Name: Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 24 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter; 1 cup brown sugar; ½ cup pumpkin puree; 1 large egg yolk; ½ tbsp molasses; ½ cup cassava flour; ⅔ cup oat flour; ¼ cup tapioca starch; ¾ tsp baking soda; ¼ tsp baking powder; ½ tsp sea salt; 2 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice; Pinch of ground nutmeg; White chocolate chips (optional)

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There’s nothing like pumpkin cookies. With a little cinnamon, nutmeg, and maybe cloves, they make for the perfect sweet and just so slightly savory treat that can’t be beat.

But why should people who can tolerate gluten have all the fun? If you have Celiac disease, a gluten tolerance, or a wheat allergy, you can still enjoy the autumn magic that is a pumpkin cookie!

However, these gluten-free pumpkin cookies are perfect for everyone, not just those on a gluten-free diet. They’re savory, sweet, and perfect year-round, in my opinion!

So what are you waiting for? Let’s dive in so you can make your own gluten-free pumpkin cookies. Enjoy!

The Key to Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies

Creating a gluten free pumpkin cookie that is chewy but not cakey is no small feat, let me tell you.

Pumpkin puree is full of water so it would typically result in a more cakey treat. But after making some tweaks in the recipe, this is the perfect chewy cross between a snickerdoodle and molasses gingerbread, with a hint of pumpkin.

It’s the perfect fall dessert!

The key is melting the butter, using just the egg yolk, and mixing the three flours (cassova, tapioca, and oat). And just when you thought they couldn’t get better, we dip them in white chocolate.

Yep, these are next level! Perfect for any fall get together, Thanksgiving, or whenever you’re just in the baking mood.

The Process – What To Know

Before we get into the steps, let’s look at some key factors in the process, including some questions you may have.

This is a pretty simple recipe, but if you’re new to baking, it’s always a good idea to get the low-down first. Baking is a hard art/science to master! That’s why there’s a whole competition show (The Great British Baking Show) about it.

The Flour

For these cookies, I went with a blend of cassava, oat flour, and tapioca starch.

I find that cassava flour is just so easy to work with and always works out well when I’m baking something, and the oat flour just adds that perfect chewy texture.

The tapioca works as the perfect binding agent. And in case there is any confusion, tapioca flour and tapioca starch are the same thing.

Also, if you have regular oatmeal on hand, no need to go out and buy oat flour. I grind my oats up in the coffee grinder and it works every time.

Butter And Egg (Yolk)

Why are we melting the butter and just using the egg yolk (not the whole egg)?

The reason we are melting the butter is because it helps the cookies spread out instead of fluffing up. It’s the same with using just the egg yolk instead of the whole egg or egg white.

Using just the egg yolk really creates the perfect chewy texture for your cookies.

What If I Don’t Have Pumpkin Spice?

If you’ve ever baked before, or been inside a Costco, you know all about pumpkin or pumpkin pie spice blends. This kind of mix is really handy to have around for pumpkin recipes, since it already has the common spices you’d want to use.

But if you don’t have pumpkin or pumpkin pie spice mix, you can make your own.

Blend cinnamon with a bit of nutmeg (and even cloves if you like) and that will work just fine. This is mostly a matter of taste, so don’t worry too much about the precise ratio.

Double Boiler Method Alternative

For melting the white chocolate chips, if you don’t have a microwave, you will need to use the double boiler method.

You can even create your own double boiler with a large pot and heat-resistant glass bowl that can fit inside it.

To use the double boiler method:

Fill the pot about halfway with water and heat it until it’s almost boiling.
Add ⅔ of the chocolate chips to a glass mixing bowl, and place the bowl on top of the pot (or let it float inside if it won’t fall over).
Stir the chocolate chips until melted. Take the bowl off the pot and turn off the heat.
Add in the remaining chocolate chips to the melted chocolate and stir until they are all melted.

That’s it!

How To Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies

Servings: 12 cookies

Prep Time : 10 minutes

Bake Time: 12-14 minutes

Ingredients

8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg yolk
½ tbsp molasses
½ cup cassava flour
⅔ cup oat flour
¼ cup tapioca starch
¾ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
Pinch of ground nutmeg
White chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

1. Melt the butter on medium low heat in a pan.

2. You can take off the heat when it’s just melted or you can brown the butter for a nuttier flavor. To do this, keep the butter on the heat until it starts sputtering and getting foamy until there are brown flecks on the bottom of your saucepan.

3. Transfer the butter to a mixing bowl and let it sit for 5-8 minutes to cool.

4. Once the butter is cooled down, mix it with the brown sugar and pumpkin puree. Now whisk in the vanilla, molasses, and egg yolk until combined.

5. In a separate bowl, mix together your three flours, baking powder and soda, salt, and pumpkin spice. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet, folding with a spatula until just combined.

6. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

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

8. Once the dough is ready, scoop out about 2 tablespoons worth of the dough and form into a ball.

9. Bake for 13 minutes, until cookies are just set. Let them cool completely.

10. Melt your white chocolate chips. You can either use the double boiler method or melt them in the microwave.

11. Once the cookies are cool, dip half of each cookie in the white chocolate and sprinkle with a bit of nutmeg. Place on parchment paper until the chocolate is dry.

12. Enjoy!