Soft & Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodles (Gluten/Dairy/Sugar/Egg-Free)

These Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are thick, soft, and chewy, full of pumpkin spice, rolled in cinnamon "sugar!" No gluten, dairy, eggs or sugar. (Keto/Low-Carb, Vegan & Paleo)

Jump to Recipe Jump to Recipe

Amazing Soft Baked Texture

These soft-baked Pumpkin Snickerdoodles have a soft and tender chewy texture with the cozy fall spices you crave. PLUS a super-satisfying crisp cinnamon-sugar coating. Without all the sugar and carbs! (Less than 2. Woohoo!)

Chewy cookies are the best kind of cookies, IMO. I don't want them to be cakey, too soft, or too crunchy. They need to be the perfect combination of:

• a thick cookie you can sink your teeth into,
• a chewy buttery texture,
• but still have a soft pillowy-ness in the center. Know what I mean?

These have it all! Warm and comforting. Cozy and satisfying. The BEST.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Is Pumpkin Keto Friendly?

YES. Even though pumpkin has naturally occurring sugars, it's perfectly fine in moderation.

Each cookie has less than 2 net carbs, so yes they are totally keto-friendly. Feel free to enjoy!

Allergy Friendly

These are also free from many common allergens and sometimes problematic ingredients.

• No dairy (no butter, no cream cheese)
• No gluten (no flour, no wheat)
• No eggs
• No artificial ingredients
• No soy
• No sugar
• Can be made with no erythritol/sugar alcohols

Simple Ingredients

These amazingly delicious cookies are made from natural, wholesome ingredients you may already have in your pantry. No obscure ingredients that are hard to find. I buy almost everything at Costco and Amazon these days.

• Almond Flour for amazing texture, moisture and firmness in a simple and versatile nut!
• Pumpkin Puree from a can (make sure it only has 1 ingredient: pumpkin)
• Oil. I used light tasting olive oil. (Use something with a neutral flavor)
• Besti Brown 'Sugar' (Allulose/Monkfruit) it tastes and bakes JUST like brown sugar, but with zero carbs and zero calories!
• Pumpkin Spice aka Pumpkin Pie Spice (I'll show you how to make your own. Easy)
• Pink Salt (brings out the flavor & adds trace minerals)
• Cinnamon "Sugar" for rolling (to give it the classic SNICKERDOODLE quality)

Meet Your New Besti (Amazing Sugar Sub!)

I was blown away when I first opened a bag of Besti Brown "Sugar." Oh em gee. It smells INCREDIBLE. Exactly like the delicious aroma of brown sugar. And it LOOKS exactly the same too! It packs the same. Tastes the same. Everything! But it's sugar-free!

Here's an excerpt from the Wholesome Yum website:

"Meet the perfect blend of monk fruit extract and allulose, with the moisture, color and flavor of brown sugar. This natural keto brown sugar replacement tastes, bakes, browns, and dissolves just like brown sugar does, and produces very soft, moist baked goods with the perfect brown sugar aroma. Besti natural brown sweetener replaces brown sugar 1-to-1, but has zero calories, zero net carbs, and zero glycemic index. Use Besti Brown Monk Fruit Sweetener in place of brown sugar for cooking, baking and topping!"

Don't forget: Pretty Pies readers get a sweet 10% discount on all Besti sweeteners and baking ingredients with the code PRETTYPIES.

The Quick & Easy Method: Save Time & Effort

You can make this cookie dough in less than 5 minutes by using a food processor. Let a machine do the work at the push of a button!

Just add everything and pulse a few times and your dough is ready. This is the brand of food processor I've been using for about 7 years now. Highly recommend!

If you don't have a food processor, a mixing bowl works, too. Just make sure you mix well to incorporate the pumpkin.

Another major time-saving tool: the cookie scoop! I got this pack of 3 different size scoops on Amazon (small, medium and large/ice cream size) and it's a kitchen tool I use all the time! Especially for cookies, but also scooping muffin /cupcake batter and ice cream, too.

PLUS: You get to skip a step! there is NO need to roll the dough in your hands with this recipe like in my cinnamon-sugar donut holes or 1-Carb Snickerdooles! Just place the ball of dough directly from your scoop into a small bowl of cinnamon sugar and turn to coat and place on a cookie sheet. Quick and easy.

How to Make Healthy Snickerdoodle Cookies

The method to making these cookies follows the standard for cookie baking, with some tweaks to make them have a "soft-baked" texture.

• First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy removal.

• Next, mix together the dry ingredients (almond flour, sweetener, salt, spices, baking powder) in a food processor or mixing bowl.

• Then add the wet ingredients (oil and pumpkin puree) into the dry ingredients. If you're using a food processor simply pulse a few times to incorporate.
• Use a small cookie scoop to form balls of dough. (No need to roll again in your hands.) Dip each ball in a small bowl of cinnamon "sugar," turn to coat and place on the cookie sheet.

For Soft-Baked Cookies

• Here's what's unique: these cookies will not spread. Use a spatula to flatten each one into a thick 2" disc. Whatever shape you make will remain - just slightly puffier. Keeping the dough thick is key to achieving a soft texture.
  • If you prefer more chewy (not soft) cookies, flatten the dough thinner. *Keep an eye on them in the oven - They may bake faster*
• Bake until the center of the cookie feels set or firm to the touch, about 12 minutes.
• After removing from the oven, add another sprinkle of cinnamon "sugar" for the amazing snickerdoodle texture on the outside.

Ingredient Substitutions

Almond Flour: you can substitute pumpkin seed flour to make these cookies nut-free. I buy it on Amazon, but you may be able to make it in a Vitamix using pumpkin seeds!

Oil: use any kind of oil you like, or use water for oil-free (if you like softer more cakey cookies.)

Allulose/Monkfruit Sweetener: sub any dry sweetener that measures 1:1 and bakes like sugar, such as Lakanto Baking Sweetener, coconut sugar or regular brown sugar. *

I do not recommend Lakanto Classic granulated monkfruit/erythritol as the main sweetener for a *SOFT-baked* cookie since it tends to make baked goods more crisp (since it's harder to dissolve.)

I have not tried any other sweeteners in this recipe other than Besti Brown Sugar, so I can't say for sure if they will have the same result.

Need help substituting an ingredient? Have a question about the recipe? I'm happy to assist! Leave a comment below. I personally answer all comments/questions within one day.

More Healthy Pumpkin Recipes

All dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, egg-free and vegan!

• Nut-Free Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
• No-Bake Nut-Free Keto Pumpkin Cake Balls
• Nut-Free Keto Easy Pumpkin Mousse
• Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte Frappuccino
• Pumpkin Muffins with "Cream Cheese" Glaze
• Pumpkin Scones from PS It's Healthy
• Classic Pumpkin Pie

Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a star rating and/or review and tag me on Instagram @emily.likes.food #prettypies so I can see!