These Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies with White Chocolate Chips are thick and chewy, made with nutty brown butter, real pumpkin, warm fall spices, and pockets of creamy white chocolate under a cinnamon sugar crust. The pumpkin is cooked down in the pan with the butter rather than blotted with paper towels, which removes far more of the moisture that turns pumpkin cookies cakey.
What Makes These Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies Great?
Pumpkin cookies go cakey because canned puree is mostly water. Blotting it with paper towels helps, but it only takes off the surface moisture and it throws flavor away with the liquid. Cooking the pumpkin down in the pan drives off far more water and concentrates what is left, which is why these hold their shape without any of the flattening or coaxing that thick pumpkin doughs usually need.
Why You’ll Love It
- Brown butter and white chocolate, both bring caramel notes, so the two build on each other instead of competing.
- No cakey pumpkin cookies here, cooking the pumpkin down removes the moisture that makes pumpkin cookies puff.
- No eggs, the cooked-down pumpkin supplies enough body to bind the dough on its own.
- No mixer and no paper towels, a skillet, a whisk, a spatula, and two bowls are all you need.
- Easy to customize, the white chocolate swaps out for other baking chips or comes out entirely.
- Freezer-friendly, both the baked cookies and the portioned dough freeze well.
The Brown Butter Pumpkin Dough
Browning the butter toasts the milk solids and gives you a deep, nutty flavor. It matters more than usual here, because white chocolate is very sweet and needs something with real depth underneath it.
Once the butter has browned, the pumpkin and spices go straight into the hot pan and simmer until thick. While there is still water in the pan the temperature stays near boiling, so the mixture is forgiving. Once the water has gone the heat climbs quickly and the browned milk solids underneath will catch, so the last minute is the only part that needs close attention.
Salt is doing more work in this recipe than you might expect. Browned butter, white chocolate, and pumpkin all sit in the same sweet, caramel register, and without enough salt the whole thing tastes flat.
What You’ll Need for the Pumpkin Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, browning it adds a toasted, nutty flavor that stands up to the white chocolate.
- 1/2 cup (120 g) pumpkin puree, use plain pumpkin puree, not pie filling, and expect it to reduce to about 50 g in the pan.
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, provides the main warm spice flavor inside the cookies.
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, adds a little warmth and brightness.
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, gives the pumpkin flavor more depth.
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, brings concentrated fall spice, so a small amount is plenty.
- 1/3 cup (67 g) packed light brown sugar, adds moisture, caramel flavor, and chewiness.
- 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar, sweetens the dough and helps the edges set as the cookies bake.
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, rounds out the spices and the white chocolate.
- 1 3/4 cups (219 g) all-purpose flour, gives the egg-free dough enough structure, with a little extra to account for the drier cooked-down pumpkin.
- 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar, adds the tang associated with traditional snickerdoodles and keeps the crumb tender.
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, reacts with the cream of tartar for lift and encourages browning.
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, more than a standard cookie needs, to keep the brown butter and white chocolate from tasting flat.
The White Chocolate Chips
White chocolate and pumpkin work well together because the creamy sweetness softens the sharper spice notes. You still get plenty of cinnamon and pumpkin, but every few bites have a sweet, melty pocket.
Regular white chocolate chips are the easiest option because they hold their shape in the oven. Chopped white chocolate also works, though it melts into the dough more unevenly.
What You’ll Need for the White Chocolate
- 2/3 cup (120 g) white chocolate chips, adds creamy sweetness throughout the cookies.
- 2 tablespoons additional white chocolate chips, optional, pressed into the tops of the warm cookies for a bakery-style finish.
The Cinnamon Sugar Coating
A snickerdoodle needs that sparkly cinnamon sugar exterior, and these are no exception. Rolling the dough generously gives every cookie a delicate sugary crust around the soft center.
A little more cinnamon than a standard sugar coating helps the flavor stand up to the pumpkin and the white chocolate. Be generous when rolling.
What You’ll Need for the Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar, creates a sweet, lightly crisp coating around each cookie.
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, gives the exterior a strong snickerdoodle flavor.
How to Make Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies with White Chocolate Chips
Brown the Butter
Place the butter in a light-colored skillet or wide saucepan over medium heat. It will melt, then foam and crackle as the water cooks off, so stir or swirl regularly. After 4 to 6 minutes the milk solids on the bottom will turn golden brown and the butter will smell warm and nutty. Watch it closely toward the end, as it moves from browned to burnt quickly.
Cook Down the Pumpkin and Spices
Lower the heat to medium-low, then add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves to the pan. Stand back for a moment, as the puree will hiss and spit when it meets the hot butter. Stir everything together and let it simmer, stirring often and scraping the base of the pan so nothing catches.
Over 5 to 9 minutes the mixture will darken from bright orange to a deeper rust color and thicken into a fragrant paste. Go by what you see rather than the clock, as pan width changes the timing considerably. It is ready when dragging your spoon across the bottom leaves a clear trail for a second before it fills back in.
Take it off the heat at that point. Slightly under is much better than slightly over, since the browned milk solids underneath will scorch once the moisture has gone.
Cool the Mixture
Scrape everything from the pan into a large heatproof mixing bowl and leave it to cool for about 20 minutes, stirring once or twice. This matters more here than in a plain pumpkin cookie, because white chocolate seizes and streaks if it goes into anything still hot. The bowl should feel comfortably warm against the back of your hand, no more.
Whisk in the Sugars and Vanilla
Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the bowl and whisk firmly for about 1 minute, until the mixture is thick and glossy. Whisk in the vanilla. There are no eggs in this dough, so it will look darker and denser than a usual cookie base. That is exactly right.
Add the Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
Add the dry mixture to the pumpkin mixture and fold with a rubber spatula just until no dry streaks remain. Avoid working the dough once the flour is in, since overmixing makes the cookies tough rather than tender.
Fold in the White Chocolate
Add the white chocolate chips and fold gently until they are spread through the dough. The dough will feel soft and slightly tacky at this stage, which is normal. Resist adding extra flour.
Chill the Dough
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for about 45 minutes. Chilling lets the butter firm back up and gives the flour time to take up moisture from the pumpkin. The dough should still feel soft afterwards but hold together well enough to scoop and roll cleanly.
For make-ahead baking, the covered dough keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Shape and Coat the Cookies
Heat the oven to 350°F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir the granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a small shallow bowl.
Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie and roll each into a smooth ball.
Roll every ball generously through the cinnamon sugar, then arrange them about 3 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Because the pumpkin has been cooked down rather than blotted, this dough spreads on its own and does not need flattening first.
Bake Until the Edges Are Set
Bake 1 sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges look set and lightly golden but the centers are still soft and slightly underdone. Take them out at that point rather than waiting for the middles to look fully baked, as they carry on setting on the hot sheet.
If you would like a bakery-style finish, press a few extra white chocolate chips into the tops while the cookies are still warm.
Cool the Cookies
Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack. They are very soft straight from the oven and firm up as they cool.
Give them as much cooling time as you can manage. The centers settle into a proper chew, and the white chocolate needs time to set rather than smearing when you pick one up.
Variations and Customizations
The brown butter, cooked-down pumpkin, and cream of tartar carry the texture and flavor, so keep those. The mix-ins are open. Keep the total of chocolate, nuts, or other chunky additions around 2/3 cup so the dough is not overloaded.
- Use milk or semi-sweet chocolate, swap in the same amount of your preferred chocolate chips.
- Add toasted pecans, use 1/3 cup white chocolate chips and 1/3 cup finely chopped toasted pecans.
- Try butterscotch chips, their caramel flavor sits well with pumpkin and brown butter.
- Make them without chocolate, leave the chips out for a plainer pumpkin snickerdoodle.
- Deepen the spice, add another 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or a pinch of ginger to the pan.
- Add maple, replace 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla with maple extract.
Toppings, Add-Ons, and Finishing Touches
These need very little once they leave the oven. Keep any additions simple so the cinnamon sugar crust and the pumpkin still come through.
- A pinch of flaky sea salt, balances the sweetness of the white chocolate particularly well.
- Extra cinnamon sugar, dust lightly over the cookies while they are still warm.
- White chocolate drizzle, drizzle cooled cookies with a little melted white chocolate for parties or cookie trays.
- Chopped toasted pecans, scatter over a drizzle while it is still wet.
Storing, Reheating, and Make-Ahead Tips
Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Refrigeration is not necessary and makes them firmer, so room temperature is better. A slice of sandwich bread in the container keeps them soft.
For longer storage, freeze baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 months and thaw at room temperature. Unbaked dough keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, and portioned dough balls freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight, let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, then roll in the cinnamon sugar and bake as directed. For a just-baked texture, microwave a room-temperature cookie for 5 to 8 seconds.
Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies with White Chocolate Chips
Description
Thick, chewy pumpkin snickerdoodles made with nutty brown butter and creamy white chocolate, rolled in cinnamon sugar. The pumpkin is cooked down in the pan with the butter rather than blotted, which removes the moisture that turns pumpkin cookies cakey. No eggs and no mixer needed.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cookie Dough
White Chocolate
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
Instructions
Brown the Butter
-
Place the butter in a light-colored skillet or wide saucepan over medium heat. Once it melts it will foam and crackle as the water cooks away, so stir or swirl the pan regularly. After 4 to 6 minutes the milk solids on the bottom will turn golden brown and the butter will smell warm and nutty. This is a small amount of butter in a wide pan, so it browns quickly. Watch it closely toward the end.
Cook Down the Pumpkin and Spices
-
Lower the heat to medium-low, then add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves to the pan. Stand back for a moment, as the puree will hiss and spit when it meets the hot butter. Stir everything together and let it simmer, stirring often and scraping the base of the pan so nothing catches.
-
Over 5 to 9 minutes the mixture will darken from bright orange to a deeper rust color and thicken into a fragrant paste. Go by what you see rather than the clock, as a wide pan works much faster than a narrow one. It is ready when dragging your spoon across the bottom leaves a clear trail for a second before it fills back in. Take it off the heat at that point, as the browned milk solids underneath will scorch once the moisture has gone.
Cool the Mixture
-
Scrape everything from the pan into a large heatproof mixing bowl and let it cool for about 20 minutes, stirring once or twice. This step matters here, because white chocolate seizes and streaks if it meets anything still hot. The bowl should feel comfortably warm against the back of your hand, no more.
Whisk in the Sugars and Vanilla
-
Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the bowl and whisk firmly for about 1 minute, until the mixture is thick and glossy. Whisk in the vanilla. There are no eggs in this dough, so the base will look darker and denser than a usual cookie mixture. This is exactly right.
Add the Dry Ingredients
-
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the pumpkin mixture and fold with a rubber spatula just until no dry streaks remain. Try not to work the dough once the flour is in, as overmixing makes the cookies tough rather than tender.
Fold in the White Chocolate
-
Add the white chocolate chips and fold gently until they are spread evenly through the dough. The dough will feel soft and slightly tacky at this stage, which is normal. Resist the urge to add extra flour.
Chill the Dough
-
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for about 45 minutes. Chilling lets the butter firm back up and gives the flour time to take up moisture from the pumpkin. Afterwards the dough should still feel soft but hold together well enough to scoop and roll cleanly.
Heat the Oven and Mix the Coating
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Heat the oven to 350°F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small shallow bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon until evenly combined, then set it beside your work area.
Shape and Coat the Cookies
-
Scoop about 2 tablespoons of chilled dough per cookie and roll each into a smooth ball. Roll every ball generously through the cinnamon sugar, then arrange them about 3 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Because the pumpkin was cooked down rather than blotted, this dough spreads on its own and does not need flattening first.
Bake Until the Edges Are Set
-
Bake 1 sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges look set and lightly golden but the centers are still soft and slightly underdone. Take them out at that point rather than waiting for the middles to look fully baked, as they carry on setting on the hot sheet. If you would like a bakery-style finish, press a few extra white chocolate chips into the tops while the cookies are still warm.
Cool the Cookies
-
Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack with a thin spatula. They are very soft straight from the oven and firm up as they cool. Give them as much cooling time as you can manage, as the centers settle into a proper chew and the white chocolate needs time to set.
Note
Use plain canned pumpkin puree rather than pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced.
The reduction time varies with pan width, so rely on the spoon trail rather than the clock. Once the water has cooked off the pan heats quickly, so pull it from the heat as soon as the trail holds.
The salt is higher than a standard cookie recipe on purpose. Brown butter, white chocolate, and pumpkin all sit in the same sweet register, and without it the cookies taste flat.
Regular white chocolate chips hold their shape best in the oven. Chopped white chocolate works but melts into the dough more unevenly.
If the chips streak or look grainy in the dough, the pan mixture was still too warm when they went in. Let it cool longer next time.
If the cookies bake up puffy and cakey, the pumpkin needed longer in the pan. If they spread thin, the dough was too warm and needs a longer chill.
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Refrigeration is not necessary and makes them firmer. A slice of sandwich bread in the container keeps them soft.
Baked cookies freeze for up to 2 months. Unbaked dough keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, and portioned dough balls freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, then roll in the cinnamon sugar and bake as directed.
