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Pumpkin Crinkle Cookies

Pumpkin crinkle cookies are tender, spiced, and coated in a dramatic crackly layer of sugar. This method refrigerates the dough for 2 hours, then bakes hot at 350°F until crinkled without overbaking.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 32 minutes
Servings: 30 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Wet ingredients
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (blotted as dry as possible)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
Coating
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 1.5 cup powdered sugar

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Mix dry ingredients
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined and no streaks remain.
Mix wet ingredients
  1. Whisk melted unsalted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, blotted pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and glossy.
Combine and chill
  1. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until no dry flour remains, then refrigerate dough for 2 hours.
Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets.
Shape and coat
  1. Scoop dough into 1-1/2 tablespoon balls, roll each ball in granulated sugar first, then roll very generously in powdered sugar.
Bake for crinkle texture
  1. Bake at 350°F for 11-13 minutes until the cookies are crinkled and set at the edges; do not overbake.

Notes

For the signature crinkle, blot the pumpkin puree as dry as possible and chill the dough for the full 2 hours before baking. Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days (freeze baked cookies up to 2 months). For a dairy-free swap, use a 1:1 plant-butter substitute in place of the unsalted butter.