These soft and chewy vegan pumpkin snickerdoodles are a warm and cosy twist on a classic cookie recipe. Made using homemade pumpkin puree and a delicious blend of spices, you’ll love the rich flavours of these snickerdoodles. Plus they take less than 30 minutes to make and are egg free and dairy free.
When I decided this would be the year that I would be making all the pumpkin recipes I just knew the first needed to be pumpkin snickerdoodles. I absolutely love my dairy free snickerdoodles recipe, and they are always a favourite when I share them.
But, a key ingredient in those cookies is the egg, and I knew I wanted to create a version that was vegan and egg-free. The answer is this pumpkin version as pumpkin puree acts as a perfect egg replacer!
Not only does this recipe use my homemade pumpkin puree to give flavour, colour and texture, it also is using my homemade pumpkin pie spice which really elevates the flavour of these snickerdoodles and adds warmth thanks to the addition of ginger, nutmeg and cloves along with the usual cinnamon that you would expect from the classic recipe.
If you like this recipe, make sure to also try my vegan pumpkin bread!
Key Ingredients
These vegan pumpkin snickerdoodles use mostly the same ingredients as the classic version, with a few key changes to give them that delicious warm and sweet flavour.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Dairy free butter – using a good quality vegan butter substitute will be essential to getting not only the texture but the taste right in these cookies. In Australia I use Nuttelex Buttery. You also want to use it cold from the fridge otherwise your cookie dough will be too soft.
- White sugar – to sweeten the cookies and help them spread in the oven.
- Brown sugar – just a little brown sugar in addition to the white sugar makes these cookies extra chewy and adds a caramel flavour that works so well with the pumpkin. You can however just use all white sugar if you prefer.
- Pumpkin puree – not only is this the key flavour of these cookies, but the pumpkin also adds essential structure acting as an egg replacer. I am using my homemade pumpkin puree but you can also use canned pumpkin in this recipe.
- Vanilla extract – enhancing the flavour of the cookies.
- Plain flour – also known as all purpose flour in the US.
- Cream of tartar – an essential ingredient that makes these snickerdoodles. It prevents the sugar in cookies from crystallising therefore resulting in a much chewier texture. It also works with the bicarbonate of soda to work as a leavening agent and allows the cookies to puff up while baking.
- Bicarbonate soda – also known as baking soda in the US.
- Pumpkin pie spice – I am using my homemade pumpkin pie spice blend which is a combination of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. You can use a store bought blend or just substitute with all cinnamon.
Step-By-Step Instructions
To make these vegan pumpkin snickerdoodles you’ll need some large baking trays and I recommend using a hand held electric mixer or a stand mixer.
Start by using your mixer to beat together the dairy free butter and both the white sugar and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. This step is essential for adding air pockets and creating a soft and fluffy cookie. Add in the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract and continue to mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl, mix together the plain flour, cream of tartar, bicarbonate soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
Combine the dry ingredients with the wet, beating well until a soft dough forms. You can switch to a spatula here to make sure all of the flour is incorporated. This cookie dough should be quite soft and sticky but you should still be able to easily roll it into balls. If not, place your cookie dough in the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes.
In a small bowl combine the extra sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Scoop out large balls of cookie dough – about 2 tablespoons per cookie. Roll the dough into balls and then roll them in the sugar and spice mixture.
Place balls of dough on the baking trays allowing enough room between them so that the cookies can spread in the oven. Do this in batches if necessary, depending on the size of your trays. Don’t press the balls down as they will puff up and then flatten in the oven.
The cooking time for your snickerdoodles will vary depending on your oven and the size of your cookies, as well as your preference for doneness. I prefer mine slightly underbaked and for the size of mine, 12 minutes was perfect but bake them anywhere from 10-15 minutes.
When cookies, the cookies should only have a slight colour around the edges. They will be puffy and soft, but will flatten out and firm up a little as they cool. You can also tap the tray on the counter to help deflate them. Once the cookies have firmed up on the tray, you can remove them and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
👉Tip! For perfect looking cookies, as soon as the cookies have been removed from the oven, use a spoon or a large round cookie cutter that fits over the cookie, to gently shape the cookie back into a circle. This only works if the cookies are still soft so needs to be done immediately before they start to cool.
Recipe FAQs
Yes you can, simply swap the plain flour for a 1-1 gluten-free baking blend such as Bob’s Red Mill (affiliate link).
These vegan pumpkin snickerdoodles will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also freeze them in a zip lock bag or airtight container for up to 2 months.
More cosy vegan desserts:
Vegan Sticky Date Pudding With Caramel Sauce
Vegan Gingerbread Loaf Cake
Easy Gingerbread Snack Cake
Biscoff Mug Cake
Butterscotch Mug Cake
Vegan Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
- 250 grams dairy free butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cup plain flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For rolling:
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.
- In a large bowl, beat together the dairy free butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric handheld mixer until combined. Add in the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract and continue to mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift the plain flour, cream of tartar, bicarbonate soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix into the wet ingredients a little at a time until all has been combined. The cookie dough should be quite soft and sticky but you should still be able to roll it into balls. If not, place your cookie dough in the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes.
- In a small bowl combine the extra sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Scoop out large balls of cookie dough – about 2 tablespoons per cookie. Roll the dough into balls and then coat in the sugar and spice mixture.
- Place balls of dough on the baking trays approx. 5cms apart to allow the cookie to spread in the oven. Do this in batches if necessary, depending on the size of your trays. Don’t press the balls down as they will puff up and then flatten in the oven.
- Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes. The cookies should only have a slight colour around the edges. They will be puffy and soft, but will flatten out and firm up a little as they cool. Once the cookies have firmed up on the tray, you can remove them and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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