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Some days just call for COOKIES!
Today is that kind of day. I’m not going to beat around the bush here, I’ve had a couple stressful days in a row, with some blog hiccups (sorry if you are viewing this post through Safari and have been seeing weird characters – hoping this is going to be fixed soon…like today!), work related issues, and a few other little things. But I am totally not here to complain. It’s my favorite time of year and happy thoughts will be had all around!
So to cheer myself up a bit, I made pumpkin chai snickerdoodles! OKok, I’ve had these cookies planned for a while now, but the timing to make them could not have been more perfect. And I mean, come on?!? When is anything pumpkin, snickerdoodle AND chai not a good idea?!
Answer: it’s always a good idea!
Also, did you notice that today I spelled Chai correctly!! Yes, after everyone pointed out on my Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Chai Frosting that I had spelled Chai, Chia, I was so beyond embarrassed that this time I made sure every last spelling of the word was correct. Promise, I know the difference, but when typing quickly, I easily get the two mixed up.
NOT TODAY. 🙂
Watch the How-To Video Here:
Pumpkin Chai Snickerdoodles from Half Baked Harvest on Vimeo.
Anyway, back to the actual cookies at hand! Back when I was a kid my family would go to our Aunt Debbie’s for Thanksgiving dinner in Pennsylvania every year. My aunt made a HUGE spread of all kinds of amazing sides, rolls, and probably three turkeys in order to feed all the family members present. I think she must have worked for weeks and weeks leading up to the big day. My mom and I had a favorite recipe that my aunt made for us every year. Looking back now I realize what a pain it must have been, not wanting to disappoint us, and therefore making them year after year. Every year when we arrived, there they were, Aunt Debbie’s famous Turkey Cookies. Pretty sure I’ve talked about them before, but guys they are good! Sadly, I do not have the recipe to share, but this year I decided to make my own little Thanksgiving cookie, and well, these are almost just as good!
These are actually very different from Aunt Debbie’s Turkey Cookies, which were more of a frosted butter cookie…and pretty dang cute with all of the varied colors in the tail. But these snickerdoodles are delicious in their own special way!
I think most of us are pretty familiar with a snickerdoodle. In my book, they are an essential holiday cookie and should be in every Christmas cookie gift box (just sayin’). As I was hiking a couple of months ago, brainstorming about pumpkin recipes and all of the Christmas cookies I would make this season, this cookie came to mind. And when it did, I knew it was one of those recipes I just had to make.
These cookies have a pretty simple twist on the traditional snickerdoodle, but trust me – it makes all the difference.
Pumpkin + Snickerdoodle + Chai Spice Sugar. Yesss! Literally I am jumping up and down as I horribly attempt to type this post. I really do love these cookies, they represent everything I love…sweet, chewy, soft, cinnamony, totally not cakey, and all things cozy. <–if you didn’t already know, cozy is probably my favorite word ever.
Can I just say that I do think chai sugar is totally the new cinnamon sugar. It’s just cinnamon sugar kicked up a notch with ginger, all-spice, cardamom, and cloves added, but it is truly my current obsession. I’ve been adding it to everything from warm tea, to toast…to cookies, SO GOOD.
Oh, and I forgot to add that these cookies can totally satisfy your cookie craving in under 30 minutes. Yep, in less than a half hour you can be chewing away through soft doughy bliss. Soo, can we please all agree that these are the perfect holiday cookie for both Thanksgiving and Christmas? I always fear that pumpkin recipes aren’t relevant in December, but is that really true? I think this could just be my crazy brain? What’s your thoughts on this? Pumpkin in December? yes? no? Tell me I am dying to know!
As of today I am going to be changing my tune. These cookies will for sure be getting sent out in my Christmas cookie gift boxes. Plus, they’re totally happening again on Christmas Eve because they are just that good. AND I will also be making a double batch for Thanksgiving, because well, they just might be better than pumpkin pie…don’t hate me, but I think it’s true!
Pumpkin Chai Snickerdoodles.
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 76 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chai Spice Sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon all-spice
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.
- Using an electric mixer, in a large bowl beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and beat until combined. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just fully combined.
- Make the chai spice sugar. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, all-spice, cardamom, and cloves.
- Roll the dough into 1 tablespoon size balls and then generously roll through the chai sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing the cookies 2 inches apart. Transfer to the oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 2 times to flatten them down. Return to the oven and bake another 1-2 minutes or until the cookies are just beginning to set on the edges, but still doughy in the center. Remove from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 1-2 times to flatten them down again. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet. Eat warm (highly recommended) or let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
Cookies adapted from Martha Stewart.
Tuesday cookies saving the day!
Came across this recipe through the chai sugar link on your chai pumpkin pie with maple whipped cream recipe (which I’ve made twice this month, by the way. Big big fan of pumpkin), and I didn’t scale down the chai sugar from this recipe so I had so much left over I’ve been using it on everything! ? I used it on your slice and bake snickerdoodles from HBHSS and pretty much anywhere else I can. But now that I’ve finished off the other snickerdoodles and I have leftover pumpkin from the pie, I GUESSSSSS I just HAVEEEEE to make these now! (Sarcasm because I am actually very excited to cross over the two flavors I’ve already been having lately lol).
Haha I am so happy you are loving these and I hope they turn out amazing for you, Kaley!! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Hi! These are absolutely delicious, but they turned out more like pumpkin bread than chewy cookies. I’ve read through a lot of the comments and it seems like many others had the same issue. I did the tapping method and took them out while they were still gooey in the middle, but at that point, they were already puffed up and no amount of tapping would make them chewy. My dough was too sticky to roll so that might’ve been the problem. Next time I’ll try with more flour. I think the cakey ones would be really good with cream cheese frosting!
Hi Bryn! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! Thank you so much for trying this one! Please let me know if there is anything I can help with! xTieghan
Is there supposed to be cream of tartar in this recipe?
Hey Mariah,
No cream of tarter in this recipe. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made these tonight and, to echo the reviews of others, I also ended up with a very fluffy, cake-like cookie, which completely contradicts the original post. The flavor is fine – I would actually take more pumpkin spice in the dough – but I really was looking forward to a flatter, more chewy snickerdoodle; and before it’s suggested, yes, I tapped it on the counter – they were quite fluffy even after the initial bake. Similarly the dough was VERY sticky, even after refrigerating for 2 hours; I have a dough scoop, but still got quite a bit of dough on my hands rolling them in the sugar. Given the many reviews having experienced similar results, I think the recipe needs some tweaking.
Hi Liz! Thank you for trying it! Please let me know if there is anything I can help with! xTieghan
Some of the best cookies I’ve ever made! Mine turned out thicker, but they are so light and fluffy and the spice with the hint of pumpkin is perfect. Will definitely make these every year!
YES! I am so happy you loved these, Marisa! Thank you! xTieghan
These cookies are so tasty! I made some around Thanksgiving, and my mother-in-law requested them again for Christmas. (Of course, she got them 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you! So glad you all loved these cookies Tammy! xTieghan
Same with everyone else, the flavor was great, I love the chai sugar mix, but even with adding less baking soda and doing all the tapping and smooshing, they were fluffy. I’ll just make regular snickerdoodles and roll them in the chai sugar.
Hi Sarah! I would love to help you out with this… Please let me know if you would like me to! Otherwise I am sure they would be great with a different recipe as well! xTieghan
How many cookies does this recipe make?
Hi! About 26-32 cookies. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
Sound tasty, but all I’m left with is a mess. This site’s constant automatic reloading on tablets means it kept scrolling up and down and resetting the number of cookies back to 12 without warning, meaning that I was unknowingly using the wrong amounts of ingredients without any way to tell when the listed amounts changed. I realised the number had reset before putting any cookies in the oven, but I don’t have enough ingredients to start over again, so this is a bust.
The reloading seems to be caused by ads popping up and disappearing all over the place, moving the text and images with them. I want to support the sites I use by not blocking ads, but it seems like this one needs fixing, or maybe needs a less overenthusiastic ad service.
Hi Caroline! I am so sorry about this! I will send this over to my tech team and figure it out! Thank you for letting me know! xTieghan
I think I might have mixed mine too long .. turned out cakey and taller not flat but soft and tasty
Hi Rhonda! I am glad this still tasted amazing! If you have any questions, please let me know! xTieghan
So yummy- thanks for sharing! Wanted some advice/ I’ve made these twice and they are sooooo tasty, but the batter is so sticky. Very hard to roll. Any advice?
Hey Rebecca! If the dough is sticky you can either chill it for 1-2 hours until it’s easier to roll OR you can add an additional 1/4 cup of flour. Either options works great, but I would recommend first chilling the dough and seeing if that makes the dough easier to roll. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! xTieghan
Can you use apple Sauce in place of pumpkin purée?
Hi Nicole, I would recommend using pumpkin. I don’t know how applesauce will work and fear the cookies could be a weird texture and taste. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I have made so many of your amazing recipes and everything turns out beautifully. I was really excited about this one…I love snickerdoodles and I love pumpkin! I made these twice. The first batch were so fluffy and cakey, I thought for sure I had made an error and added too much baking soda. So, I made a second batch the next day and carefully measured everything. Again, they were so fluffy, not at all like your photos or how a snickerdoodle usually is. Any ideas about what could be going on? I live in San Diego and it’s been really hot here but I would think that would lead to more spreading, but less. Oh well. On to trying the pumpkin chocolate chip recipe! I have high hopes for them. Thank you!!
Hey Abby!! I am so sorry these are coming out cakey for you. I recommend baking the cookies with the below method of tapping the cookie sheet on the counter to flatten the cookies. This should take care of any cakiness. I updated the recipe after testing this since many of you have had this issue. I will also leave the directions below. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope this really helps! Thank you! xTieghan ???
Transfer to the oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 2 times to flatten them down. Return to the oven and bake another 1-2 minutes or until the cookies are just beginning to set on the edges, but still doughy in the center. Remove from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 1-2 times to flatten them down again. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet. Eat warm (highly recommended) or let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Hi Tieghan, I first made these cookies in 2016. I came across the recipe in my notebook so I decided to make again. They turned out just like they did in 2016; puffy, soft and cakey. That being said, I LOVE the flavor! And I don’t hate the texture. I read all the comments and by my count, about 5 people that made them did not report puffy, cakey cookies. I don’t think the rest of us are doing anything “wrong”. I bake by weight, have an oven thermometer, and always start checking on the low end of the bake time. I do wish we could get to the bottom of this because I’d love to have a non-cakey pumpkin cookie recipe.
Hi Heather!! I am so sorry these are coming out cakey for you. I recommend baking the cookies with the below method of tapping the cookie sheet on the counter to flatten the cookies. This should take care of any cakiness. I updated the recipe after testing this, but will also leave the directions below. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope this really helps! Thank you! xTieghan ???
Transfer to the oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 2 times to flatten them down. Return to the oven and bake another 1-2 minutes or until the cookies are just beginning to set on the edges, but still doughy in the center. Remove from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 1-2 times to flatten them down again. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet. Eat warm (highly recommended) or let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
I just made these and they are so yummy! But mine turned out tall and cakey, not flat any chewy. Any idea what I might have done wrong? Thanks!
Hey Mel!! Try baking the cookies with the below method of tapping the cookie sheet on the counter to flatten the cookies. This should take care of any cakiness. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope this really helps! Thank you! xTieghan ???
Transfer to the oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 2 times to flatten them down. Return to the oven and bake another 1-2 minutes or until the cookies are just beginning to set on the edges, but still doughy in the center. Remove from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 1-2 times to flatten them down again. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet. Eat warm (highly recommended) or let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.