Thanks to my go-to secret cookie dough ingredient (molasses) and the addition of some much-needed salt both inside (salted butter!) and all around the cookies (salted cinnamon-sugar), these Salted Pumpkin Brown Butter Snickerdoodles are more deeply flavorful than the average snickerdoodle. The addition of some pumpkin and warm spices make them a close cousin to both spice and molasses cookies, but it’s that iconic cinnamon-sugar crust that makes them snickerdoodles through and through.

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Salted Pumpkin Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

What are snickerdoodles?

Snickerdoodles are like sugar cookies that are all ready for sweather weather. By that I mean, cinnamon-scented sugar cookies that have taken a roll through some sparkly cinnamon sugar. They’re a massively popular cookie, iconic and nostalgic and cozy and … very well-loved.

In addition to the prominent cinnamon-sugar coating, snickerdoodles are also known for containing cream of tartar. Whereas a classic sugar cookie typically features baking powder as its primary leavener, a snickerdoodle leans on cream of tartar. The cream of tartar reacts with the baking soda, giving the cookies a literal boost – a nice puffiness – along with a good chewiness. The cream of tartar also gives the cookies a faint tanginess, which is really lovely, I think.

So, I always use it in my snickerdoodles, but not all recipes do.

Where did snickerdoodles originate?

Snickerdoodles are somewhat of an orphaned cookie type. As in, there is no firm consensus as to where, exactly, they came from. Or whom, for that matter. Some believe they began in Germany, and others think they hail from New England.

Why is there cream of tartar in snickerdoodles?

Many snickerdoodle recipes (this one included) use cream of tartar as a leavener. By this I mean that the ingredient serves to help leaven the cookies, but it also contributes to their chewiness. If we were to leave the cream of tart out of this cookie dough, the cookies would still work, but they’d be crispier – the texture would be different.

Furthermore, cream of tartar gives a subtle tang to the dough, which I find to be really nice. As I mentioned above, snickerdoodles tend to be a little boring to me. I appreciate them fully, but often find the cookies themselves to be a little one-note – kind of bland (I know! I’m sorry!). The cream of tartar contributes to a deeper flavor, which is great here.

What you’ll need to make these Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

These cookies are sort of knocking on the door of a spice cookie, even molasses cookies, but are totally snickerdoodles through and through. It’s that sparkling cinnamon-sugar crust that makes them so, giving them that iconic, nostalgic appearance that is full snickerdoodle all the way.

As for the ingredients here, it’s most a classic list. But you may notice the not so subtle insistence on using salted butter – which is NOT a typo. While I usually always suggest sticking with unsalted butter and then salting things yourself (it’s a control thing), that’s not the case here.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter

⅔ cup unsweetened pumpkin puree

1 cup granulated sugar, divided

½ cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Two egg yolks

2 teaspoons molasses

1 teaspoon baking soda

One teaspoon cream of tartar

A teaspoon of pumpkin spice (cinnamon can be subbed)

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Pinch salt (about ¼ teaspoon)

How to make these pumpkin snickerdoodles

Notably, with this recipe we’ll take the time to brown some butter, as it makes the actual cookie dough taste even better. It’s worth the 10 minutes, trust me. Secondly, we’re also go to cook the pumpkin puree a little bit, to remove the excess water. That moisture will mess with the chemistry of these cookies, changing things up texturally in a way that we don;t want or need here. So, we’ll simmer the pumpkin in the same pan in which we browned the butter. This way, we’ll be left with just pure, dry pumpkin paste and no watery runoff …

DIRECTIONS

Put the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and allow it to fully melt. Once it has melted, let it continue to simmer until it smells nutty, looks golden brown, and has quieted down (that’s when you know butter is done browning), takes about 4 or 5 additional minutes. Transfer the browned butter to a large mixing bowl, and pop it in the fridge just until the butter is cool but not solid. Wipe/rinse out the pan.
Add the pumpkin to the same pan and let it cook gently, drying it out and enabling the water to evaporate/cook away. Stirring occasionally, cook the pumpkin until it more closely resembles a dry paste than a wet puree; about 6 to 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
When the browned butter is cool (but not solid), add the ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup of the granulated sugar, the vanilla, egg yolks, and molasses. Whisk until smooth and combined. Add the pumpkin, and whisk to combine.
Add the baking soda, cream of tartar, pumpkin pie spice, and flour to the wet ingredients and, using a spoon now, stir until well mixed.
Combine the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar with the cinnamon and just enough salt to be noticeable – salted but not salty. I start with about ¼ to ½ teaspoon, taste a little, and go from there. Stir to combine.
Allotting ¼ cup of dough per cookie, roll the dough into balls and then roll them through the salted cinnamon sugar mixture, fully coating each one. Place them at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheet(s) and bake for about 12 to 13 minutes, or until golden around the edges and still a bit soft/tender in the centers. Allow them to cool for a few minutes (until easily handled) and then carefully toss them through the cinnamon-sugar once more, giving them a nice crust.
Let them cool almost all the way before transferring them elsewhere.