Perfectly chewy snickerdoodles flavored with pumpkin butter, rolled in cinnamon sugar, and stuffed with soft caramels.
I feel like the snickerdoodle is one of the most underrated cookies out there. They are SO good guys. But truly, when I’m in the mood for a cookie, a snickerdoodle is not one that comes to mind immediately. BUT, this recipe has changed that for me. I’ve made them 3 times in a matter of 2 weeks. And each time I do, they disappear SO FREAKING FAST.
They’re SO chewy. They have a slight crunch from the cinnamon sugar coating. And the flavor from the pumpkin butter is subtle, but so delicious. The caramel in the middle is the cherry on top. My husband – who we all know is my toughest critic – said “Wow. I kinda forget about snickerdoodles, but these are amazing.” I’m sure I’ve convinced you to make them by now, right? Let’s get right to it.
How to Make Pumpkin Caramel Snickerdoodles
Prep the Dough.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. On a plate or in a small bowl, stir together 1/4 C sugar, 1/4 C brown sugar, and 1/2 TBSP cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar coating. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and egg and mix to combine. Add the pumpkin butter- I used Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butter, but any will do. Mix to combine. If you can’t find pumpkin butter, maple syrup works as a great substitute here. (**Definitely buy the pumpkin butter at Trader Joes vs buying it on Amazon if you can –WAY WAY cheaper! Same with the soft caramels!)
Add in 1/2 of the dry ingredients at a time, mixing until just combined. Don’t over mix. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Chilling the dough is annoying I know! But if you don’t chill the dough in this recipe, the cookies will spread too much and the caramel won’t stay in the middle.
Stuff with Caramel & Bake.
Preheat the oven to 350 and remove the dough from the fridge. Use a large (2 oz) cookie scoop to portion the dough into 14 cookie dough balls. Cut the caramels in half. Again, I used Trader Joe’s version of salted caramels. Flatten the dough in your hand slightly, then press a caramel into the center. Pinch the dough closed around the caramel and then roll into a ball into your hands. Roll the dough in the cinnamon sugar mixture, then place the cookies onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake 4-6 per sheet and allow plenty of room for the cookies to spread.
Bake the cookies for 8 minutes, then take the cookie sheet from the oven and rap it on the counter 2-3 times to flatten out the cookies, then return the sheet to the oven to bake an additional 2 minutes. When you take the cookies out of the oven, use a round cookie cutter (or anything round that can withstand a little heat – like a bowl or glass) slightly larger than your cookies to swirl around the hot cookie, shaping it into a perfect circle.
Let cool on the cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. These Pumpkin Caramel Snickerdoodles are sure to be a hit so go ahead and make a double batch!
Pumpkin Caramel Snickerdoodles
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 40 min + 1 hr chill time
- Yield: 14 Cookies 1x
Description
Thin and chewy snickerdoodles rolled in cinnamon sugar and stuffed with salted soft caramels.
Ingredients
- 3/4 C Butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 C Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 C Brown Sugar
- 2 tsp. Vanilla
- 1 Lg Egg, at room temperature
- 1/4 C Pumpkin Butter
- 2 1/4 C All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Cream of Tartar
- 2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 TBSP Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
For Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 1/4 C Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 C Brown Sugar
- 1/2 TBSP Cinnamon
Instructions
- In a the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream the butter and sugars together for 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, mix to combine. Add the pumpkin butter, mix to combine.
- Add the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until just combined, don’t over mix. Chill the dough in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Slice the caramels in half and mix the cinnamon sugar coating.
- Preheat the oven to 350 and take the dough out of the oven. Use a large (2 oz) cookie scoop to portion the dough into 14 cookies. Flatten the dough slightly in your hands and press a caramel into the center. Pinch the dough around the caramel sealing it inside, then roll the dough into a ball in your hands. Roll in cinnamon sugar.
- Place 4-6 cookies on parchment lined cookie sheets and bake for 8 minutes. Then, rap the cookie sheet on the counter a few times to flatten the cookies and then bake an additional 2 minutes.
- Cool on the cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
If you loved this recipe, be sure to check out my Kitchen Sink Pumpkin Cookies and my Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes!
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