These gluten free Pumpkin snickerdoodles are the perfect fall cookie. Soft and chewy, made with real pumpkin and loaded with fall spices. Make sure to slightly underbake them to achieve a soft-baked cookie.
If you love all things pumpkin, make sure to check out my recipe for Baked Gluten Free Pumpkin Donuts and Gluten Free Pumpkin Scones.
Jump to:
- Recipe Ingredient Notes
- How to make Gluten Free Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- How to bake Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Can I add Pumpkin Pie Filling to Snickerdoodles?
- Do Snickerdoodles need Cream of Tartar?
- What spices are in Pumpkin Pie Spice?
- FAQ about Gluten Free Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Join my Gluten Free Community!
- Note about Salt in my Recipes
- Baking in grams
- Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures
- Substitutions and Modifications
- More Gluten Free Pumpkin Recipes to try
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Recipe Ingredient Notes
Gluten Free Flour: I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 and my own gluten-free flour blend. All three flour blends work fabulously in this recipe.
Shortening: In this recipe, we are using a mix of butter and shortening. Shortening helps the cookies hold their shape and prevent spreading. Cookies baked with all butter will spread too much and will end up being greasy, thin, and crispy. I highly recommend not skipping the shortening in this recipe. I use Crisco Vegetable Shortening.
Cream of Tartar: Also known as potassium bitartrate, cream of tartar gives Snickerdoodles their distinctive tangy flavor. It also helps to give them their soft, chewy, and pillowy texture.
Canned Pumpkin: Please make sure to buy 100% canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. They often sit next to each other on shelves at the grocery store and have very similar labels. As much as I love making everything from scratch, canned pumpkin is very convenient.
Please be advised that sometimes canned pumpkin is very "wet". If the brand your purchased seems to contain a lot of water/liquid, I recommend blotting it with some paper towels.
Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix: Pumpkin Pie Spice is a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. If you do not have it in your pantry you can substitute it with my easy homemade pumpkin pie spice blend: Combine 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger, and a pinch of ground cloves and use in this recipe for gluten-free pumpkin snickerdoodles.
How to make Gluten Free Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Snickerdoodles are very simple to make. Make sure to have your butter and egg yolk at room temperature.
Step 1: Sift together the dry ingredients and set them aside. Sifting dry ingredients together may seem like an extra step Chefs like to add to the recipe but there is actually a reason behind the sifting. Not only does sifting dry ingredients make sure all the ingredients are blended well but it also helps to lighten up the flour mixture.
Step 2: In the bowl of the stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large mixing bowl beat together the butter, shortening, both sugars, and vanilla until light and fluffy, around 5 minutes. Make sure to scrape down the sides with a flexible spatula halfway through.
Step 3: Add your egg yolk and mix for an additional minute until fully incorporated followed by the pumpkin puree.
Step 4: Add your dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Chill the gluten free pumpkin snickerdoodle dough for at least 30-45minutes (up to 3 days). The liquids in your dough (eggs) get a chance to hydrate the starches found in your flour. This hydration makes the dough less wet, concentrating the flavors and you will be rewarded with an even bake and golden brown cookies.
How to bake Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 1: In a small bowl combine the granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice and mix.
Step 2: Using a medium sized cookie scooper, portion out the cookie dough and roll them into balls. Roll them in the pumpkin spice sugar, then place no more than 6 of them on the prepared cookie sheets. You should get 10-12 cookies out of this dough weighing around 55-60g.
Step 3: Gently pat down the dough balls. This will give the cookies a head start with spreading.
Step 4: Bake the Gluten Free Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies on a tray at a time at 350F for 10-12 minutes or until they look puffy. Remember if you make them smaller, they will bake faster.
Step 5: Remove the pumpkin snickerdoodles from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes on the sheet tray before transferring them to a cooling rack. The cookies will deflate as they cool - that is completely normal.
Store the cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Can I add Pumpkin Pie Filling to Snickerdoodles?
While Pumpkin Pie Filling seems like a time saver, it is not as customizable as pumpkin puree. Pumpkin Pie Filling is not only preseasoned but also heavily sweetened. As the name says, it's best used to make Pumpkin Pie.
Do Snickerdoodles need Cream of Tartar?
Cream of tartar is what gives Snickerdoodles their unique tangy taste. Combined with baking soda it creates a rapid carbon dioxide reaction. These bubbles help the cookies rise, but also create the signature snickerdoodle cracks on the top.
What spices are in Pumpkin Pie Spice?
Pumpkin Pie Spice is a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. If you do not have it in your pantry you can substitute it with my easy homemade pumpkin pie spice blend. To make a pumpkin pie spice blend at home combine the following ingredients.
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg,
½ teaspoon of ground ginger
generous pinch of ground cloves
FAQ about Gluten Free Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
You, allow the cookies to cool completely before freezing in an airtight container.
Using all shortening will result in thicker cookies. If you like you can flatten them halfway through baking with the spatula or the back of a spoon.
To make this recipe with "regular all-purpose flour" substitute the gluten-free flour with 185g of all-purpose flour.
Join my Gluten Free Community!
Note about Salt in my Recipes
I use Diamond Kosher Crystal Salt in all of my recipes unless otherwise stated. If use use a different brand or kind of salt in your kitchen please adjust accordingly since some salts can be saltier. If you use Morton’s Kosher Salt please be aware that their salt granules are smaller in size, denser, and crunchier and twice as salty.
Baking in grams
I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and easy to use. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. For small amounts under 10 grams, I like to use this Precision Pocket Scale. Measuring cups are very inaccurate which can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.
Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures
All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.
If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Convection oven can cause baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Since takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.
Substitutions and Modifications
Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.
More Gluten Free Pumpkin Recipes to try
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
These gluten free Pumpkin snickerdoodles are the perfect fall cookie. Soft and chewy, made with real pumpkin and loaded with fall spices
Ingredients
- 205 grams Gluten Free Multi Purpose Flour
- 10 gram cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon milk powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) kosher salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoon pumpkin spice
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 50 grams shortening, at room temperature
- 70 grams butter, unsalted, at room temperature
- 100 grams light brown sugar
- 50 gram granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 65 grams pumpkin puree
For Sugar Coating combine
- 70 g granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
Instructions
How to make Gluten Free Snickerdoodles
- Start by sifting together the gluten-free flour, corn starch, milk powder (if using), cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice and ground cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the room temperature butter, shortening, brown sugar, granulated white sugar and vanilla and mix for 5 minutes at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Halfway through, pause to scrape the bowl and beater with a flexible spatula.
- Add the egg yolk and mix until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides.
- Mix in the pumpkin puree.
- With the mixer running on low, add your dry ingredients and mix until the wet ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Place your mixing bowl in your refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow your dough to firm up.
- When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350F.
- Line two sheet trays with parchment paper.
- Scoop 2 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough and roll them into balls. Roll them in the pumpkin spice sugar, then place no more than 6 of them on the prepared cookie sheets. You should get 10-12 cookies out of this dough weighing around 55-60g
- Gently pat down the dough balls.
- Bake them on tray at a time at 350F for 10 minutes or until they look puffy. Remember if you make them smaller, they will bake faster.
- Remove the pumpkin snickerdoodles from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes on the sheet tray before transfering them to a cooling rack. The cookies will deflate - that is completely normal.
- Store the cookies in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 231
Tavo says
Yummy! I am in love with this recipe! So good, soft, and delicious. I just finished baking them as I had a pumpkin surplus, and they are delicious!
Daniela Weiner says
Thank you, Tavo! I think right now we all have a pumpkin surplus 😉
Tammy says
Hi, what do you use for shortening with the butter?
Daniela says
Hi, I don’t really know what your question here is.
Lucy says
I love you've created a pumpkin version of snickerdoodles. These cookies are so soft and chewy - the perfect snack for the fall months.
Daniela Weiner says
I realized I needed more pumpkin recipes and a dear reader was asking for snickerdoodles. So I combined both of them. Thank you so much!
Chantry says
These were amazing!! I can't wait to make them again!
Kayla DiMaggio says
Yum! I am totally loving these Pumpkin Snickerdoodles! They are my husband's favorite and he keeps asking me to make another batch!
Emily says
These gluten-free pumpkin snickerdoodles are perfect for fall! I love the flavors and the chewiness!
Chrissaysnature says
Pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies in a gluten-free version? Ohh, I'm definitely serving this recipe for later! Thank you!
Laurel says
Delicious!! So easy to make, soft and chewy. I will be definitely be making these again.! Thank you!
Daniela Weiner says
Thank you so much, Laurel! This makes me SO Happy!
Ellyn says
These were so tasty and so perfect for this new fall weather. I had one for breakfast--I figure it's okay because there's pumpkin in them.
Rachel says
I'm so excited to make these!! My husband is a bit burnt out on pumpkin already, so would you have suggestions for how to leave out the pumpkin?
Daniela Weiner says
Hi Rachel, it's only October 11th and your husband is already over pumpkin - good thing I have around 20 other cookie recipes on my blog without pumpkin. I don't have a gluten free Snickerdoodle recipe yet (do not just leave out the pumpkin... it's not gonna work). I have regular Snickerdoodles coming soon 🙂
Hila says
These were a big hit! Just the right amount of chewiness with a lovely flavor. Another successful cookie Daniela. Thank you!
Daniela Weiner says
Thank you, Hila! I love hearing that you enjoyed the Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Cindy says
Hallo Daniela, ich hätte dazu einige Fragen:
Maisstärke:
Du schreibst ja, man kann statt glutenfreiem Mehl, 185g „normales“ Mehl nehmen. Braucht man dann trotzdem 10g Maisstärke?
Milchpulver:
Kann man das Milchpulver auch durch Milch (flüssig, 3,5%) ersetzten, wenn ja, wieviel g?
Baking Soda:
Wir reden hier von deutschem Natron, oder? Nicht Backpulver.
Shortening:
Meinst du damit Butterschmalz (zB Butaris) oder Pflanzenfett (zB Biskin)? Kannst du ein Produkt vorschlagen, was man in Deutschland erwerben kann?
Dann schreibst du zum Schluss bei so ziemlich all deinen Cookie Rezepten „Remove the pumpkin snickerdoodles from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes on the sheet tray before transfering them to a cooling rack.“
Ich Rätsel jedes Mal bei „transfering them to a cooling rack“. Kommen deine Cookies nach dem abkühlen tatsächlich in den Kühlschrank?
Vielen Dank!
Liebe Grüße, Cindy
Daniela says
Hallo Cindy,
Maisstärke: Bei "normalen" mehl kann man die maisstaerke weglassen
Milchpulver: Nein, das kann man nicht mit milch ersetzen. Pulver is eine trockene zutate, milch is fluessig. Einfach weglassen
Baking Soda: Natron
Shortening: Shortening is das hier:Crisco Shortening. Man kann vielleicht schmalz verwenden. Ansonsten butter hernehmen
Ein "cooling rack" ist ein tortengitter/kuehlgitter wo man die kekse draufgibt zum abkuehlen - ein kuehlschrank is ein refrigerator
Jenny says
These look amazing! Would it be possible to substitute pumpkin butter for the pumpkin puree and spices? I have 4 jars, and need to use it up! Thank you for all of your delicious recipes! I made the white cupcakes for my triplets birthday, and everyone loved them!
Daniela says
hmmm... basically I would say yes. And like you mentioned, I would definitely skip the spices. I am not sure what is in your pumpkin butter but as far as I know, it's just cooked-down pumpkin puree, sugar and spices. So it should technically work?
Julie says
I made these for the first time and they were very crumbly not soft and chewy in texture. My GF flour is a little old. Could that be the reason? Appreciate any suggestions.
Daniela says
Hi, I am sorry to hear this. Did you make any substitutions? Are you weighing the ingredients? And which brand of flour are you using? They should definitely not be crumbly or dry.
Aka Elle says
This is a question about crisco. We avoid seed oils and prefer to use palm shortening. It’s white, odorless and tasteless and solid at room temperature. Crisco is an industrial oil product developed in the U.S. during W.W. II to help alleviate butter shortages. It’s made using seeds from cotton which are not grown as a food crop here but as a textile crop and the process to make it crystallized is downright scary. For every individual gluten avoiderer out there there’s probably an individual reason behind it. We avoid gluten grains because of the lectin content. Anyway that’s why I cook gluten free. Also if my hubby eats a lot of it he gets lesions on his face. So I use palm shortening a lot in baking and wanted to know your take on it. Thanks,
Elle
Daniela says
Hello, I have celiac and that's why I don't eat wheat, rye and barley, and any grains containing gluten. Everyone can choose which ingredients they want to use in their own kitchen. I personally have no issues with crisco. It is not something I use on a daily basis nor do I eat an entire batch of baked goods every day. Products containing ingredients sourced from palm trees are hard on our planet’s lungs and reason for the deforesting of the rainforest and should be used sparingly no matter what. My first choice of fat will always be butter - the real deal made from heavy cream. Thank you, Daniela
Laura says
I've made these twice, and I've doubled the recipe each time. A can of pumpkin easily makes 4 batches so I froze 2 batches for Thanksgiving. Dinner guests, most of whom aren't gluten free, devoured my first batch. They were absolutely delicious and way better than any regular wheat version of pumpkin snickerdoodle I've tried. Nobody would have known they were gluten free and dairy free, except people know I have a daughter with celiac and a daughter with gluten sensitivity. I used Earth Balance Soy Free for the butter, and I didn't use milk powder. Otherwise, I didn't make any modifications. Thank you for another winning recipe!