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These Sourdough Pumpkin Snickerdoodle cookies are truly the best. Soft and chewy with a delicious pumpkin spice flavor. They are made with sourdough discard and have enough pumpkin puree that you don’t even need eggs in this recipe. It’s a must-try for fall!
If you love chewy cookies, this recipe is for you. The brown sugar creates a lovely chewy texture that takes these sourdough cookies to the next level. They are seasoned with pumpkin pie spice and then rolled in cinnamon sugar, which brings out the pumpkin flavors so well.
For added texture or flavor, you could try adding in chopped walnuts or pecans or white chocolate chips. If you love these cookies, you should also try my Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. For more fall inspired recipes you should try Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars and Sourdough Pumpkin Cobbler.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe
- Perfect texture- These sourdough pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies are soft with a chewy middle and crispy edges.
- Delicious flavor– The pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie seasoning and cinnamon sugar gives these cookies a delicious spiced flavor. Plus, the sourdough starter gives the cookies a slight tang (no cream of tartar needed), especially when the dough ferments overnight.
- Quick and easy– This recipe comes together quickly, and while I do recommend letting the dough chill before baking the overall hands on time is very minimal.
- Egg-free– This recipe is especially good for those with an egg allergy that still want to enjoy a delicious cookie.
- Easy to customize– This recipe is delicious with the cinnamon sugar coating, or remove that and add chocolate chips and heath bits to the dough for a chocolate pumpkin flavor.
Important Ingredients and Substitutions
- Pumpkin puree– Replaces the eggs in this sourdough snickerdoodle cookie and gives it a lovely fall flavor. Be sure to use puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Sourdough discard– This gives the cookies a slight tangy flavor without the need for cream of tartar.
- Sugars – Brown sugar is used to make the cookies moist and chewy and white granulated sugar is used in both the cookie and the cinnamon sugar coating.
- Pumpkin pie spice– This blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves pairs perfectly with the pumpkin puree. You can buy a pre-made blend or make your own.
See all the ingredients and amounts in the recipe card below.
Instructions for making sourdough pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies
Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer, or large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy with a hand mixer or your paddle attachment.
Step 2: Add in the pumpkin puree, sourdough discard (you can take this straight from the fridge), and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.
Step 3: Add in the dry ingredients including all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix until just incorporated.
Step 4: In a small bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon.
Step 5: Using a cookie scoop, scoop the dough into 2 Tablespoon balls and place on a lined cookie sheet. Drop each dough ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture and roll it around, ensuring the cookie is well coated.
Step 6: Cover the dough balls and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes. If you have a gluten irritation, or want a tangy flavor, I recommend letting the dough balls chill overnight.
Step 7: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place 12 dough balls on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. If you bake 2 baking sheets at a time, be sure to rotate the pans half way through.
Optional long ferment
The fermentation process helps give the health benefits that usually come with sourdough by breaking down some of the gluten and neutralizing the phytic acid to make the cookie easier to digest. To long-ferment sourdough cookie dough, start by scooping the dough into cookie dough balls. This will make it much easier, as scooping very cold dough can be difficult. Place the dough balls on a lined cookie sheet and cover them with a lid, foil, or plastic wrap.
Alternatively, you can place them in an airtight container. I recommend lining your base with parchment paper and using parchment paper between layers if you stack them on top of each other to prevent them from sticking. You can leave cookie dough in the fridge for up to 4 days, but I typically just do it overnight.
Recipe Tips
- If baking 2 racks of cookies at a time, be sure to rotate the cookies halfway through baking.
- Chill the cookie dough balls for at least 30 minutes to ensure that the cookies hold their shape and do not flatten out.
- If you have a gluten irritation or want a tangy flavor I recommend letting the dough balls chill overnight.
How to store Sourdough Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
To store your cookies, wait until they have completely cooled, then add them to an airtight container and leave them on the counter. They will stay fresh for about a week.
If you want to freeze cookie dough to bake later, put the scoops of dough on a lined cookie sheet and freeze until they are completely frozen. Then, transfer the dough balls to a freezer bag or airtight container. When you are ready to bake, remove them from the freezer and add to a lined cookie sheet to bake. Bake at 350°F until they are golden brown on the edges. Keep in mind that frozen dough will take a few extra minutes to bake compared to fresh dough.
Recipe FAQ
The secret ingredient in this cookie is sourdough discard. The two most common terms for sourdough starter in a recipe are active and discard. Active sourdough starter refers to starter that has recently been fed and is at “peak”, meaning bubbly and doubled or more in size. Discard refers to starter after it has past its peak and begins to fall back down. At this point the starter is no longer an ideal leavening agent but is great to add to baked goods like sourdough chocolate chip cookies, sourdough apple cake, and sourdough pumpkin bread. Learn more about the benefits of using sourdough discard. If you are new to sourdough and don’t have a starter yet, I can help! Find my sourdough starter recipe. Or get a dehydrated sourdough starter for free (if you live in the US) when you sign up for my Sourdough Master Class.
I did an experiment once with a cookie recipe and baked some immediately, while others I waited about an hour before baking. I couldn’t believe how big of a difference it made. The ones I baked immediately were still delicious but very flat, whereas the ones that were in the fridge kept their shape nicely and were well-risen. This is because chilling the cookie dough helps it keep its shape and prevents it from spreading by solidifying the fats in the dough. So while you can always skip this step if you are in a time crunch, giving it even 30 minutes in the fridge can make a big difference.
Yes, either active starter or discard will work in this recipe.
More sourdough fall recipes
Fall Sourdough Recipes
Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla Cream Cheese Icing
Fall Sourdough Recipes
Sourdough Apple Fritter Bread
Fall Sourdough Recipes
Sourdough Pumpkin Scones with Brown Butter Icing
Fall Sourdough Recipes
15 Fall Sourdough Recipes You Have To Try
Tried this Sourdough Pumpkin Snickerdoodles or another recipe from the site? I’d love to hear about it! Drop a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments—can’t wait to see what you’re baking!
Sourdough Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
Sourdough Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- 227 grams butter, softened, 1 cup
- 220 grams brown sugar, 1 cup
- 150 grams granulated sugar, ¾ cup
- 125 grams pumpkin puree, ½ cup
- 13 grams vanilla extract, 1 Tablespoon
- 75 grams sourdough discard, ⅓ cup
- 420 grams all purpose flour, 3 cups
- 5 grams baking soda, 1 teaspoon
- 3 grams salt, ½ teaspoon
- 2 grams pumpkin pie spice, 2 teaspoons
Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
- 50 grams granulated sugar, ¼ cup
- 2 grams ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.227 grams butter, softened, 220 grams brown sugar, 150 grams granulated sugar
- Add in the pumpkin puree, sourdough discard (you can take this straight from the fridge), and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated. 125 grams pumpkin puree, 75 grams sourdough discard, 13 grams vanilla extract
- Add in the dry ingredients including flour, salt, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix until just incorporated. 420 grams all purpose flour, 5 grams baking soda, 3 grams salt, 2 grams pumpkin pie spice
- In a small bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon. Using a cookie scoop, scoop the dough into 2 Tablespoon balls and place on a lined cookie sheet. Drop each dough ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture and roll it around ensuring the cookie is well coated. 50 grams granulated sugar, 2 grams ground cinnamon
- Cover the dough balls and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Place 12 dough balls on a large cookie sheet. If you bake 2 cookie sheets at a time, be sure to rotate the pans half way through. Bake the cookies for 10-13 minutes until the edges are set and the tops of the cookies have lost their sheen.
- Let the cookies cool on a cooling rack. As the cookies cool they will flatten out and begin to wrinkle, which is what you want!
Notes
- If baking 2 racks of cookies at a time be sure to rotate the cookies half way through baking.
- If you have a gluten irritation or want a tangy flavor I recommend letting the dough balls chill overnight.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Do you need to bring cookie balls to room temp before baking after they have been in the fridge overnight?
Mixed up a batch today!
Sorry I’m late in responding but no you can bake straight from the fridge. Thanks!
These are so delicious! I had lots of compliments when I shared them with friends!
Fix the measurement for pumpkin spice…. Either the grams is off or teaspoons
Thanks Amanda I’ll take a look at that. With spices, I like to use the teaspoon measurements as scales can be off by a couple grams.
Hi!! My house smells amazing, but my cookies are a little gooey. I followed the recipe, I did add a little more discard on accident but they just don’t seem cooked. Would love some help on what happened.
Hi Courtney, sorry they didn’t set up for you. Depending on how much more discard was added, that could impact it but also your oven may just take a little longer to bake them. If you make them again I would look to see if the tops have lost their sheen and the sides are starting to brown. Those are good indicators that the cookies are baked through.