These warmly spiced and oh so chewy gluten free chewy pumpkin cookies are infused with plenty of butter and hints of molasses. One bite and you'll fall in love with these fall favorites.
I love a batch of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies as much as anyone else, but these cozily-spiced gluten free chewy pumpkin cookies are a worthy contender for "best cookie to make in October"! They feature a base of browned or melted butter, oat flour, and brown sugar for a caramel note.
You can even use chewy pumpkin cookies to make autumn-themed ice cream sandwiches! Stuff two cookies with no-churn pumpkin ice cream or vegan chocolate peanut butter ice cream.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Soft and chewy pumpkin cookies spiked with spice and mellow pumpkin? Yes, please. You'll be making this recipe throughout fall (tip: if you like to dip, dunk these cookies in your hot pumpkin spice latte!).
- Prep-friendly. You want to leave at least 2 hours for the dough to chill, so why not put the dough together a day or two in advance?
- So great for fall. The ground spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger just pack these cookies with fall flavors.
- Chewy and crisp. Unlike other pumpkin cookie recipes which can result in more cakey cookies, these gluten free pumpkin cookies are dense, chewy, and perfect!
- One bowl needed - I buried the lede - yes this a one-bowl recipe! Melt the butter in a large mixing bowl and then add the other ingredients. So easy!
Ingredient Notes
- Butter - If you have time, brown your butter to add extra depth of flavor. I use unsalted butter but salted butter will give a hint of sweet-salty to the cookies.
- Brown sugar - Light or dark brown sugar adds a note of caramel.
- Egg - I used a large egg.
- Pure pumpkin puree - Make sure to use pure pumpkin puree rather than pumpkin pie filling which is overly sweet.
- Oat flour - Learn how to make oat flour or substitute sorghum or brown rice flour.
- Spices - A combo of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
- Baking soda
- Salt - I use fine sea salt or regular table salt.
The full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Variations
- Chocolate - Stir in 1 cup of mini or regular semisweet chocolate chips to the dough to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
- Use g-f flour - Swap the oat flour for 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour or your favorite homemade gluten free flour blend.
- Fresh ginger - Make these into gingery cookies with 1 tablespoon of grated or minced peeled fresh ginger!
Don't forget the gluten free pumpkin chocolate chip cookies if you want a more chocolate chip cookie version of this recipe!
Instructions
You can brown the butter for these cookies, or just melt it. Here's a look at how you'll make this recipe, with the full instructions included in the recipe card lower down.
1. Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, and pumpkin puree.
2. Add dry ingredients: Stir in the oat flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.
3. Rest dough: Mix the dough to combine it well then rest it overnight or at least 2 hours.
4. Bake: Form the cookies, then bake them in a 350℉ oven for about 12 minutes.
How Do I Blot Pumpkin?
Blot the pumpkin before you add it to the dough. Sound weird? Maybe, but this simple step eliminates extra water in the pumpkin which is the secret to getting these cookies as chewy as possible. Place the pumpkin on a plate and lightly blot it with two layers of paper towel to soak up the excess moisture. Keep blotting until the paper is no longer taking on much water. Then your pumpkin puree is ready to add to the recipe!
Baking Tip
If you have time, brown the butter rather than melt it. You will be rewarded with loads of deep, nutty flavor to form the backbone of these chewy pumpkin cookies. To brown butter, cook it over medium heat for 5-8 minutes, shaking and swirling the pan to make sure the butter doesn't burn. Cool the butter before beginning to make the dough.
Tips & Substitution Suggestions
- Rest the dough - The longer you can let the dough rest in the fridge, the more flavorful the cookies will be. Store it in an airtight container so it doesn't pick up any fridge odors for up to 3 days. I like to let my dough chill for at least 24 hours before I bake the cookies.
- Cool the butter - It's up to you whether you want to brown the butter (see my note above on how to do this) or melt the butter. Whichever method you use, make sure to cool the butter before starting the dough. If the butter is too hot it can cook the egg, which will affect the consistency of the cookies.
- Use gluten free flour - You can use your favorite gluten free all-purpose flour for the oat flour if you wish. Measure out 180 grams of flour for the best accuracy.
- Other spices - Easily swap pumpkin pie spice for the 1 teaspoon of total spice. Or, try other spices like cardamom or a pinch of cloves.
- Finish with cinnamon sugar - Blend 1 teaspoon of cinnamon with 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar. Roll each ball of dough in the cinnamon sugar before adding it to the baking sheet.
Storage
- Counter - Place the cookies in an airtight container and keep them on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Fridge - Store the cookies in an airtight container or bag in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer - Transfer cooled cookies to a freezer-safe sealable bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the cookies in the fridge before serving.
More Gluten Free Pumpkin Recipes
If you tried these Gluten Free Chewy Pumpkin Cookies or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments below! And I always appreciate a star rating if you loved it ❤️
Gluten Free Chewy Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and/or browned
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup pure pumpkin puree, blotted
- 1 ½ cups oat flour (180 grams)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter with the brown sugar, egg, and pumpkin puree until smooth. Stir in the oat flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.
- Transfer the dough to an airtight container and refrigerate it for at least two hours, preferably overnight, and up to 24 hours and preferably overnight.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and preheat the oven to 350℉. Form the dough into equal-sized balls, about 2 tablespoons each. Place them on the baking sheet with 2 inches in between the cookies, then gently flatten the cookies slightly with the palm of your hand.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes or until the edges are browned and the centers look puffed and slightly cracked. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Rest the dough - The longer you can let the dough rest in the fridge, the more flavorful the cookies will be. Store it in an airtight container so it doesn't pick up any fridge odors for up to 3 days. I like to let my dough chill for at least 24 hours before I bake the cookies.
- Use gluten free flour - You can use your favorite gluten free all-purpose flour for the oat flour if you wish. Measure out 180 grams of flour for the best accuracy.
- Other spices - Easily swap pumpkin pie spice for the 1 teaspoon of total spice. Or, try other spices like cardamom or a pinch of cloves.
- Finish with cinnamon sugar - Blend 1 teaspoon of cinnamon with 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar. Roll each ball of dough in the cinnamon sugar before adding it to the baking sheet.
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