Chai Spiced Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are easy, delicious, cookie perfection!
These easy pumpkin cookies are like being wrapped in a warm blanket, sipping creamy chai latte, while sitting next to a bonfire on a cool evening.
A pumpkin snickerdoodle cookie is soft and chewy. It’s the perfect combination of sweet, pumpkin, warm spices and homey cookie goodness. If a cookie can be a warm hug, this one wins.
My simple chai spiced pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies are just as easy to make as my traditional snickerdoodle recipe.
Everybody wants this scrumptious pumpkin snickerdoodles recipe! You’ll be sharing it wherever you serve them.
The Ingredients
- Butter
- Granulated Sugar (I use all white sugar in this recipe. You can try to substitute 1/2 cup with brown sugar if you prefer. Your cookies will probably spread more, though.)
- Pumpkin Puree, canned (not pie filling)
- Eggs
- Homemade Vanilla Extract (or your favorite store brand)
- Unbleached All Purpose Flour
- Chai Masala (spice blend) *see below (If you absolutely can’t find it, sub Pumpkin Pie Spice, but you’ll lose that bold flavor.)
- Cream of Tartar
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon Sugar (Sugar and Cinnamon mixture to roll cookie dough in)
What is Chai Masala?
Chai is a type of Indian tea that is made by boiling black tea leaves, milk, sugar and spices. Masala means spice blend. So, chai masala (or masala chai) is the spice blend used to make that delicious chai tea.
In India, spice blend (masala) recipes can vary from region to region and even family to family. They can be closely guarded family recipes that are passed on for generations.
While you can definitely find variations, when you are buying Chai Masala, look for a blend that contains at least these six basic ingredients: cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, cardamom, ginger and black pepper.
Chai Masala is the perfect complement to pumpkin in pumpkin snickerdoodles. If you absolutely can’t find it, you can substitute pumpkin pie spice, but you’ll miss out on that rich, bold chai flavor.
FAQ’s
Sure. If you don’t want to buy a commercial spice blend, you can use your own spices to make chai masala. If you don’t have a recipe in mind, this Best Homemade Chai Masala looks very good.
No. You need canned pumpkin puree. It’s just 100% pumpkin. Canned pumpkin pie filling includes sugar, eggs, milk and spices that will affect the flavor and consistency of your cookie dough. Think of the custard-like texture of pumpkin pie. That’s not what you want in a cookie.
Cream of tarter is sodium bitartrate and it’s often used as a stabilizer in meringues and angel food cakes. For snickerdoodles, however, it adds a tanginess. It also helps with the chemical reaction of your baking soda to make the chewier texture for these tasty cookies.
If you don’t have any on the shelf you can substitute 2 teaspoons of lemon juice for every teaspoon of cream of tartar that a recipe calls for.
Sealed in an airtight container on the counter your snickerdoodles should keep up to 4 days. Though it’s hard to imagine they’ll last that long. lol
You can also freeze pumpkin snickerdoodles with great success. I prefer to flash freeze chai spiced pumpkin snickerdoodles in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Then I transfer them to a zip-top bag, being careful to remove all excess air. That way I can remove as few as one or two at a time without the cookies sticking together in the freezer. Chai Spiced Pumpkin Snickerdoodles should keep up to 4 months when properly stored in the freezer.
How to Make Chai Spiced Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Cream the butter and sugar.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract and pumpkin puree and beat until mixture is light and fluffy.
- Stir in the unbleached all purpose flour, chai masala, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. continue stirring until all dry ingredients are fully incorporated and a soft dough has formed.
- Prepare cinnamon sugar by blending the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.
- Scoop cookie dough into balls and roll them in cinnamon sugar before placing them on an ungreased baking sheet. (Leave enough space for spreading. I get 12 cookies on an 18×13 baking sheet [affiliate link]. Three across and 4 down.)
- Bake at 375° for 9 -11 minutes. Every oven is different, so start checking at 9 minutes. 10 minutes was the sweet spot in my oven. When you get the timing right for that first tray, do the others for the same amount of time. Cookies will be soft in the center, but tops will feel dry to the touch and the cookies will be just beginning to lightly brown and crisp around the edges.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
I hope you’ll make these wonderful cookies with your family and enjoy the warm, classic flavor of snickerdoodles with a scrumptious pumpkin chai twist!
A rainy day, a good book, chai spiced pumpkin snickerdoodles and one of these herbal tea recipes are the recipe for a perfect relaxing and cozy afternoon at home. I hope you’ll enjoy one very soon!
And if you do get to make these tasty snickerdoodles, I hope you’ll consider giving us a 5 stars in the recipe card. 5 Stars ratings help others to be able to find us in a Google search. Thank you!
Enjoy, my friend!
The Recipe
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Chai Spiced Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Total Time: 41 minutes
- Yield: 42–48 cookies 1x
Description
Chai Spiced Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are soft and chewy cookies with crisp edges. The pumpkin and chai flavors are bold and delicious in this easy cookie recipe. It will be loved by young and old alike. They’re a 5 stars winner in our house!
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough:
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar (I use all granulated sugar in this recipe. You can try to substitute 1/2 cup with brown sugar if you prefer. Your cookies will probably spread more, though.)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons homemade vanilla extract (or favorite store brand)
- 2 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour (379 g)
- 3 Tablespoons chai masala (chai spice blend)
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Cinnamon Sugar:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Cream the butter and sugar.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract and pumpkin puree and beat until mixture is light and fluffy.
- Stir in the unbleached all purpose flour, chai masala, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. continue stirring until all dry ingredients are fully incorporated and a soft dough has formed.
- Prepare cinnamon sugar by blending the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.
- Scoop cookie dough into balls and roll them in cinnamon sugar before placing them on an ungreased baking sheet. (Leave enough space for spreading. I get 12 cookies on an 18×13 baking sheet [affiliate link]. Three across and 4 down.)
- Bake at 375° for 9 -11 minutes. Every oven is different, so start checking at 9 minutes. 10 minutes was the sweet spot in my oven. When you get the timing right for that first tray, do the others for the same amount of time. Cookies will be soft in the center, but tops will feel dry to the touch and the cookies will be just beginning to lightly brown and crisp around the edges.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
Notes
Cookie sheets can be ungreased. I used silicone baking mats out of habit, but they are not necessary.
The scoop I used is a #50 (1.2 Tablespoon) cookie scoop [affiliate link]. If you use a larger scoop the baking time may need to be longer.
You can try subbing pumpkin pie spice for the chai masala, but you will definitely not get the same rich, bold flavor.
- I use all white sugar in this recipe. You can try to substitute 1/2 cup with brown sugar if you prefer. Your cookies will probably spread more, though.
- Prep Time: 7 minutes
- Cook Time: 34
- Category: Baking, Dessert, Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
About Glenda
I believe cooking from scratch doesn’t have to be complicated and that YOU can do it. My simple recipes, tutorials, and cooking tips will help you get weeknight dinners on the table with less stress. Forget takeout or the drive-thru. Let me show you how to make homemade easy. Read more...
Yummm 😍😍😍
Thanks, Lacy!
Wow… I wouldn’t think to combine chai masala spices with pumpkin flavours. thanks for creating a unique recipe!!!
You’re welcome, Susan! I’m glad you liked the combo. The spices are so warming and delicious when paired with pumpkin.
These were delicious with the Chai and Pumpkins flavors.
Thanks, Raquel!
new recipe for my daughter. She loves it minus the sugar and cinnamon. It taste still good without it. Thank you.
So glad she’s enjoying it, Roxie! Thank you for stopping by to let me know!
This tasted so amazing! Thanks a lot for sharing this super easy to make recipe! Fam really loves it! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!
Thank you, Allyssa!
Lovely cookies, simple and tasty, thanks!
Thanks, Marina! Glad you liked them!
Made your cookies with my kids. Thank you for delicious cookies and a great afternoon!
That’s the happiest comment I could ever hope to receive, Natalie! Thank you! I’m so glad you and your littles are enjoying them.
Very delicious cookies! I will definitely make this again <3
Thanks, Lily! I’m so glad you liked them!
The Chai spice was a wonderful flavor addition. Very tasty cookies!
Thank you, Raquel!
I absolutely LOVE this twist in the classic snickerdoodle! We will absolutely be making these scrumptious cookies again.
I’m so happy, Cindy, that you love them! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.