Soft, fluffy gluten-free pumpkin cookies are a classic for a reason! They’re perfectly pumpkin-y, lightly spiced and loaded with chocolate chips. These are some of my all-time favorite cookies!
This recipe was originally published in 2016. With dozens of 5-star reviews, it’s a recipe my readers and I come back to every year! Fall isn’t complete without making a batch or two of these cookies!
If you want a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe that’s delicious and gluten-free, you’re in the right place.
Fall just isn’t fall without pumpkin desserts. A combination of pumpkin, spices, and chocolate chips make these gluten-free, dairy-free cookies the ideal fall treat. Made with a moist, pillowy soft texture, these gluten-free pumpkin cookies are a total crowd pleaser!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Moist and pillowy soft
- Classic fall flavors
- Easy to make
- Made with simple ingredients
- Crowd pleaser
- Gluten- and dairy-free
This gluten-free pumpkin cookies recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free, yet tastes just like the classic pumpkin chocolate chip cookies I grew up eating.
And though I sometimes want healthier versions of my favorite desserts, other times, I just want something that tastes like the classic. These soft cookies are the real deal!
This is the kind of recipe you can fearlessly make for a big group, party, or gathering of friends and nobody will even notice the cookies are gluten-free.
VIDEO: How to Make Them!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are all of the ingredients you’ll need to make delicious gluten-free pumpkin cookies.
- Gluten-free flour: I recommend using a high-quality gluten-free 1:1 baking flour that contains xanthan gum. I use and recommend King Arthur Flour 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour!
- Oil: I like to use coconut oil for this recipe, but you can substitute another type, like vegetable oil or canola.
- Sugar: This gluten-free pumpkin cookies recipe uses both white sugar and brown sugar to add sweetness and molasses flavor to the pumpkin cookies.
- Pumpkin: Make it easy on yourself—take a shortcut and used canned real pumpkin, which offers the same pumpkin flavor of a freshly baked pumpkin. (Note: Do NOT use pumpkin pie filling.) I also use 100% pumpkin puree in these chewy gluten-free pumpkin snickerdoodles!
- Spices: Pumpkin spice like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves are the ultimate combination for any pumpkin recipes.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds greater depth of flavor and a hint of molasses to these cookies.
- Vanilla: I like to use real vanilla extract for better flavor, but imitation vanilla works too.
- Egg: Use one large egg to bring the batter together and add moisture and richness.
- Baking powder/baking soda: Both baking powder and baking soda are needed to achieve the perfect rise and fluffy texture for these gluten-free pumpkin cookies.
- Salt: I prefer fine sea salt for all of my baking, including in this recipe.
- Chocolate chips: Use semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips for this pumpkin cookie dough. Mini chocolate chips work well too!
Dairy-Free? Be sure to use dairy-free chocolate chips to keep these cookies dairy-free!
How to Make these Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the gluten-free flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin and oil on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until incorporated.
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the stand mixer and mix on low speed to to fully combine.
- Stir the chocolate chips into the gluten-free pumpkin cookies batter.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized dough balls onto the baking sheets.
- Bake the gluten-free pumpkin cookies for 14-16 minutes, until set. (Do not under-bake, or the gluten-free pumpkin cookies will be too wet.)
Storage Instructions
Like most gluten-free cookies, these soft pumpkin cookies are best eaten the day they are made. But if you do have leftovers, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. They can also be frozen in a freezer bag for up to three months.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- For the ideal texture, be sure to bake these gluten-free pumpkin cookies for the full time until they are set.
- For best results with this gluten free pumpkin cookies recipe, make sure the gluten-free all-purpose flour blend you use contains xanthan gum or another binder.
- If you don’t have coconut oil, you can use vegetable oil or any other liquid oil in these gluten-free pumpkin cookies.
More Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
- 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar 105 grams
- 15 ounce can of pumpkin 100% pumpkin
- 1/3 cup oil vegetable or coconut will work
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups gluten-free 1:1 baking flour 375 grams
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin and oil on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until incorporated. Add the egg and vanilla and mix to combine.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the gluten-free flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the stand mixer and mix on low speed to to fully combine. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized mounds onto the baking sheets. Bake for 14-16 minutes, until set. (Do not under-bake or the cookies will be too wet.) Like most gluten-free cookies, these are best eaten the day they are made, although leftovers can be stored in an airtight container. Enjoy!
Notes
- For the ideal texture, be sure to bake these gluten-free pumpkin cookies for the full time until they are set.
- For best results, make sure the gluten-free all-purpose flour blend you use contains xanthan gum or another binder. I recommend King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure Flour.
- If you don’t have coconut oil, you can use vegetable oil or any other liquid oil in this recipe.
These look perfect. Have you ever refrigerated the dough and baked it later? Any tips?
Thank you for the recipe! I’m looking forward to trying it. Also I really need to try the Fluffernutter ones!
Hi Heather! Yes, chilling the dough works well! You can keep the dough in the fridge for a couple days before baking. If it’s too hard to scoop right out of the fridge, just let the dough sit out at room temp for 5-10 until workable. We hope you love these cookies and the fluffernutter cookies too!
These were what our daughter wanted for her birthday, and they came out delicious! My husband ended up making and baking the same day, but I will definitely make these ahead and probably freeze some pre-portioned dough. We paired them with vanilla ice cream. Yum!
Where have these cookies been all my life!! I was frustrated with gf recipes not turning out but this one is a KEEPER! They came out beautifully soft and delicious thank you so much for this recipe, I’ll be making it again very soon!
Yay! We’re thrilled the pumpkin cookies turned out so well for you, Yanina. Thank you for sharing your positive baking experience with us. We hope your next batch is just as amazing!
So easy to make!
I used 1 cup mini chocolate chips b/c we prefer smaller chips.
These cookies are delicious! It’s hard to find good gluten-free cookies… thank you!
We’re so happy to hear you loved the cookies and found the recipe easy to make! Thank you for your kind review!
I made these cookies for friends who eat all types of food—not GF/dairy free only. I made them originally for my DF/GF friend. Everyone loved them!!! It’s so awesome to get a recipe that everyone enjoys!!
We love when our recipes are enjoyed by all! Thank you for sharing such wonderful feedback with us, Jojo. We’re pleased the cookies were such a hit!
Silly question, but for the nutrition/calories info, is that per cookie or for the full serving size/batch?
They turned out great and my family loved them!!
Thanks!!
Hi JD! The nutrition information is by cookie if the dough is used to make 24 cookies. We’re happy to hear the cookies were a hit! Thank you for the wonderful feedback!
These are always delishious!! I always bake 2-5 batches during fall. The recipe still tastes good even when you tweak some measurements
We’re thrilled to hear these cookies have become such a fall staple! Thank you for sharing with us, Madelyn!
Tried the recipe but my cookies didn’t spread out. Not sure why. Taste is good,
Just look terrible. I got 3 dozen from the recipe.
Hi Laura! We’re glad you enjoyed the taste! We’re sorry the cookies didn’t spread as expected. A few things can affect how much these cookies spread, including the specific gluten-free flour blend used, how the flour is measured, and the size of the dough portions. Since you got about 3 dozen cookies, they may have been a bit smaller than the 1½-tablespoon portions. We hope this helps for next time!
I have fresh pumpkin. Can I use it instead of canned? Also, can you make them without chocolate chips? I know, chocolate is great with everything but my husband is not a fan of it in everything.
Hi Anne! Yes, you can leave out the chocolate chips with no other changes needed. For fresh pumpkin, you can try homemade pumpkin purée, but make sure it’s thick and similar in consistency to canned pumpkin. Homemade pumpkin can contain more moisture which will impact the texture. If you decide to try it out, we’d love to hear how it goes!
I left a comment on these cookies a few years back, but I have to mention my experience from last week. I made over 12 dozen of these cookies over the course of 3 days and delivered plates of them to family members, neighbors, friends and coworkers to welcome the start of Fall. Everyone knows that whatever I bring to them is gluten free, and I received texts from almost everyone that got these cookies (only one of whom is gluten free) saying how amazing they are. My coworkers practically inhaled the two plates of them that I set out at break time. Without fail, these cookies are winners! I have made them with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 and King Arthur’s M4M. Equally good with either flour. Can’t thank you enough for this recipe!
Oh wow! This is so amazing to hear! Thank you for sharing such a rave review, Janet. We’re beyond excited that this recipe has been such a hit with so many people!
Hi Erin
Love all of your recipes, cannot wait to get ur cookbook
For the pumpkin cookies which oil is preferred coconut or vegetable
Thanks so much
Hi Lori! We’re so glad you’ve been enjoying the recipes. We hope you love the cookbook just as much! For the pumpkin cookies we typically use coconut oil. Happy baking!
My husband does not have to eat GF but still asks me to make these cookies a couple of times each Fall. They are delicious!
We love hearing when our recipes are enjoyed by all, not just those who need gluten-free. Thank you for sharing this with us, Melissa! It means a lot to us that your husband requests them each fall. Happy baking!
Can this be made with less sugar or maple syrup? They are very high in sugar!
Hi Jennie! Unfortunately we don’t typically bake with sugar substitutes. Our dessert recipes are designed to be more sweet treats so we use sugar for the best flavor and texture. Thank you for your question!