Soft, frosted sugar cookies that are laced with pumpkin and AND gluten free? Yep. I’ve cracked the code — these gluten free pumpkin cookies rival any frosted sugar cookie and your gluten free friends will love you for it.
I took my Gluten Free Sugar Cookies recipe and tweaked it for pumpkin season. Because we need more sugar cookies in our lives, right? These have a subtle hint of pumpkin and all the familiar pumpkin spice flavor you love.
By the way, if you want a Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice recipe, I’ve got a great one! (Also, if your spice jar is used once or twice a year and you purchased it in 2012, it’s time to replace it, my friend.)
Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies
Pumpkin is fun to bake with, but the tricky part about cookies is if you put too much pumpkin puree into a cookie you end up with a… cakie.
I put as much pumpkin into these cookies as I could for the flavor to shine without compromising the chewy, soft texture.
TIP: “Drain” some of the moisture out of your pumpkin puree by letting it rest on a folded paper towel. It’ll soak up some of the water in the puree so your baked goods have better pumpkin flavor without the extra moisture.
GF Pumpkin Cookies Ingredients
- Gluten free flour blend: I swear by Namaste GF Flour for cookies. You can find it in some stores in the Western US or on Amazon. If you have a GF flour blend you use frequently for cookies, it’ll probably be OK here, too. Just make sure it has a binding agent, like xantham gum or the cookies might fall apart.
- Butter: I use salted. If you prefer to use unsalted butter, add an extra 1/8 tsp of salt to the recipe.
- Granulated Sugar: I use the organic sugar from Costco. I don’t recommend using a liquid sweetener in this recipe. You may use coconut sugar, but the cookies will be darker in color.
- Pumpkin Puree: NOT pumpkin pie filling. This should be unsweetened, pure pumpkin. Also, don’t use Trader Joe’s pumpkin puree for this recipe. It has more moisture and this recipe has a sensitive moisture ratio.
- Sour Cream: Full fat if possible.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: Make sure it’s fresh for best flavor! Here’s a recipe if you want to make your own: Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice. You could also use my Chai Seasoning for a fun twist.
- Vanilla Extract
- Eggs
- Baking soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
How to make Pumpkin Cookies (Gluten Free)
- Put the pumpkin puree on a couple of paper towels to “drain” some of the moisture.
- Beat together the sugar and butter. Add the eggs, vanilla, sour cream, and pumpkin puree and beat well.
- Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice) and mix until well combined.
- Cover and chill for 1-2 hours.
- Working with 1/4 of the dough at a time, roll them out 1/4-1/2″ thick and cut into whatever shape you like.
- Bake on a parchment covered pan at 350F for 10-11 min.
- Let cool.
How to make Frosting for Pumpkin Cookies
- Beat together frosting ingredients (butter, vanilla, pumpkin puree, powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice).
- Cover each cooled cookie with frosting and decorate how you like.
Pumpkin Cookie Decorating Ideas
The nice thing bout this recipe is that the cookies and frosting are naturally a pale orange color without the need for food coloring.
Feel free to color the frosting how you wish and use Halloween/Fall themed cookie cutters and decorations! I loved the sprinkles at Trader Joe’s because they use natural food colorings.
Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookie Recipe Tips
- If at all possible, use Namaste Gluten Free Flour. (No, this isn’t a sponsored post, I promise.) It’s my favorite GF flour blend for cookies and consistently does well. I can’t guarantee the results if you swap out the flour for another type.
- Drain your pumpkin puree on some paper towels before using to get rid of some of that moisture.
- If you plan to roll the cookies out, you’ll want to chill the dough first so it’s easier to work with. If you’re just going to use a cookie scoop you don’t need to chill the dough, but you’ll want to press the cookies a little flat because they don’t spread while baking.
- If you want a more subtly flavored cookie, try using cinnamon in place of pumpkin pie spice. It will highlight the pumpkin flavor a little more.
Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies Recipe FAQs
Gluten is what holds baked goods together and gives them structure. Gluten free cookies need some kind of binder. Use a gluten free flour blend that has some kind of gum (xanthan gum or guar gum) and it will help your cookies hold together better. Eggs (particularly egg whites) help, too.
Gluten free flour blends vary wildly, and some will produce dry baked goods. The issue could also be over-baking or not enough moisture in the dough.
It’s not necessary. If you plan on rolling out this dough, you’ll want to chill the dough first so it isn’t super sticky to work with.
More Gluten Free Cookie Recipes on Perry’s Plate
If you like this recipe, try another one of my gluten free cookie recipes! (Most of these use Namaste Flour)
Gluten Free Sugar Cookies Recipe
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
If you make one of my recipes, be sure to post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies
Soft, frosted sugar cookies that are laced with pumpkin and AND gluten free? Yep. I've cracked the code -- these gluten free pumpkin cookies rival any frosted sugar cookie and your gluten free friends will love you for it.
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 5 cups Namaste gluten free flour blend
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 Tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Put the pumpkin puree (for both the cookies and the frosting) on a folded paper towel for a few minutes while you gather your ingredients. This drains some of the moisture off.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl and an electric hand mixer) add the softened butter and sugar. Beat it very, very well. Like, let it run for 2-3 minutes until it's lighter in color and looks more voluminous.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each one. Add the 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, sour cream and vanilla and beat well.
Add the flour to the bowl with the baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Run the mixer on low until everything is incorporated. Don't overmix the dough. Check the texture. The dough should be fairly sticky, but will clump around the beater.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours.
When you're ready to roll them out, preheat your oven to 350F and line a couple of baking pans with parchment paper or prep with nonstick spray.
Lay another piece of parchment paper on your counter. Sprinkle some gluten free flour on the paper and transfer half of the dough to the paper. Sprinkle a little flour over the dough.
Roll the dough out gently moving from the center outwards in every direction until the dough is roughly the same thickness -- 1/4 to 1/2 inch.
Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into shapes, transferring them to the prepared cookie sheets. Gather up the dough scraps and roll them out again. Repeat until you've rolled out all the dough.
Bake each pan for 11-12 minutes. Cookies should be just BARELY light brown on the bottom. Don't bake them until they're golden or they'll be crispy later.
Transfer them to a baking sheet and let them cool completely before frosting them.
To make the frosting, add the frosting ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low until all of the powdered sugar has been incorporated. And then turn the mixer up to medium high and beat it for another 2 minutes until lighter and fluffy.
Add any food coloring, if you like, or divide the frosting into smaller bowls to make several different colors.
Spread the frosting on the cookies and decorate how you like!
Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days for best flavor. (We liked them better the day after we baked and frosted them!)
Notes
Try using cinnamon in place of pumpkin pie spice for a more subtle flavor that highlights the pumpkin. Or my Chai Spice for a fun twist!
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Nutrition Information
Yield 20 Serving Size 3 2-inch cookiesAmount Per Serving Calories 509Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 12gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 71mgSodium 346mgCarbohydrates 78gFiber 1gSugar 53gProtein 4g
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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