I haven’t always been a fan of pumpkin cookies.

They’re often too soft for my taste. Even bordering on mushy.

But “Pumpkin Snickerdoodles” may just change my mind.

They’re tender. Not too much. Not too little. But just right.

The key? Blotting the pumpkin puree with paper towels to absorb some of the moisture before adding it to the cookie dough.

This great recipe is from “Fat + Flour” (Alfred A. Knopf, 2025), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by Nicole Rucker, pastry chef and owner of Fat + Flour bakery in Los Angeles.

It’s a collection of recipes that span not only cookies, but cakes and pies, too. Tuck into everything from “Fat and Gooey Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Pecans,” “Co-Op Tofu Brownie Cookies,” and “Fig Leaf and Vanilla Shortbread” to “Blueberry and Brown Sugar Bundt Cake,” “California Citrus Shaker Pie,” and “Honey Earl Grey Chess Pie.”

Rather than letting butter soften at room temperature, her cookie recipes start with her “cold butter method.” With a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cold cubed butter is worked into a dry mixture of flour, baking powder, baking soda, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and pumpkin spice until a coarse, sandy texture is achieved. It’s a little like making pie dough.

Next, the blotted pumpkin puree plus egg yolks and vanilla get mixed in. The dough is chilled for half an hour to firm up.

When ready to bake, divide the dough into 12 balls. The dough will still be quite sticky, so it’s best to use a spoon or cookie scoop to do this. Each dough ball gets rolled in sugar flavored with more pumpkin spice. The recipes makes a large quantity of this spiced sugar, so you will end up with a lot left over. You could probably halve the recipe, but you’ll need to put a little more effort then into coating the dough balls completely.

After removing the baked cookies from the oven, the recipe instructs to slam the pan down on the counter a couple times to settle them. Even though I did that, my cookies still remained fairly domed in the center with a slightly crackly top that made them look a little like the Mexican sweet bread known as concha.

The cookies are cakey with a fluffy softness, but not pasty in the least. The sugar coating gives them the lightest veil of crispiness.

These snickerdoodles cocoon you in warmth with their aromatic blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, thanks to the pumpkin spice. Indeed, hand me one of these any day over a pumpkin spice latte.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies

(Makes 12 cookies)

For the pumpkin:

1/2 cup (125 grams) pumpkin puree

For the cookie dough:

1 3/4 cups (218 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) baking powder

1/4 teaspoon (1.5 grams) baking soda

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed (106 grams) dark-brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon (1.5 grams) Diamond Crystal kosher salt

1 tablespoon (12 grams) pumpkin pie spice

4 ounces (113 grams) cold unsalted butter, cubed

2 large egg yolks (28 grams)

1 teaspoon (5 grams) vanilla extract

For the spiced sugar:

1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar

2 teaspoons (8 grams) pumpkin pie spice

Pinch of Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Blot the pumpkin: The secret to the texture of this cookie is removing some of the water from the pumpkin puree. I do this by measuring the puree and placing it on a double layer of paper towels, covering it with another double layer of paper towels, and pressing down lightly to blot the surface gently, so the paper begins to absorb the excess moisture. I leave the pumpkin in the paper until I’m ready to add it to the batter, but typically no longer than 10 minutes.

Make the cookie dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugars, salt, and spice together, to disperse the soda and powder and break up any lumps of sugar. Add the cold butter, and mix on low speed until the mixture resembles rustic sand, about 4 minutes.

Add the pumpkin, egg yolks, and vanilla to the buttery mixture. Mix on low speed until all the pumpkin has been incorporated and you have a thick dough. Chill dough for 30 minutes before portioning.

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two half sheet pans with parchment.

Make the spiced sugar: Whisk together the sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a small bowl.

Use a spoon to portion the chilled dough into 12 equal balls, then roll them in the spiced sugar.. Place the balls of dough, six to each parchment-lined sheet pan, and bake them both on the center racks of your oven for 10 minutes. Rotate the sheet pans, and bake for and additional 5 to 6 minutes, until the cookies are puffy and set at the edges.

Remove the cookies from the oven, and rap the pan on the counter to settle them before leaving them to cool for 15 minutes. They are best eaten warm the same day, but, thanks to the pumpkin puree, these cookies are still amazing 2 days later. Store any uneaten cookie in a sealed container in the fridge. For best results, warm them for 15 seconds in the microwave to refresh them before eating.

From “Fat + Flour” by Nicole Rucker

More Pumpkin Treats to Bake: Pumpkin Cozy Rolls

And: Spiced Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

And: Pumpkin Mug Cake

And: Pumpkin Almond Cake with Almond Butter Frosting

And: Pumpkin Mini Cakes

And: Pumpkin Nutella Bread

And: Pumpkin, Sage and Browned Butter Cakes

And: Really Good Pumpkin Bread

And: Pumpkin Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting

And: Triple Pumpkin Crumb Muffins