Make these soft and thick Vegan Pumpkin Snickerdoodles for a fall treat! They’re easy to make in 1 bowl with real pumpkin, cream of tartar, and pumpkin pie spices, then rolled in cinnamon sugar for extra sweetness.
Check out my other fall cookie recipes while you’re here, like my Vegan Pumpkin Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Gingerbread Latte Cookies.
My Vegan Snickerdoodles and Vegan Pumpkin Pie are getting together to give you these Vegan Pumpkin Snickerdoodles! Pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice give this classic cookie a fall twist, without skimping on the chewiness and cinnamon sugar coating. These might just be the greatest fall cookies of all time!
Why you’ll love these pumpkin snickerdoodles
- Fall twist on a classic – Pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice add cozy fall flavors, while cream of tartar infuses its signature tang. Make these cookies for a Thanksgiving dessert or a post-pumpkin patch sweet treat!
- Soft, thick, and chewy – Snickerdoodles are known for being the chewiest cookie of all time, and this pumpkin version is no different.
- Cinnamon sugar coating – Each cookie is rolled in cinnamon sugar before baking to make this fall treat that much more irresistible. Plus, you can easily swap the cinnamon for more pumpkin pie spice to take the fall flavors up a notch!
How to make vegan pumpkin snickerdoodles
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
Beat the vegan butter and sugars together in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy. Mix in the pumpkin puree and vanilla next.
Stop the mixer and add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are just incorporated with the wet ingredients.
Cover the bowl and chill the cookie dough in the fridge for 1 hour.
Shape portions of the cookie dough into round balls. Roll each one in the cinnamon sugar, then place them on a baking sheet.
Bake the snickerdoodles for 11 to 13 minutes, then set them aside to cool. Enjoy!
Recipe Tip
Snickerdoodles tend to look very soft and underdone when they come out of the oven, but this is what you want. As they cool, they will firm up slightly but still have that puffy and chewy texture. Overbaking snickerdoodles will make them too firm or crisp.
Frequently asked questions
Technically, yes, but then they won’t be snickerdoodles! This essential ingredient is what gives these cookies their signature tangy flavor and puffy texture.
Yes, I highly recommend chilling the cookie dough for at least 1 hour before baking. If you skip this step, the cookies won’t be very chewy.
For gluten-free snickerdoodles, replace the all-purpose flour with an equal amount of a gluten-free flour blend (I like King Arthur Measure for Measure flour or Better Batter for cookies).
Absolutely. Instead of chilling the dough for only 1 hour, keep it covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the cookie dough balls by flash freezing them on a baking sheet until solid, then transferring them to a freezer-safe container.
Snickerdoodles will be puffiest fresh out of the oven, but if you have leftovers, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
Vegan Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup melted vegan butter
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Topping
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or other large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the vegan butter and sugars together until creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla and mix until combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Stop the mixer and add the flour. Sprinkle the cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice on top of the flour. Turn the mixer on low speed and mix until just combined. Scrape the bottom and sides to make sure everything is well combined.
- Cover the bowl and chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour. If you skip this step, the cookies won't be very chewy. So chill if you can!
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Take about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Repeat, and roll all the balls in the cinnamon sugar topping. Place on baking sheets at least 2 inches apart and bake for 11-13 minutes. The cookies will be very soft, but firm up as they cool so be careful not to over bake. Let them cool for 10 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
This recipe is wonderfully delicious! The whole family enjoyed them. I made a batch and a half and they didn’t last long. ❤️
Hi Angela. Thank you for sharing your fantastic review and feedback! I’m so glad that your family loved the cookies!
Hi! Would it be possible to use canola oil for these instead of melted butter?
It would probably work.
Hi Nora, I am very excited to make these for my upcoming Friendsgiving! Would it be fine to refrigerate the dough overnight?
Thank you!!
Hi Grace. Your Friendsgiving sounds very fun! Yes, you can refrigerate these overnight! Happy baking!
Amazing!
Omg these turned out AMAZING!!!! Followed the recipe exactly. I brought them to a party with all non-vegans and everyone was obsessssed & so impressed!!! I will be making these on repeat. Thank you Nora!!!
You are welcome, Maggie! We love these around our place as well! Thank you for taking time to share your stellar review and feedback! Happy cooking!
This was the first thing I baked since going vegan. Super happy with how they turned out – super soft and just a bit chewy. They also didn’t dry out which I appreciated.
Thank you for trying my cookie recipe! I’m so glad that they turned out wonderful for you, and that you loved them! I appreciate your glowing review and feedback! Wishing you a fun journey through more of my recipes! Happy cooking!
Perfection!! I realized I didn’t have brown sugar so I had to use raw sugar I ground a bit in my vitamix grain tub and they were amazing. Can’t wait to buy brown sugar and see how much better they are when I have the correct ingredients! Haha
Hi Kaylynn. Thank you for sharing your recipe experience and glowing review! I’m thrilled that you loved the cookies! How awesome that they turned out great even though you didn’t have all the ingredients!
I made these exactly as the recipe states, no substitutions. I was a little concerned with the look of the dough, it just didn’t seem right but they baked up perfectly. My (not vegan) husband kept reaching for them and they disappeared so quick. Thanks Nora!! Will definitely be making these again.
You are welcome, Natalie! Thank YOU for your stellar review and feedback! I’m thrilled that you and your husband loved the cookies!
These were such a huge hit! They disappeared too quickly so will be making again soon. My 13 year old made this for a study group. With some various allergies in the group we successfully substituted olive oil for the vegan butter. These cooked up beautifully.
Hi Jenny. I’m thrilled to hear that the snickerdoodles were a favorite with the group! How fun that your daughter made these for them! Thank you for sharing your recipe experience and terrific review!
Great alone or with vegan pumpkin spice marshmallows if you are a fan! Wonderful addition to the vegan cookie care package I am sending to my daughter across the country. So far using all recipes from Nora, made with her vegan butter too. 😊
Hi Laurie. Thank you for sharing your terrific review! I’m so glad you are loving the snickerdoodles! Your daughter is in for a treat!
These cookies are amazing. Thank you so much Nora for all your amazing vegan recipes. Everyone thinks I am the best vegan baker because of you. Your recipes are helping to show people that you really do not need animal products to have delicious baked treats.
Just a recipe note – I am not sure if you intended to write “melted butter”? I looked at your other snickerdoodle recipe and it said soften butter so that’s what I went with.
Thanks Nicole, I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies and many of my recipes! It means so much to me. 🙂 I actually used melted butter here, but I’m sure softened will work fine too! I first tried to use my regular snickerdoodle recipe to make them pumpkin, but that didn’t go well. So these cookies are based off my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies instead, which I found worked much better.
I made these for a block party this weekend, and they were a hit! Everyone thought they were bakery bought! Mine were not flat and chewy like traditional snickerdoodles but more puffed and softer. They were a bit crumbly but not terribly so. I chilled the dough overnight.
Hi Beth. I’m thrilled that the pumpkin snickerdoodles were a hit at the block party! Thank you for sharing your glowing review and recipe experience! Happy cooking!
The pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies were delicious. This is a perfect recipe for the fall season. Thanks for the recipe.
You are welcome, Monica! I appreciate you sharing your glowing review and feedback! I’m so glad that you love the cookies! Wishing you a happy cooking!
Hi Nora, I am already giving you five stars on this even though I have not made it as yet. Everything I’ve made from your recipes have been delish. Five star! Could you please try making a vegan snickerdoodle bar?
That’s a fun idea! I’ll add it to my list of ideas to try. 🙂 Thank you so much for enjoying my recipes!
NEVER was a fan of anything vegan….until you, Nora! I can’t even fathom my saying this, but your recipes have converted me over to vegan fare. I can’t believe it’s happened! Your stuff doesn’t even TASTE vegan!!!
Hi Rex. I am thrilled that you are loving my recipes! Thank you for taking time to share your glowing review and encouraging feedback! I’m thrilled that you loved the cookies, and wish you lots of happy cooking!