Description
Cozy, tender pumpkin cookies — gluten-free and full of warm spice. These cookies bake up soft, slightly crinkled on top, and are perfect for autumn snacking or holiday cookie plates.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry mix
- 175 g gluten-free all-purpose flour (blend with xanthan gum)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ⅛–¼ tsp ground nutmeg (adjust to taste)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt (≈2 g)
Wet mix
- 85 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 150 g light brown sugar
- 10 g maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 65 g pumpkin purée (not pie filling)
- 1 large egg yolk
Cinnamon-sugar coating
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Prep: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Dry ingredients: Whisk the gluten-free flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg together in a bowl; set aside.
- Creaming: In a mixer or large bowl, beat the softened butter with the brown sugar, maple syrup and vanilla on medium-low until the mixture is uniform — about 1–2 minutes.
- Add pumpkin + yolk: Scrape down the bowl, then add the pumpkin purée and the egg yolk. Beat just until blended; the batter may look slightly broken and that’s fine.
- Combine: Fold the dry mixture into the wet ingredients until incorporated. Scrape the sides to make sure everything is mixed evenly.
- Chill: Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30–45 minutes. Chilling firms the dough so it’s easy to portion and roll.
- Make the coating: Stir the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon together in a shallow bowl.
- Scoop & roll: Use a medium cookie scoop to portion the dough (about 1.5 Tbsp each). Roll each portion into a ball, then coat thoroughly in the cinnamon-sugar.
- First bake: Arrange half the dough balls on a prepared sheet, leaving space between them. Bake for 8 minutes.
- Deflate for crinkles (optional): With the oven door closed, remove the sheet and firmly tap the hot pan a few times onto a towel-covered countertop (or carefully lift the pan 3–4 inches and drop it onto the oven rack). This helps the cookies settle and develop a crinkled top. If you prefer taller, cakier cookies, skip this step.
- Finish baking: Return the tray to the oven and bake an additional 3–4 minutes. Repeat the tapping once more after they puff again, if you want a flatter, crinkled finish.
- Shape and cool: If you want perfectly round cookies, press a slightly larger round cutter over the warm cookies for a neat edge. Let cookies rest on the sheet 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat: Bake remaining dough the same way.
Notes
- NOTES & TIPS
- Chill the dough — this is key for easy handling and proper spreading.
- Flour choice matters — use a 1:1 gluten-free blend with xanthan gum for best texture. Single flours (almond, oat) will give different results.
- Spice swap — replace the cinnamon/ginger/nutmeg trio with 1¾ tsp pumpkin pie spice if you prefer.
- If the dough is sticky after chilling, dampen your hands slightly to roll the balls.
- For puffy cookies: don’t tap the pan; remove straight after the total bake time.
- To shape: press with a round cutter while still warm for tidy rounds.
- STORAGE
- Room temp: keep cooled cookies in an airtight container up to 3 days (place a paper towel on top to retain moisture).
- Fridge: store for longer if your kitchen is warm.
- Freezer: baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature.
- VARIATIONS
- Add 50–75 g mini chocolate chips to the dough for a chocolatey twist.
- Make sandwich cookies: spread cream-cheese frosting between two cookies.
- Use dairy-free butter to make the recipe dairy-free; results will be similar.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 154