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What Great Grandma Ate / Recipes / Desserts / Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Last Updated on October 1, 2023 by Jean Choi 8 Comments

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Grab a copy of my cookbook, Korean Paleo: 80 Bold-Flavored, Gluten- and Grain-Free Recipes!

Soft and scrumptious Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies recipe made with browned butter, pumpkin puree, and warm Fall spices. Topped with a decadent cream cheese frosting and dusted with more spice. A festive seasonal treat that everyone will love!

gluten free pumpkin cookies on a white platter

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! 

Watch a Short Video of This Recipe

Ingredient Notes

recipe ingredients in small bowls and labeled

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

Step-by-Step Instructions

numbered step by step photos showing how to make this recipe
numbered step by step photos showing how to make this recipe
  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.
an overhead shot of gluten free pumpkin cookies topped with cream cheese frosting on a white platter

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.
a pumpkin cookie broken in half to show the soft middle.

More Gluten-Free Pumpkin Recipes

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

Paleo Pumpkin Pie

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bars

Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

Paleo Pumpkin Mug Cake

gluten free pumpkin cookies on a white platter

Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Soft and scrumptious Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies made with browned butter, pumpkin puree, and warm Fall spices. Topped with a decadent cream cheese frosting and dusted with more spice. A festive seasonal treat that everyone will love!
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Keyword: chocolate pumpkin, gluten-free cookies, seasonal
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 12 minutes minutes
Servings: 20 cookies
Calories: 157kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
  • 1¼ cup gluten free all-purpose flour I used Bob's Red Mill
  • 1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 4 oz cream cheese 1/2 brick, at room temperature
  • 2 tbsp butter at room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Add butter to a saucepan over medium heat. Melt then cook for 6-8 minutes while stirring often. The butter begin 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.
  • Cool the browned butter for about 10 minutes, then add in brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
  • Add pumpkin puree and whisk to combine.
  • In a separate bowl, stir together gluten free flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and sea salt until combined.
  • Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
  • Scoop dough by rounded tablespoons and roll into balls. Place them on the parchment lined baking sheet and use your hands to flatten slightly. Make sure they are about 2 inches apart.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are the golden and the centers are puffed up. Cool for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • 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.
  • Frost or drizzle the cookies with the frosting. You can sprinkle the top with cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, if you want.
Nutrition Facts
Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Amount Per Serving (1 cookies)
Calories 157 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 31mg10%
Sodium 77mg3%
Potassium 26mg1%
Carbohydrates 20g7%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 14g16%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 725IU15%
Vitamin C 0.2mg0%
Calcium 18mg2%
Iron 0.4mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Video

Notes

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.
What Great Grandma Ate / Jean Choi is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Regarding other affiliate links and affiliate relationships: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Thank you for your support and understanding.


134 shares
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By Jean Choi | September 25, 2023

Comments

  1. Kayla says

    September 28, 2023 at 6:30 am

    5 stars
    So good!! Missing a step in the recipe though to mix wet+dry ingredients, but I figured it out! When I made them, the batter was very loose so I let it sit for 5 mins and it thickened slightly. The cookies were a little more flat than I anticipated. Next time I will put the batter in the fridge to firm up for about 30mins-2hours so the cookies come out taller and less flat. Amazing recipe, so good after being chilled in the fridge!

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      October 1, 2023 at 3:47 pm

      So sorry about that! I just updated the instructions. So glad you enjoyed the recipe. And yes – you can definitely chill the dough, it’ll also make the cookies a bit chewier as well. So glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  2. Lila says

    October 8, 2023 at 2:50 pm

    5 stars
    Everyone who tried them loved these cookies, I will definitely make them again! I followed the recipe with some modifications, which I’ll comment on below:

    -I doubled the ingredients in the recipe to make more cookies. My batter was a bit more wet than the batter in the TikTok video, so the cookies ended up being a little flatter/more spread out. But that may be due to some careless measuring on my part, and I still got amazing results!

    -Browning my butter took a lot longer than 8 minutes. Causes May Include: I’ve never done it before, I used a small saucepan instead of a skillet, I was browning twice the amount of butter in the recipe, I stirred it too much, and/or the heat was too low? Once I stopped stirring so much and turned the heat up a little, it gradually developed the brown solids at the bottom. Not a huge fan of having to clean the sticky solids off the bottom of my saucepan, but browning the butter really did take the flavor to the next level!

    -I used standard (i.e. not gluten free) all-purpose flour. It worked perfectly!

    -I baked the cookies on a baking sheet without parchment paper. No issues there!

    -I did not use an electric mixer to mix the frosting. The frosting was still delicious, but I do regret not having used a mixer. There were some visible chunks of sugar in it and it wasn’t as whipped/light as it may have been otherwise.

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      October 18, 2023 at 9:53 am

      Thank you so much for leaving a detailed review! And yes, more butter means it’ll take longer to brown. I’m so glad you enjoyed these pumpkin cookies.

      Reply
  3. Esme Hedrick-Wong says

    October 16, 2023 at 7:15 pm

    5 stars
    These cookies are absolutely delicious! I tweaked the recipe slightly by not adding the white sugar and increasing the spices. I’ll definitely make them again. Many thanks for your recipe.

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      October 18, 2023 at 9:48 am

      Yay!!

      Reply
  4. Lucia M says

    November 5, 2023 at 3:14 pm

    5 stars
    My roommates and I made these together and they turned out DELICIOUS. I added a little more flour since the dough looked wet. We had to make a second batch a few days later.

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      November 6, 2023 at 3:56 pm

      Yay!! I’m so glad this was a repeat recipe for you. Truly makes me so happy. Thank you so much for leaving a review!

      Reply

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Welcome!

headshot of Jean Choi - blogger of What Great Grandma Ate I’m Jean and I’m a Nutritional Therapist (NTP) living in Southern California with my husband and 2 dog babies. On WGGA, you’ll find simple and easy gluten-, dairy-, and processed sugar-free recipes that focus on quality nutrients, and of course, never sacrifice on taste. I believe that the food you love should love you back, making you feel amazing inside and out. I apologize in advance for my inappropriate jokes and misunderstood sarcasm! More About Jean

Recipe Key

  • 3030 Min or Less
  • AIPAIP
  • EFEgg Free
  • LCLow Carb
  • NFNut Free
  • PPaleo
  • VVegan
  • W3Whole 30

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