Super Chewy Keto Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies

These Low Carb Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies are soft and chewy on the inside, crispy around the edges and packed with tons of flavor. Pair them with a hot cup of coffee and you will just fall in love with these delicious Keto pumpkin snickerdoodles. 

One day I was craving a snickerdoodle cookie, but thought to myself what can I do to spice this up a bit? Seeing that it’s fall and of course I’m obsessed with pumpkin, why not mix the two?! It turned out pretty well if I do say so myself. 

I always like to try out my new dessert recipes for a lot of people before I even consider sharing it with all of you. With this Keto pumpkin snickerdoodle recipe, I made it before going to a friend’s house and brought them along with me for everyone to test out. 

There were 14 people, and I made two batches of cookies. About half of them were eaten before dinner, and the rest were polished off after dinner, along with my Low Carb Cheesecake Bars.

So I’d say that they were a pretty good success. I hope you enjoy them as much as we all have. 

What is a Snickerdoodle Cookie?

There might be a few questions that come to mind when you think of a snickerdoodle. What is the difference between a snickerdoodle and a sugar cookie? What does a snickerdoodle taste like? Why is a snickerdoodle called a snickerdoodle? I’m going to do my best to give you answers to your questions. 

They might look similar but a snickerdoodle and a sugar cookie aren’t the same thing but are similar. The two biggest differences are that a snickerdoodle has cream of tartar in the dough and they are rolled in a cinnamon and sugar mixture. 

A traditional sugar cookie doesn’t have any cinnamon or cream of tartar in them. Sugar cookies can have icing, whereas snickerdoodles are never iced. The cinnamon sugar is a snickerdoodles signature look! 

What does a snickerdoodle cookie taste like? –  They are a soft, chewy, buttery cookie that is covered in cinnamon and sugar. 

Ok that sounds really good, but why is a snickerdoodle called a snickerdoodle? These are very popular cookies and are most common in the US and Canada, but they originate from Germany. The rumor is that the word snickerdoodle comes from the German word Schneckennudeln.

I don’t even know how to pronounce that! Snickerdoodle is a much easier and more fun to say for sure!  

Do you Need Cream of Tartar for Snickerdoodles?

Yes, cream of tartar is a KEY ingredient to a snickerdoodle cookie recipe. 

But first what is cream of tartar? Cream of tartar is a dry powdery form of “tartaric acid”, an acidic substance that’s similar to vinegar or lemon. It’s a byproduct of wine production and is most commonly used as a leavening because when it’s combined with baking soda they produce carbon dioxide gas that is the same gas produced by yeast when baking bread. 

So the question is, why is cream of tartar used in these low carb snickerdoodles? The acid in the cream of tartar is what gives the snickerdoodle their classic tangy flavor, and because it prevents the sugar in the cookie dough from crystalizing you will end up with a chewier cookie.  

Even if you’ve never heard of cream of tartar, don’t worry it’s super easy to find. It’s going to be in the spice aisle of pretty much any grocery store. So no need to buy it online or worry that it’s a specialty item. 

Is Cream of Tartar Low Carb?

If your macros allow it, you can have cream of tartar while on the keto diet. It is a potassium mineral and can help contribute to your electrolyte intake while on keto. So feel free to use cream of tartar in your recipes. 

What Can I Use in Place of Cream of Tartar for Snickerdoodles?

If you don’t have cream of tartar or you can’t get to the store in time to make it for your keto snickerdoodle cookies, you can use a substitute. Keep in mind though that it may affect the outcome of our recipe so if at all possible try to get the cream of tartar. 

Lemon juice can be used as a substitute for cream of tartar.

Substitution: ½ tsp cream of tartar to 1 tsp of lemon juice or white vinegar. 

The results will be close, it still may be a little bit off and not perfect, so keep this in mind while planning your recipe out. 

Are Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies Low Carb? 

Yes, absolutely they are low carb! 

First of all, being made with almond and coconut flours compared to being made with regular flour automatically makes is low carb. Then by replacing regular white sugar with a low carb sweetener such as Swerve or Monk Fruit is going to keep those carbs super low too. 

Second of all, pumpkin is a low carb vegetable, so by adding pumpkin to these snickerdoodles you really aren’t adding many carbs at all. 

For just one pumpkin snickerdoodle cookie it’s only 1.5 NET CARBS. That means you can definitely have more than just one…or two…or three. 

What Ingredients are in Low Carb Snickerdoodle Cookies?

• Almond Flour – The combo of both almond flour and coconut flour helps to keep a soft and flavorful cookie
• Coconut Flour – Only a small amount is added to the almond flour
• Low Carb Sweetener – Use your favorite go-to low carb sweetener, mine for this recipe is granulated monk fruit
• Pumpkin – This is a perfect fall and winter addition to a traditional snickerdoodle cookie 
• Salt – To intensify all the ingredients flavors
• Vanilla – For some extra flavor
• Butter – Unsalted or Salted…but I always prefer salted
• Cream of Tartar – This is a key ingredient to snickerdoodle cookies, it gives it the classic tangy flavor
• Egg 
• Baking Soda

How to Make Keto Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

In a small bowl combine softened butter, pumpkin and the egg together. Mix using a whisk or a fork. It’s ok if it’s not completely smooth. Then add your low carb sweetener and vanilla. Mix together. 

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Using another bowl combine almond flour, coconut flour, salt, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Stir until all dry ingredients are combined. 

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Pour the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture. Using a large spoon mix the cookie dough together. 

Set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill. 

Place a piece of parchment on a baking sheet. 

Using a cookie scoop, place cookie dough balls evenly on the cookie sheet.

Now with the palm of your hand, gently press the dough. These cookies don’t spread too much in the oven. 

Bake for about 10 minutes. 

In a small bowl combine 2 tsp monk fruit sweetener and 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice. And set aside until the cookies are done. 

Once cookies are done, sprinkle sugar and spice over them. 

The cookies might still be a little bit soft still, but that’s ok. Let them sit for at least 10 minutes on the stove and they’ll firm up nicely with the perfect, chewy consistency!

How do you Know When Snickerdoodles are Done?

So a typical snickerdoodle should have harder edges but soft inside. Don’t overcook them though. If you start to see the edges getting hard or brown take them out. Let them sit on the stove for about 10 minutes and let them firm up. 

Variations on Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies

So technically my pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies are already a variation to a traditional snickerdoodle cookie. But you still can change my recipe up a bit. A traditional snickerdoodle cookie is formed into a ball and then rolled in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar, but with mine, I found that rolling the whole cookie in the sugar and spice mix, left it undercooked on the bottom of the cookie. 

So instead I chose to sprinkle the cinnamon and low carb sweetener mix over the cookies once I took them out of the oven. But if you want to follow a more traditional way of preparing your snickerdoodles then that’s fine too. 

Another variation that I made was instead of using cinnamon for the coating I chose to use pumpkin pie spice, just to give it a little more flavor and to stick with the pumpkin theme. 

Something I’ve seen people add to their snickerdoodle cookies is white chocolate chips. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m intrigued by it so I’m gonna try it soon.  these would have to be sugar-free ones no?

Tips for Making Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies

Using cream of tartar is what’s going to give your pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies their chewiness. You don’t need a lot, just a small amount is needed. In 1 batch of cookies, all you need is a ½ tsp. 

Also, a blend of both almond flour and coconut flour leaves you with a nice soft cookie. 

Do you Need to Chill the Dough? 

I suggest chilling your keto snickerdoodle cookie dough for best results. I’ve been finding that when you bake using almond flour or coconut flour, the doughs tend to be softer than when using regular flour, so chilling it up for a bit seems to help them keep their form. 

You only need to chill the dough for about 30 minutes or so, but it can keep wrapped up in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking. Not allowing your cookie dough to chill can cause them to fall flat when baking, and will help keep them light and fluffy. 

How do you Keep Snickerdoodles from Going Flat?

There’s a few reasons your pumpkin snickerdoodles may be falling flat. 

• Your dough has not been refrigerated long enough
• The dough has been overworked
• The oven is not fully preheated
• Butter has melted

Avoid these simple things to help keep your low carb snickerdoodles from going flat. 

Other Diets this recipe is good for

Gluten-Free – Cookies are a super popular dessert and those with a gluten allergy don’t always get to have them. But these Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies are 100% gluten-free and perfect for those with a gluten allergy. 

Sugar-Free – Using a low carb sweetener such as monk fruit like I do in this recipe, makes this perfect for those on keto or anyone with diabetes. Using a low carb sweetener is a sugar replacement while being zero-calories and non-glycemic. 

Now, these aren’t dairy-free, but we can make them dairy-free. Instead of using butter use a dairy-free butter substitute like Earth Balance.  

How to Store Low Carb Snickerdoodle Cookies?

You can store them on the kitchen counter in either an airtight container or a Ziploc plastic bag. How long are they good for? These pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies will last though in an airtight container for about 4-5 days, just make sure to keep them at room temperature for best results. 

Keep in mind though, that these cookies are best eaten in the first 2 days because the longer they sit they can dry out. So if you love soft fresh cookies then I’d say days 1 and 2 are the best! 

A little tip to help keep snickerdoodles soft is to put a piece of bread in the container. The cookies will stay soft but the bread will get hard…crazy right? This trick is also used to help keep brown sugar soft too. 

Can You Freeze Snickerdoodle Cookies?

Yes, absolutely you can freeze snickerdoodle cookies. Just allow the cookies to cool completely, then place in a freezer bag or an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. When ready to eat, place on the counter to thaw. 

Now another option for freezing pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies is to make the cookie dough, form into balls and freeze them on a cookie sheet in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer them into a plastic bag and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, place on a cookie sheet and pop in the oven. Won’t take too long to cook so don’t walk away from them. 

Other Low Carb Cookie Recipes:

If you’re in the mood for some other Low Carb Cookies then try our:

• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Raspberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies
• Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies

Both of them are low carb and your family and friends will love them!

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