Soft & Chewy Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies with Frosting
These gluten free pumpkin cookies are soft, chewy, and bursting with cozy fall flavor thanks to browned butter, pumpkin puree, and warm pumpkin pie spice. Topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting and dusted with extra spice, they’re the ultimate fall cookie for gatherings, bake sales, cookie exchanges, or just a cozy afternoon treat!
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