GF Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients

• 113 g (1/2 cup)butter, at room temperature
• 200 g (1 cup)maple sugar
• 1egg
• 180 g (3/4 cup)pumpkin purée
• 10 ml (2 teaspoons)vanilla
• 240 g (2 cups)gluten-free flour
• 10 ml (2 teaspoons)baking powder
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon)baking soda
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon)cinnamon
• 2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon)sea salt
• 170 g (6 ounces)dark chocolate chips or chunks

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the oven

   Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. 2

   Cream butter and sugar

   Using an electric or stand mixer, beat the butter and maple sugar for about 3–4 minutes, until the mixture lightens in colour.

3. 3

   Add wet ingredients

   Add the egg, pumpkin purée and vanilla. Beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

4. 4

   Mix in dry ingredients

   Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and sea salt. Mix just until combined.

5. 5

   Stir in chocolate

   Fold the dark chocolate into the dough.

6. 6

   Scoop the dough

   The dough will be softer and airier than regular cookie dough. Use a small cookie scoop, about 4 cm (1 1/2 inches), to portion it onto the lined sheet, leaving about 5 cm (2 inches) between each mound.

7. 7

   Bake until set

   Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the tops look dry and the bottoms are lightly golden. The centres may still feel very soft when lightly pressed; leave them that way to help prevent the cookies drying out quickly.

8. 8

   Tap the baking sheet

   These cookies do not spread much. If you want them to spread a little more, firmly tap the baking sheet on the oven rack before taking it out.

9. 9

   Cool and store

   Move the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Keep them at room temperature for up to a week.

What are pumpkin cookies?

Pumpkin cookies are soft, spiced American cookies made with pumpkin purée, often paired with chocolate. This gluten-free version brings together pumpkin and cinnamon with dark chocolate in a tender, cake-like cookie.

Maple sugar sweetens the dough, while creaming it with butter helps give the cookies a light texture. The recipe is designed for a soft centre, so the cookies should come out of the oven before they feel fully firm.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 107 calories, 2g protein, 17g carbs, 4g fat.

The flour, maple sugar and pumpkin purée provide most of the carbohydrates, while butter and chocolate contribute much of the fat; the egg and flour add some protein. Enjoy a cookie with yoghurt or a glass of milk, or serve it after a meal that includes a source of protein.

Choosing the ingredients

Gluten-free flour: Use a flour blend intended for baking, and check its packaging for any blend-specific guidance. Measure by weight where possible for a consistent dough.

Pumpkin purée: Use plain purée rather than pumpkin pie filling, which is usually already sweetened and spiced. The purée adds moisture, so the dough will feel softer than standard cookie dough.

Chocolate: Chips or chopped dark chocolate both work. Chunks give you larger pockets of chocolate, while chips are distributed more evenly.

Creaming and mixing

Butter and maple sugar: Beat them for the full 3–4 minutes, until the mixture looks lighter. This step incorporates air before the pumpkin and egg go in.

Dry ingredients: Mix only until the flour disappears after adding it. Overmixing can make the cookies less tender, especially when working with a gluten-free flour blend.

Getting the dough onto the tray

Soft dough: The mixture is meant to be softer and airier than regular cookie dough. A small cookie scoop makes portions easier to handle and helps them bake at a similar rate.

Spacing: Leave about 5 cm (2 inches) between portions even though the cookies do not spread much. This gives you room to tap the sheet on the oven rack if you want a little more spread.

When the cookies are done

Visual cues: Look for dry-looking tops and lightly golden bottoms after 10–12 minutes. The centres may still feel unusually soft when pressed, which is expected.

Carry-over setting: Let the cookies cool on a wire rack after baking. Avoid leaving them in the oven until their centres feel firm, as that can dry them out.

Serving and timing

The recipe takes 45 minutes in total and makes 32 cookies. Allow time for the butter to reach room temperature before mixing, and bake in batches if your sheet cannot hold all the portions with space between them.

Serve the cookies once cooled, or slightly warm them for a softer, melty chocolate texture. They also pair well with a glass of milk or an unsweetened hot drink.

Recipe notes & tips

• Bring the butter to room temperature so it creams evenly with the maple sugar.
• Use plain pumpkin purée rather than sweetened pie filling.
• Scrape the bowl after adding the egg and pumpkin so the mixture is evenly combined.
• Stop mixing as soon as the dry ingredients are incorporated.
• Use a small scoop to portion the soft dough neatly.
• Check the bottoms as well as the tops when judging doneness.

Variations

• Add pecans: Fold chopped pecans into the dough with the chocolate for a nutty crunch.
• Use milk chocolate: Swap in milk chocolate chips for a sweeter, milder flavour.
• Add ginger: Mix a little ground ginger with the cinnamon for a sharper spice note.
• Make them dairy-free: Use a suitable plant-based butter alternative and check the chocolate ingredients.
• Add orange zest: Stir finely grated orange zest into the wet mixture for a citrus accent.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using pumpkin pie filling: Choose plain pumpkin purée so the sweetness and spice stay balanced.
• Overmixing the flour: Stop as soon as no dry patches remain to help keep the cookies tender.
• Expecting firm centres in the oven: Take them out when the tops look dry and the bottoms are lightly golden.
• Crowding the baking sheet: Leave about 5 cm (2 inches) between scoops so there is room to tap the sheet.
• Skipping the cooling rack: Transfer the cookies to a wire rack so they can cool after baking without staying on the hot tray.

How to store

Once fully cool, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. To warm one, heat it briefly in the microwave until just soft.

Frequently asked questions