Chewy gluten-free pumpkin cookies (not cakey!)

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

It’s time for pumpkin spice and everything nice! Just because you or loved ones need gluten-free pumpkin recipes doesn’t mean they have to endure substandard stand-ins! In fact, these easy gluten-free pumpkin cookies have an improved taste and texture that beats out traditional recipes.

What’s the trick? Canned pumpkin contains a lot of moisture, which is harder for gluten-free starches and flour blends to absorb. When developing a fluffy gluten-free pumpkin bread recipe, instead of dense or gummy, I learned eliminating pumpkin’s excess moisture gave exponentially better results.

When do this for gluten-free pumpkin spice cookies, it has an added benefit. Typically pumpkin cookies have a cake-like texture because of all the water canned pumpkin contains. But once you remove the excess, you are left with pumpkin favor in a soft, chewy cookie with crisp edges.

The other easy tricks are borrowed from homemade gluten-free chocolate chip cookies – chilling the dough and using a lower oven temperature to eliminate any gritty, off-putting texture.

Below I share more gluten-free pumpkin cookie tips, including step-by-step photos, how to shape cookie dough, workable ingredient substitutions for dairy-free cookies, and the best way to store and freeze. Let’s make the best gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip cookies ever!

Ingredient Notes

• Canned pumpkin – For this recipe be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. I recommend using Libby’s brand because it is thicker, more concentrated, and contains less moisture than other brands. Since the whole can isn’t used, use the rest in a batch of these 5-minute gluten-free pumpkin oat muffins!
• Light brown sugar – Using all brown sugar, instead of using white sugar or a combination, is another way to achieve a soft, chewy texture.
• Egg yolks – Another trick for yielding chewy chocolate chip cookies with canned pumpkin! Room temperature yolks help bind the dough without adding extra liquid from the whites. You can refrigerate the leftover whites in an airtight container and make an egg white scramble the next day.
• Molasses – Gives a nice smoky, spiced taste to compliment the pumpkin flavor and adds more chewiness. If you do not have molasses on hand, replace with pure maple syrup.
• Spices – A mixture of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. If you want to save a step of measuring different spices, these can all be replaced with 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice.
• Gluten-free flour – I particularly like using Cup4Cup gluten-free flour blend because the cornstarch in the blend adds to the cookie’s chewiness. However, this brand does contain milk powder, so for dairy-free cookies use King Arthur Measure-for-Measure gluten free flour as an alternative. If you blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum, add 1/4 tsp.
• Chocolate chips – In baking recipes using chocolate chips, I like to use a combination of regular semi-sweet chips and miniature, so lots of chocolate is dispersed evenly throughout. Use dairy-free chocolate chips for a dairy-free recipe.

how to make Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. For easy clean up, line baking sheets with parchment paper or leave ungreased.
2. Spread the canned pumpkin in a thin layer on a plate. Lay a paper towel over the top and press gently to soak up moisture. Discard the paper towel and repeat with a new paper towels, about 6 more times, or until the paper towel soaks up less moisture. This technique is used to make a soft and chewy versus “cakey” cookie.
3. In a large mixing bowl, or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the softened butter with the brown sugar until very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. Add in the canned pumpkin, egg yolks, vanilla, and molasses. Mix again until well combined.
5. Next, mix in the dry ingredients – gluten-free flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves , baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low speed until well combined and no flour pockets remain. Stir in the chocolate chips.
6. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes. This gives time for the GF starches to absorb the moisture, eliminating any grittiness.
7. Use a large cookie scoop to divide the dough into 6 large cookies per baking sheet. Bake for 14-16 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through. Cookies are done when they start to crack and lose their shine on top. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Tips for shaping cookie dough

When shaping the pumpkin cookie dough you want to avoid flat cookies that spread too much. There’s an easy trick for that!

Portion out the dough using a large cookie scoop, which is about 3 tablespoons. Roll into a smooth cookie ball and then shape into a tall cylinder with a flat bottom. As the dough bakes, it melt into layers, achieving bakery-style cookies!

Frosted Pumpkin Cookies

It’s easy to transform this recipe into gluten-free frosted pumpkin cookies as well! As to not overdose on sweetness, I would first eliminate the chocolate chips.

Bake the cookies as directed and allow them to cool completely before frosting. Now it’s time to decide which type of frosting to add!

For cream cheese frosting, beat together 6 ounces softened cream cheese, 2 tbsp softened butter, 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and 1/2 tsp vanilla extra until smooth. Spread on the cookies and store in the refrigerator.

You can also drizzle the cookies with a simple glaze icing. Combine 2 cups powdered sugar, 2-3 tbsp milk, and 1 tsp vanilla. If desired, you can add a dash of cinnamon or replace the milk with pure maple syrup.

Additional Mix-in ideas

Enhance homemade gluten-free pumpkin cookies by choosing one of these suggested mix-ins. To keep the cookie dough to mix-ins balance, add approximately 1 cup total, any combination.

• Chopped nuts, such as pecans, walnuts, or macadamias.
• Dried fruits, such as cranberries, cherries, figs, currants, or raisins.
• Use milk chocolate, gluten-free butterscotch chips, chocolate chunks, white chocolate chips or a combination.
• Sprinkle a little sea salt on top of cookies before baking.

Dairy-Free Adaptation

If you are looking for a dairy-free cookie recipe, use Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips and substitute vegan butter sticks for the unsalted butter. Since dairy free, vegan butter is a little saltier, reduce the salt in the recipe by half.

The recommended gluten-free flour, Cup4Cup, does contain milk powder in the blend. Use King Arthur Measure-for-Measure gluten free flour as an allergen-free alternative.

storing and freezing tips

Storing:

Gluten-free cookies have a shorter shelf than traditional cookies because they dry out and lose the soft texture after a couple days. Make sure the cookies have cooled completely first before stacking and storing in an airtight container.

Freeze Before Baking:

Drop portioned cookies on parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once the cookies are hard, transfer to a ziplock freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months.

When ready to bake, place on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake from frozen, adding an additional 1-2 minutes baking time.

Freezing Baked Cookies:

If you don’t plan on enjoying the cookies within a day or two, wrap stacks of 2-3 cookies in plastic wrap, transfer to a ziplock freezer bag, and freeze up to 3 months.