There’s something about the smell of pumpkin and cinnamon that just wraps you in a hug, isn’t there? I love baking these Vegan Pumpkin Snickerdoodles on a crisp afternoon, when the whole house fills with that warm, cozy scent. They’re soft and cake-like inside with that signature crackly cinnamon-sugar crust—the kind of comfort food that feels like a quiet, happy moment all on its own.
But honestly, where these cookies really shine is during the holidays. When I start planning my holiday baking, I’m always on the lookout for unique Christmas cookies that feel special. These snickerdoodles, with their festive pumpkin twist, have become one of my favorite Christmas dessert ideas. They’re a wonderful addition to any collection of Christmas cookies recipes, and because they’re vegan, they’re a treat everyone at the table can enjoy.
If you’re searching for easy Christmas treats to share with friends or delicious holiday treats for your own family gatherings, this recipe is a joy. It’s one of those simple, satisfying Christmas baking ideas that never fails to make the season feel a little sweeter and a lot more inviting.
Looking for Vegan Pumpkin Snickerdoodles inspiration? You'll love what we have! Explore more Christmas Cookie recipes or discover our Desserts favorites.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Texture dream: Soft, cake-like interior with a chewy edge and crackly cinnamon coat.
Autumn aroma: Fills your kitchen with warm cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin spice.
Simple to make: One-bowl dough with a therapeutic cinnamon-sugar rolling step.
Crowd-pleasing: Delicious for vegans, allergy-friendly, and all cookie lovers.
Ingredients & Tools
For the Cookies
- 115 g vegan butter, softened
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 60 g light brown sugar, packed
- 120 g canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 210 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the Cinnamon-Sugar Coating
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Tools: A large mixing bowl, a hand mixer or a sturdy whisk, a baking sheet, parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, a small bowl for the coating, and a cookie scoop or tablespoon.
Notes: Use plain, unsweetened pumpkin puree. Vegan butter should be softened to room temperature for proper creaming.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories: | 125 kcal |
| Protein: | 1 g |
| Fat: | 4 g |
| Carbs: | 22 g |
| Fiber: | 1 g |
Serves: 18 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 10-12 minutes | Total Time: 27 minutes
Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes
- Pumpkin Puree vs. Pumpkin Pie Filling. This is the most common mix-up! You want 100% pure pumpkin puree, which is just cooked, mashed pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling has added sugars and spices, which will throw off the flavor and texture of your cookies.
- Don’t skip the cornstarch. It might seem like a small ingredient, but it’s a key player. The cornstarch works with the pumpkin to create that wonderfully soft, tender, and cake-like crumb that makes these cookies so special.
- Properly softened vegan butter is non-negotiable. If your butter is too cold, it won’t cream properly with the sugars, leading to a denser cookie. If it’s melted, the cookies will spread too much. It should be soft to the touch but still hold its shape.
- Embrace the sticky dough. This dough is naturally a bit stickier and softer than a standard chocolate chip cookie dough because of the pumpkin. Don’t be tempted to add more flour! Chilling the dough balls before baking is the secret to managing this.
How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. In your large mixing bowl, combine the softened vegan butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Using a hand mixer (or a lot of arm power with a whisk), beat them together on medium speed for about 1-2 minutes. You’re looking for the mixture to become light, pale, and fluffy. This step incorporates air, which helps the cookies rise.
Step 2: Now, add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix again on medium speed until everything is thoroughly combined and smooth. The mixture might look a little curdled at this point—that’s perfectly normal and is just the pumpkin incorporating with the fats. Don’t worry, it will all come together once you add the dry ingredients.
Step 3: It’s time for the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. This ensures the leavening agents and spices are evenly distributed throughout the flour. Add these dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two batches, mixing on low speed after each addition until just combined. Be careful not to overmix! Stop as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour.
Step 4: The dough will be quite soft and sticky—this is exactly what you want. Now, in a small, shallow bowl, mix together the 50g of granulated sugar and the tablespoon of cinnamon for the coating. Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, portion out the dough (about 1.5 tablespoons each) and roll it between your palms to form a rough ball. Roll each ball generously in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until it’s completely coated. Place the coated dough balls on your prepared baking sheet, leaving about 5 cm (2 inches) between them as they will spread a little.
Step 5: Here’s a pro tip for the perfect texture: pop the entire baking sheet with the unbaked cookies into the freezer for 10 minutes, or the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. This quick chill firms up the fat in the dough, which prevents excessive spreading and helps the cookies maintain a thicker, softer shape. It also gives the flavors a chance to meld.
Step 6: After chilling, bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. The trick is to pull them out when the edges look set and are just starting to turn a light golden brown, but the centers still appear soft and slightly underdone. They will not look fully baked, and that’s the secret! They will continue to cook on the hot baking sheet as they cool, resulting in a perfectly soft center.
Step 7: As soon as you take the baking sheet out of the oven, you can give the cookies a gentle tap with the back of a spoon if you want to encourage a more defined crinkled top. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes. This is crucial, as they are very fragile when hot. After 10 minutes, you can transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. They’ll firm up beautifully and develop that ideal soft-yet-sturdy texture.
Storage & Freshness Guide
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Freeze baked cookies or unbaked dough balls for up to 3 months.
- Reviving: Warm in a 300°F oven for 3–5 minutes to refresh crispness.
Serving Suggestions
Complementary Dishes
- A simple Vanilla Bean Cashew Cream — The cool, creamy, and subtly sweet flavor is a fantastic contrast to the warm, spiced cookies, making for a delightful dip or drizzle.
- Spiced Apple Compote — Serve a small bowl of warm, chunky apple compote on the side for a double dose of autumn flavor that feels incredibly festive and cozy.
- A Charcuterie Board with Vegan Cheeses — The salty, savory notes of a good vegan cheese and some crunchy crackers provide a wonderful balance to the sweetness of the cookies.
Drinks
- Oat Milk Chai Latte — The bold, spiced flavors of chai are a natural companion to the cinnamon and pumpkin in the cookies, creating a perfectly harmonious sip.
- Hot Apple Cider — This is the ultimate fall pairing. The sweet and tangy cider enhances the warm spices in the cookies and makes the whole experience feel like a celebration.
- Dark Roast Coffee — The slight bitterness of a strong coffee cuts through the sweetness of the cookie beautifully, making for a classic and satisfying combination.
Something Sweet
- Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream — Create the most amazing cookie sandwich, or simply crumble a warm cookie over a scoop. The hot-and-cold, soft-and-creamy contrast is pure magic.
- Dark Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries — For a dessert platter, the rich, bitter dark chocolate and fresh fruit provide a elegant and lighter counterpoint to the spiced cookies.
- A dollop of Coconut Whipped Cream — It’s light, fluffy, and not too sweet, adding a cloud-like texture that makes the cookies feel even more indulgent.
Top Mistakes to Avoid
- Mistake: Using melted butter. If your vegan butter is melted or even too soft, the cookies will spread out into thin, flat puddles in the oven instead of puffing up into soft, thick discs. The structure starts with properly creamed butter and sugar.
- Mistake: Skipping the chill time. I know it’s tempting to just pop them straight in the oven, but that 10-minute freezer rest is what prevents excessive spreading. It solidifies the fat, giving the cookies time to set their structure before the butter melts completely.
- Mistake: Overbaking the cookies. This is the most common error with soft cookies like these. They should look slightly underdone when you take them out. If you wait for them to look fully set in the center, you’ll end up with a dry, cakey texture instead of a soft and chewy one.
- Mistake: Measuring flour incorrectly. Scooping the flour directly from the bag with your measuring cup packs it down, leading to too much flour and dry, dense cookies. Always spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife for accuracy.
Expert Tips
- Tip: Brown your vegan butter for a nutty depth. Gently cook the vegan butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it melts, foams, and then develops little brown specks at the bottom and a nutty aroma. Let it cool and solidify again before using. This adds an incredible, complex flavor that pairs wonderfully with pumpkin and spice.
- Tip: Add a pinch of black pepper. It might sound strange, but a tiny pinch of freshly ground black pepper (about 1/8 tsp) mixed in with the dry spices can really make the cinnamon and ginger pop. It adds a subtle warmth and complexity without any noticeable heat.
- Tip: Create a flavor-infused sugar for the coating. A day ahead, mix the cinnamon and sugar for the coating and store it in a jar. The cinnamon flavor will permeate the sugar more deeply, giving you an even more potent and aromatic crust on your cookies.
- Tip: For a crispier edge, use all granulated sugar. If you prefer a cookie with a slightly crisper exterior and a chewier bite, you can replace the brown sugar in the dough with an equal amount of granulated sugar. The brown sugar is what contributes to that softer, cake-like texture.
FAQs
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Absolutely! You can prepare the dough, roll it into balls, and coat them in the cinnamon sugar. Then, place them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer the dough balls to a freezer bag. They can be baked straight from the freezer, though you may need to add 1-2 minutes to the baking time. This is fantastic for having fresh, warm cookies on demand for up to 3 months.
Why are my cookies cakey and not chewy?
The pumpkin puree adds a lot of moisture, which naturally lends a more cake-like texture compared to a standard snickerdoodle. However, if they’re too cakey, the most likely culprit is overmixing the dough after adding the flour. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, leading to a tougher, more bread-like crumb. Always mix until just combined for the most tender result.
My cookies didn’t spread much. What happened?
If your cookies stayed in a thick ball, it’s often due to the dough being too cold when it went into the oven, or there was a bit too much flour. Remember that quick 10-minute chill is enough—any longer and the butter won’t melt and spread as intended. Also, double-check your flour measurement using the spoon-and-level method.
Can I use homemade pumpkin puree?
You can, but you need to be careful about the water content. Canned pumpkin puree is consistently thick. If you make your own, you must drain it very, very well—even straining it through a cheesecloth—to remove excess moisture. Wet puree will make the dough too slack and the cookies gummy.
How should I store these cookies to keep them soft?
To maintain that lovely soft texture, store the completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. A little trick is to place a piece of bread or a terra cotta brown sugar saver in the container with them. The cookies will draw moisture from the bread/saver, keeping them soft for days. The bread will get hard, but your cookies will stay perfect!
Vegan Pumpkin Snickerdoodles: A Perfect Fall Baking Idea
Whip up a batch of Vegan Pumpkin Snickerdoodles, the ultimate cozy holiday treat. These soft, spiced vegan pumpkin cookies are an easy and unique addition to your Christmas baking lineup.
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
-
115 g vegan butter (softened)
-
150 g granulated sugar
-
60 g light brown sugar (packed)
-
120 g canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
-
1 tsp vanilla extract
-
210 g all-purpose flour
-
1 tsp cornstarch
-
1 tsp baking powder
-
0.5 tsp baking soda
-
1 tsp ground cinnamon
-
0.5 tsp ground nutmeg
-
0.25 tsp ground ginger
-
0.25 tsp salt
For the Cinnamon-Sugar Coating:
-
50 g granulated sugar
-
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
-
First, preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. In your large mixing bowl, combine the softened vegan butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Using a hand mixer (or a lot of arm power with a whisk), beat them together on medium speed for about 1-2 minutes. You’re looking for the mixture to become light, pale, and fluffy. This step incorporates air, which helps the cookies rise.01
-
Now, add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix again on medium speed until everything is thoroughly combined and smooth. The mixture might look a little curdled at this point—that’s perfectly normal and is just the pumpkin incorporating with the fats. Don’t worry, it will all come together once you add the dry ingredients.02
-
It’s time for the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. This ensures the leavening agents and spices are evenly distributed throughout the flour. Add these dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two batches, mixing on low speed after each addition until just combined. Be careful not to overmix! Stop as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour.03
-
The dough will be quite soft and sticky—this is exactly what you want. Now, in a small, shallow bowl, mix together the 50g of granulated sugar and the tablespoon of cinnamon for the coating. Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, portion out the dough (about 1.5 tablespoons each) and roll it between your palms to form a rough ball. Roll each ball generously in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until it’s completely coated. Place the coated dough balls on your prepared baking sheet, leaving about 5 cm (2 inches) between them as they will spread a little.04
-
Here’s a pro tip for the perfect texture: pop the entire baking sheet with the unbaked cookies into the freezer for 10 minutes, or the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. This quick chill firms up the fat in the dough, which prevents excessive spreading and helps the cookies maintain a thicker, softer shape. It also gives the flavors a chance to meld.05
-
After chilling, bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. The trick is to pull them out when the edges look set and are just starting to turn a light golden brown, but the centers still appear soft and slightly underdone. They will not look fully baked, and that’s the secret! They will continue to cook on the hot baking sheet as they cool, resulting in a perfectly soft center.06
-
As soon as you take the baking sheet out of the oven, you can give the cookies a gentle tap with the back of a spoon if you want to encourage a more defined crinkled top. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes. This is crucial, as they are very fragile when hot. After 10 minutes, you can transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. They’ll firm up beautifully and develop that ideal soft-yet-sturdy texture.07
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