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!
Servings: 20 cookies
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.
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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookies | Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 77mg | Potassium: 26mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 725IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 0.4mg