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Gluten-free pumpkin cookies on a plate. One is cut in half to show texture.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies

Gluten-free pumpkin cookies are light and cakey with a lovely pumpkin flavor. Finish them with a drizzle of vanilla icing. So good. And so easy!

Course Cookies
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 36 cookies
Calories 85 kcal

Ingredients

For the Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies

  • 2 ½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (12 ½ ounces; 370 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin spice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar (8 ¾ ounces; 248 grams)
  • ½ cup butter, softened (4 ounces; 113 grams)
  • 1 large egg (about 2 ounces; 56 grams out of shell)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin) (8 ounces; 226 grams)

For the Vanilla Glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar (4 ounces; 113 grams)
  • 1 ½ tablespoons milk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. Whisk together gluten-free flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin spice, and salt in a small bowl.

    Gluten-free flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

  3. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until combined. Stop mixer and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Mix for an additional 30 seconds.

    Add the egg and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until light, about one minute.

    Creamed butter and sugar in a glass bowl.

  4. Stop mixer. Add pumpkin puree and mix until combined. Add the gluten-free flour mixture and blend on medium-low speed until a batter forms.

    Drop dough, about a tablespoon-each, onto prepared baking sheets.

    Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookie Dough in a Bowl.

  5. Bake until set and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the pan for about three minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

  6. Once cookies are cool, make the glaze.

    Stir together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl. If the glaze is too thick to drizzle over cookies, add ½ teaspoon additional milk. If the glaze is too thin (runny), add 1 tablespoon additional powdered sugar. Drizzle glaze over cookies.

    Gluten-free pumpkin cookies baked and iced on a baking sheet.

  7. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to four days or place in a freezer container and freeze for up to four months.

Recipe Notes

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions.

Gluten-free All-Purpose Flour. This recipe was tested with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. Gluten-free flours vary by brand. For best results, use one that contains xanthan gum or whisk in a 1/2 teaspoon to the flour blend. Coconut and almond flours don't work in this recipe.

Pumpkin Spice. Replace the pumpkin spice blend with 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger. For the best flavor, be sure your spices are fresh.

Salt. I bake with table salt. It dissolves best in batters and gives an even flavor. If using kosher or a flaky salt, increase the salt to 1 teaspoon.

Granulated Sugar. I recommended using granulated (white) sugar in this recipe. Sugar replacements give very different results. If you decide to use one, know that the cookies might not turn out.

Butter. Dairy-free butter sticks can be used in place of unsalted butter. 

Egg. This recipe hasn’t been tested with an egg-replacer.

Vanilla extract. If you don’t have vanilla extract, simply omit it from the recipe.

Pumpkin Puree. Use canned pumpkin puree, not canned pumpkin pie filling. 

Milk. The glaze calls for a little milk. Replace this with a dairy-free milk or water.