Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

What Makes This Recipe Great

These soft and chewy Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies are the seasonal treat you’ve been waiting for! Topped with the most wonderful cream cheese frosting, these cookies are perfect for Fall and Thanksgiving. 

The pumpkin flavor really shines through, thanks to browned butter, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin spice. The taste, the texture, everything about these cookies is pumpkin perfection! 

Even better, this easy 20-minute recipe uses simple ingredients and can be frozen for later use. Make a double or triple batch and have them all season long. 

Serve these gluten-free cookies at any festive Fall gathering. Kid-friendly and adult-friendly, they really are the perfect seasonal dessert! 

Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies

• Unsalted butter
• Light brown sugar or coconut sugar
• Granulated sugar
• Egg yolk
• Vanilla extract
• Pumpkin puree: Use canned pumpkin puree. Make sure it’s plain and unsweetened and not a can of pumpkin pie filling. 
• Gluten-free flour blend: I like Bob’s Red Mill because it contains xanthan gum, which is a key ingredient in the texture and structure of gluten-free baking. 
• Pumpkin pie spice: This is a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, allspice, and ginger. You can make your own, but it’s also easy to find as a spice blend in stores. 
• Baking soda
• Sea salt

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Cream cheese: Place on the counter for about an hour to bring it to room temperature before making the frosting. 
• Butter: You’ll need the butter for the frosting to be softened to room temperature. 
• Vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Add butter to a saucepan over medium heat. Melt then cook for 6-8 minutes while stirring often. The butter begins to foam and turn golden brown. Once the foam reduces and you see brown milk solids at the bottom, pour into a large mixing bowl.
3. Cool the browned butter for about 10 minutes, then add in brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
4. Add the pumpkin puree to the wet ingredients and whisk to combine.
5. In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients: gluten-free flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and sea salt until combined.
6. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
7. Scoop the pumpkin cookie dough into rounded tablespoons and roll into balls. You can use a small cookie scoop for this if preferred. Place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet and use your hands to flatten slightly. Make sure they are about 2 inches apart.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are golden and the centers are puffed up. Cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Make the cream cheese frosting:  Add cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract to a bowl, and use an electric mixer to beat until smooth. Slowly add in powdered sugar until smooth and spreadable. You can add a bit more water if you want a thinner consistency for drizzling. 
10. Frost or drizzle the cookies with the frosting. You can sprinkle the top with cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice if you want.

Expert Tips

• Make sure to cool the cookies completely on a cooling rack before frosting, or the frosting will melt off.
• Do not skip on browning the butter. It gives the cookies a much deeper and bolder elevated flavor.
• You can fold in chopped nuts or chocolate chips to the batter if desired.
• To make these pumpkin cookies dairy-free, swap the butter for vegan butter and the cream cheese for dairy-free cream cheese (Kite Hill brand makes a great cream cheese alternative).
• To make the frosting, use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer for best results. 

Storage Tips

• To store, refrigerate in a single layer for a few hours so the frosting can harden, then stack them in layers in an airtight container with parchment paper in between them for 3-4 days.
• To freeze, I recommend freezing the cookies unfrosted for best results, but you can freeze frosted cookies if you want. Freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet for 2 hours, then transfer to a freezer bag or container (add parchment paper in between layers if frosted). Store for up to 2-3 months
• Thaw them overnight in the fridge. If unfrosted, make a fresh batch of cream cheese frosting and frost before serving.

More Gluten-Free Pumpkin Recipes

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

Paleo Pumpkin Pie

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bars

Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

Paleo Pumpkin Mug Cake