Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Hey friends, if you’re anything like me, you can’t resist the cozy allure of fall and all things pumpkin spice. Well, I’ve got a treat for you today – a super simple Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cookie Recipe! No fancy ingredients or complicated techniques here, just good ol’ fashioned comfort in cookie form. So, whether you’re a baking novice or a seasoned pro, grab your apron and let’s whip up some warm, cinnamon-y, pumpkin-y goodness together. These cookies are bound to make your autumn a little sweeter.
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Ingredients for Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Butter: Provides richness and moisture to the cookies, creating a soft and tender texture.
Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the cookies and contributes to their classic cookie structure and crisp edges.
Light Brown Sugar: Adds a subtle caramel flavor and moistness to the cookies, enhancing their chewiness.
Egg: Acts as a binder, helping to hold the cookie dough together while providing moisture and structure.
Pumpkin Puree: Infuses the cookies with that delightful pumpkin flavor and keeps them moist.
Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor profile and complements the pumpkin spice.
Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: The main dry ingredient that forms the structure of the cookies, ensuring they hold their shape.
Corn Starch: A secret ingredient for a tender crumb and melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Salt: Balances the sweetness, intensifies the flavors, and enhances the overall taste.
Baking Powder: Leavens the cookies, making them rise slightly and become light and fluffy.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: The star of the show! It imparts that quintessential fall flavor with its blend of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
Granulated Sugar (for rolling): Adds a touch of sweetness and a slight crunch to the cookie exteriors.
Cinnamon (for rolling): Coats the cookies with a warm and aromatic layer of cinnamon goodness, giving them that extra pop of flavor.
Tips for Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Here are some top tips to help you make the best Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cookies:
Properly Softened Butter: Ensure your butter is softened but not melted. It should be pliable but still hold its shape. Check out my super easy trick about how to soften your butter in the microwave! Because who has hours to let butter sit on the counter until it is at room temperature?
Measure Ingredients Accurately: Baking is a science, so use precise measurements, especially for the flour and leavening agents. The best way to ensure that you’re measuring your ingredients accurately is to use a Kitchen Scale!
Don’t Overmix: Mix the dough until just combined. Overmixing can lead to tough cookies.
Use Parchment Paper or Silpat: Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat mat to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier. I love using these parchment sheets! They’re the perfect size for cookie sheets and have easy grid lines to cut and adjust sizes for other baking pans as well!
Uniform Cookie Size: Use a cookie scoop to portion out cookie dough, ensuring they’re all the same size for even baking.
Watch the Baking Time: Cookies can go from underbaked to overbaked quickly. Keep a close eye on them and remove them from the oven when the edges are lightly golden, but the centers are still slightly soft.
Cool on a Wire Rack: After baking, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents them from becoming too soft on the bottom.
Enjoy Fresh: These cookies are at their best when freshly baked, so share and savor them right away with a cup of your favorite hot beverage! Highly recommend enjoying them with a seasonal fall tea or some hot apple cider, YUMM!!
By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to making the most delicious gluten-free pumpkin spice cookies. Happy baking!
Spice it up!!
These cookies can be enjoyed in two ways!
1. These Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cookies are DELICIOUS on their own! No need to change a thing!
2. Topped with a layer of buttercream! The best part is to have fun with it, whip up a batch of vanilla buttercream and flavor it as you’d like. Here is a list of my favorite buttercreams to pair with these Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cookies:
- Browned Butter Buttercream (listed in the recipe below and shown in photo below)
- Salted Caramel Buttercream
- Marshmallow Buttercream
- Maple Cinnamon Buttercream (found in my GF Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe)
Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Equipment
- Electric mixer w/ paddle attachment
- Mixing bowls
- Rubber spatula
- Measuring Cups & Spoons
- Whisk/fork
- Parchment Paper
- Cookie Sheets
- cookie scoop
Ingredients
- 1 c. (2 sticks) Butter unsalted, softened
- 1 c. (240g) Granulated Sugar
- ½ c. (113g) Light Brown Sugar
- 1 Egg
- ½ c. (132g) Pumpkin Puree
- 1 tsp. (5g) Vanilla Extract
- 2 ½ c. (345g) Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp. (6g) Corn Starch
- 1 tsp. (8g) Salt
- 2 tsp. (8g) Baking powder
- 2 tsp. (6g) Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ½ c. (113g) Granulated Sugar for rolling
- 1 tsp. (3g) Cinnamon for rolling
Browned Butter Buttercream (optional)
- 1 c. (2 sticks) Butter unsalted, softened
- 1 ½ c. (170g) Powdered Sugar
- ½ tsp. (3g) Vanilla Extract
- Pinch Salt
Instructions
Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cookie
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare cookie sheets with Parchment paper.
- Place the sugar, brown sugar, and butter into a mixing bowl for a stand/electric mixer.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the softened butter and sugars together on medium speed (speed 4 for a Kitchen Aid) for 2-4 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Next, scrape down the sides of the bowl and the egg; mixing until fully combined and scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Next, add the pumpkin puree and the vanilla extract and mix together on medium-low speed until thoroughly combined.
- In a separate bowl, measure the flour, salt, corn starch, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk together with a whisk or fork.
- Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and mix on a low speed until the flour is completely mixed in. Don’t overmix!
- In a medium sized bowl mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough and place the cookies onto the parchment lined cookie sheets (about an inch from each other). Place the cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- After pulling them from the freezer and before baking, roll the cookies into a smooth ball and then lightly press between the palms of your hands to slightly flatten them.
- Next, roll the cookie in the granulated sugar and place back on the parchment lined sheet tray.
- Place the tray of cookies in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool completely before frosting.
Browned Butter Buttercream (optional)
- Place a medium sized metal bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Place the butter in a medium sized saucepan and place on the stove top over medium high heat.
- Let the butter come to a simmer/boil and occasionally whisk until the butter becomes a golden-brown color. Be sure to keep a close eye on it because it will quickly burn!
- Once the butter is a deep golden-brown color and has a nutty like smell, pour it into a heat safe container/bowl and let it cool down to room temp (you may put it in the fridge to cool faster).
- Once the butter has cooled down, pour it into the bowl that has been in the freezer and whisk by hand with a whip until it becomes a fluffy white texture.
- Place the whipped browned butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Add powdered sugar and start mixing at a low speed until all the powdered sugar is mixed in. Then mix on a medium high speed until the butter sugar mixture becomes white and fluffy.
- Next, add the vanilla extract and pinch of salt. Mix until combined.
- Finally, frost the cookies by either piping it onto the cookies with a piping bag and then spreading it out a little bit with an offset spatula (or the back of a spoon) or skip the piping and just spread the buttercream onto the cookies!
- Top with salted caramel drizzle (optional) and enjoy!
OH MY GOODNESS!!!
I made these cookies with the Cinnamon Maple Buttercream frosting for an office party. The recipe was easy to follow and the cookies were so soft. Adding frosting takes them to the next level. I personally like them best unfrosted but thats just because I’m not a frosting on my cookie kind of girl 😊. I scooped all the cookie dough out onto a large jelly roll pan to chill them. I took just enough out of the freezer for a cookie sheet as I was baking them so they dough would stay firm. This recipe has made its way into my recipe box and I will most definitely be making them again!
Hey there Jan! I am SO HAPPY to hear that you loved these cookies and that you paired it with the Maple Cinnamon Buttercream! YUMMM!!! So excited that this recipe has made its way into your recipe box! Thank you so much for leaving such a kind review and I hope you get to try more of my recipes 🙂