If autumn had a flavour, these Sourdough Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies would be it. Chewy in the middle with crispy spice and sugar coating, they bring together warm spices, rich brown butter, and a subtle tang from sourdough starter discard. These Sourdough Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are a perfect way to use extra discard while baking something seasonal, cosy, and utterly moreish.
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For more sourdough + pumpkin bakes, head to our Pumpkin Sourdough Recipes (From Bread To Sweet Treats).
What are Snickerdoodles?
Snickerdoodles are a classic: spiced sugar-dusted cookies made with simple ingredients like flour, butter, sugar, and cream of tartar. Originating in Germany and popularised in the US, snickerdoodle recipes are loved for their chewy texture, crackly tops, and that unmistakable cinnamon flavour.
Unlike classic snickerdoodles, our sourdough cookie recipe uses mixed spice (or pumpkin pie spice) that pairs beautifully with pumpkin.
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Ingredient Notes
Here's everything you will need for this Sourdough Pumpkin Snickerdoodle recipe:
- Plain flour (all-purpose flour): The base of the dough. Weighing with a kitchen scale gives the best results.
- Baking soda & cream of tartar: These work together to give the perfect cookie rise.
- Pumpkin pie spice (or mixed spice): Essential for autumnal warmth. You can make your own blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
- Unsalted butter: Brown butter adds nuttiness and depth.
- Pumpkin puree: Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Spread it on paper towels first to remove excess liquid.
- Sugar: A mix of brown sugar and white sugar gives a soft centers and crisp edges.
- Egg yolks: Using yolks only (no egg white) keeps the dough rich and avoids extra moisture, balancing out the discard and puree.
- Sourdough starter discard: Adds a slight tang and helps create a soft-baked chewiness.
- Cinnamon-sugar mixture: Rolled over the cookie dough balls before baking for that classic coating.
As always, find ingredient quantities, detailed instructions and nutritional information in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-By-Step Method
1. Brown the butter: Melt unsalted butter in a medium pan. Stir the melted butter until golden brown bits form at the bottom. Cool for 20 minutes.
2. Mix dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and pumpkin spice.
3. Prepare pumpkin: Spread pumpkin puree on sturdy paper towels to absorb moisture.
4. Combine wet ingredients: In another large bowl, beat the cooled brown butter with brown sugar and white sugar using an electric hand mixer until the sugar begins to dissolve. Mix in drained pumpkin puree, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and sourdough discard.
5. Bring the dough together: Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to mix until no flour streaks remain along the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough for at least 4 hours.
6. Prepare for baking: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper. Mix sugar and pumpkin spice in a small bowl for rolling.
7. Shape and coat: Scoop tablespoons of dough or use a large cookie scoop, roll into cookie dough balls, coat in the sugar mixture, and arrange on the prepared baking sheet with space between.
8. Bake: Bake for 10-11 minutes until the crispy edges are golden brown.
9. Crackle the tops: Immediately after baking, drop the trays from a slight angle (about 10-20 cm). This helps create crackled tops and that chewy middle.
10. Cool: Leave sourdough pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Tips for Best Sourdough Snickerdoodles
Here are some of my tips for the best chewy pumpkin snickerdoodles:
- Drain pumpkin puree well to avoid cakey cookies.
- Chill time is non-negotiable - it helps the fat solidify for chewy cookies.
- Don't overmix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients, or you'll lose that soft-baked texture.
- For best results, bake on parchment paper rather than greasing a baking pan.
- Dropping the trays after baking is the trick for those classic crackly tops.
- Use a large cookie scoop to shape even bakery-style cookies.
- If you like extra flavour, fold in white chocolate chips (like we do in our Pumpkin Sourdough Cookies With Chocolate Chips) or chopped pecans before chilling the dough.
Why Use Discard In Cookies?
Adding sourdough starter discard to cookies is a great way to cut down on food waste while adding subtle flavour. The slight tang balances sweetness, makes the pumpkin flavour more pronounced, and extends shelf life.
Since discard adds extra water to the dough, the recipe is adjusted: no egg white, browned butter (to reduce liquid), and drained pumpkin puree. It's a clever balance that results in perfect sourdough pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies with chewy centres and crisp edges.
Storage
Store cooled sourdough pumpkin cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
To enjoy later, thaw at room temperature or reheat in a low oven for a few extra minutes to revive the chewy texture.
More Sourdough Discard Cookies
If you love sourdough cookies, there are so many ways to use extra sourdough discard in sweet bakes to try next time. From sourdough chocolate chip cookies to sourdough peanut butter cookies (or sourdough peanut butter blossoms), it's a great way to experiment with flavour while making the most of your starter. What is your favourite sourdough cookie recipe?
Sourdough Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
- 360 g (2¾ cups) plain flour all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or mixed spice
- 225 g (8 oz) unsalted butter
- 100 g (⅓ cups) pumpkin puree
- 200 g (1 cups) light brown sugar
- 100 g (½ cups) white sugar granulated or caster sugar
- 2 egg yolks large
- 100 g (½ cup) sourdough discard 100% hydration
For Sugar Coating
- 100 g (½ cups) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice or mixed spice
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium pan over medium heat. Once it starts to bubble and foam, continue heating, stirring often until brown bits starts forming at the base of the pan. As soon as the butter turns golden brown and smells nutty, take it off the heat and leave to cool down slightly (about 20 minutes).
- In a large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and spices.
- Spread your pumpkin puree on a double or triple layer of sturdy paper towel to absorb excess moisture.
- Add the brown and white sugar to a large mixing bowl. Pour in the brown butter, and, using an electric handheld mixer, beat the mixture for 1-2 minutes, unitl sugar starts dissolving.
- Add the drained pumpkin puree, egg yolks, and sourdough discard, and beat well to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and using a rubber spatula, mix until no white streaks of flour remain.
- Cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mix the sugar and pumpkin pie spice (or mixed spice) - this is for rolling the cookie dough balls in.
- Shape small balls (about 30g per cookie) of cookie dough, roll them in the spiced sugar and place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving plenty of space in between for them to spread out in the oven.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes. As soon as you take the cookies out of the oven, drop the baking sheets from a height of 10-20 cm. The cookies will sink and form crackled tops.
- Allow the sourdough pumpkin snickerdoodles to firm up for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them onto a wire rack to cool down completely.
Nutrition
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