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer.
- All-purpose flour – These cookies use basic all-purpose flour.
- Canned Pumpkin – This is also called pumpkin puree – and you can make it with roasted pumpkin if canned pumpkin isn’t available in your area. Don’t buy pumpkin pie filling as it’s different.
- Eggs – Use large eggs for best results.
Recipe Variations:
- Dairy-free – Use your favorite dairy-free butter and coconut cream (in the caramel) to make this recipe dairy-free.
- Rum – Substitute milk for the rum in the cookies, and simply omit it from the caramel if needed.
- Cinnamon Sugar Mixture – Use your favorite blend of chai spices to add to your cinnamon-sugar mixture for rolling the cookies in. (Try removing 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and adding 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cardamom, and a pinch of cloves.) Pumpkin pie spice would work as well.
- Add-Ins – Add white chocolate chips or chopped pecans if desired.
How to Make this Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Recipe:
Step 1: Make the Caramel Sauce. This comes together in just 10 minutes! Follow my post on how to make Salted Caramel Sauce. Let this cool while you make the cookies.
Step 2: Make the Cookie Dough. Whisk together your wet ingredients in a large bowl, then stir in the dry ingredients. This is a no mixer recipe!
Step 3: Chill, Roll, & Bake. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. Then, scoop pumpkin snickerdoodle cookie dough balls and roll in cinnamon sugar. Sprinkle a ‘lil extra on top too. Bake on a lined cookie sheet as directed below.
Serving + Storing:
Drizzle the baked cookies with your caramel sauce while they’re still warm from the oven. Store cookies at room temperature (no caramel) or in an airtight container in the fridge (with caramel).
These are the best cookies for fall or Halloween! They’re full of pumpkin, cinnamon sugar, caramel, and a splash of vanilla rum – making them an instant fall favorite
Bit with the fall baking bug? Make my Cinnamon Roll Snickerdoodles or my Pumpkin Pie Gingersnap Cookies!
Expert Success Tips:
- Don’t Skip the Chill – These cookies must chill in order for them to bake properly and not turn into pancakes.
- Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
- Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.
FAQs:
Yes, feel free to double or cut the cookie recipe in half. Don’t double or halve the caramel sauce as candy making doesn’t always lend itself well to that. One batch of caramel is enough to top at least 2 batches of these cookies.
Yes! Freeze the dough balls on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag or container, and bake from frozen as directed in the recipe.
Yes. Scoop balls about 55-60 grams in size for larger cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes following the doneness cues in the recipe card.
Special Tools:
- Cookie Scoop – Use this cookie scoop to make your cookies the size I did. It’s technically an ice cream scoop, but it’s the perfect size for large bakery-style cookies. (Affiliate link.)
More Pumpkin Desserts to Love:
- Pumpkin Streusel Muffins with Maple Glaze
- Pumpkin Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Scones with Bourbon Vanilla Glaze
- Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
- Mom’s Best Ever Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Pasties with Maple Glaze
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment & star rating!
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Pumpkin Snickerdoodles with Vanilla Rum Caramel
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Rum Caramel
- 1 cup granulated sugar, 210 grams
- 6 tbsp salted butter, cubed, 85 grams
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp heavy cream, 135 grams
- pinch of sea salt
- 2 tbsp Blue Chair Bay Vanilla Rum, 30 grams – omit if needed
For the Cookie Dough
- 1 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature, 226 grams
- 1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 315 grams
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp Blue Chair Bay Vanilla Rum, or milk – 30 grams
- 6 tbsp canned pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled or weighed out, 390 grams
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 and 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
For Rolling the Cookie Balls
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 105 grams
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Make the Caramel while the Dough Chills: Follow the directions and recipe in this post to make the Caramel Sauce! When it's done, stir in the 2 tbsp of vanilla rum. Set aside so it can cool a bit while you make the cookies. Make Ahead Tip: Caramel sauce can be made up to a week ahead and kept in the fridge in a mason jar or something similar.1 cup granulated sugar, 6 tbsp salted butter, cubed, 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp heavy cream, pinch of sea salt, 2 tbsp Blue Chair Bay Vanilla Rum
- Make the Cookie Dough: Melt the butter in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the sugar. Add the egg, vanilla, rum, and pumpkin and whisk until well combined. Stir in all the dry ingredients. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.1 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature, 1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 1 large egg, at room temperature , 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 tbsp Blue Chair Bay Vanilla Rum, 6 tbsp canned pumpkin, 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled or weighed out, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 tsp cream of tartar, 1 and 3/4 tsp cinnamon , 1/8 tsp ground cloves, 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- Bake the Cookies: Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a few baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Stir together the cinnamon and white sugar for rolling in a small bowl. Roll the dough into balls that are about 1.5 tbsp in size, or 35-40 grams. Roll them in the cinnamon sugar, and place a few inches apart on your prepared baking sheet. I usually fit about 6-8 on each sheet. Sprinkle a little extra cinnamon sugar on top of each dough ball. Bake for 10 minutes. Be sure to keep any extra cookie dough in the fridge while you're waiting for another batch to bake, so it stays chilled.1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 tbsp cinnamon
- Serve + Store: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for a few minutes so they can set up. Add an extra sprinkle of cinnamon sugar to the tops. Drizzle with the vanilla rum caramel sauce, and enjoy warm or once cool. Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temp for 4-5 days. Cookies with caramel on them should be kept in an airtight container in the fridge, for 4-7 days. Keep leftover caramel sauce in a jar in the fridge for 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These are soooo good and not too overwhelming with pumpkin for those who aren’t big pumpkin fans. The perfect fall treat & pairs nicely with the caramel topping. #SeptemberBakingChallenge
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Juliana!
First off, I LOVE your recipes!! I have been making one a month the last few months and they are so easy to follow and SO delicious!! So thank you!!
Secondly, I made this recipe yesterday and though they were delicious they did not spread very much. They stayed pretty mound-like. Any suggestions on how to see more of a spread?
Thank you so much for your kind words Kathryn! If you chilled your dough longer than the minimum time that would keep them from spreading as much. Did you weigh your flour? If you didn’t weigh it, you may have added too much (scooping directly into flour with a measuring cup will do this) and that could cause them to stay mounded. There’s honestly a lot of wiggle room with the appearance of cookies – as long as they tasted good, right? 😀
Happy baking!
These look great and I can’t wait to try them! But I have a question – for the cookie dough, why does the butter need to be softened to room temperature if the first step is to melt the butter? Could I just start with cold butter and melt it?
Hi Stephanie! I apologize for that typo – I used to make these by creaming softened butter and then later changed the recipe to use melted butter. So yes, you can start by melting cold butter! Let me know how you like the recipe!
Could I substitute 50/50 Myers’s Original Dark Rum and pure vanilla extract?
I think that would be fine! Please let me know how you like this recipe.
It worked perfectly! Thank you~ My cookies did turn out pretty flat, but they taste great, and so does the caramel!
So glad you enjoyed these, Jeanette! The flatness may be due to your oven temp being slightly off – I recommend keeping an eye on it with an oven thermometer.