Name: Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of butter (softened); 1/2 cup of pumpkin; 1/2 cup of honey; 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract; 1 1/2 cups of King Arthur Gluten Free 1/1 flour; 1/4 teaspoon of salt; 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder; 1 tablespoon of pumpkin spice; 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips

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These healthy cookies are loaded with milk chocolate chips. They’re refined sugar free and gluten free so everyone can enjoy them. And they smell heavenly when they’re baking in your oven.

A few weeks ago, inspired by the autumn weather, I set out to create a recipe for the most delicious pumpkin gluten free cookies. After tweaking and testing and several batches of cookies later (75 cookies to be exact, lol), I finally perfected the recipe.

These amazing cookies are slightly crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy and buttery on the inside, sweetened with a touch of honey, flavored with warm pumpkin spice, and chock full of milk chocolate chips. In sum, heavenly.

Let me show you how easy they are to make.

Instructions:

*Free printable recipe card is available at the end of the post.

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Gluten free baking can be challenging, to say the least. I have a few tricks for you to make these melt-in-your-mouth gluten free cookies. I think you’ll join me in exclaiming, “I can’t believe they’re gluten free!”

Soften your butter

Begin with a stick of softened butter so your cookies will turn out cakey rather than chewy. Take your butter out of the fridge about an hour before you’re ready to start mixing your batter.

You want your butter to be almost room temperature (not melted!). When you squeeze it, it should leave an indent but there should still be some slight resistance.

Combine your wet ingredients

Many cookie recipes begin with creaming the butter with sugar. But these pumpkin cookies are sweetened with honey rather than sugar. So begin by beating your softened butter in your stand mixer or with your hand-held mixer until it’s nice and fluffy.

Then add your honey, vanilla, and pumpkin. Pumpkin replaces eggs in this recipe, binding the ingredients with lovely moisture and texture.

And pumpkin is loaded with nutrients. It’s rich in Vitamin A, low in calories, and packed full of antioxidants that can boost your immune system and support overall health, along with promoting healthy skin. I like that.

Beat all these wet ingredients on high for about one more minute.

Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl

Then, in a separate bowl, mix your dry ingredients: gluten free flour, salt, pumpkin spice for flavor, and baking powder for fluffiness.

You can use a pastry cutter, fork, or whisk to mix. Be sure to combine well.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients

Next add the dry ingredients to your wet ingredients.

Begin with your mixer on low speed and combine. Once combined, you can increase your mixer speed to combine well, scraping down the sides as needed. Your batter should be smooth.

Chocolate chips for the win

Finally, fold in your chocolate chips. Because everyone in my family loves chocolate chip cookies, I went with a cup and a half of milk chocolate chips.

You can add more or less if you like.

Chill your cookie dough

For best results, cover and chill the bowl of dough in your fridge for about an hour before forming it into cookies.

You can certainly make your cookies right after mixing, but warm dough is sticky and hard to work with. It will also spread much more while baking. Chill your dough if you want puffy cookies.

Bake to perfection

Now you’re in the home stretch and just minutes away from tasting your delicious cookies.

Once your dough is chilled, preheat your oven to 350 ℉.

Scoop batter 2 tablespoons at a time. I like to roll each portion between my hands and press down each dough ball with two or three fingers to flatten on the parchment-paper lined baking sheet.

For the batch in the picture below, I rolled each dough ball in cinnamon sugar before flattening. If you love cinnamon as much as I do, it really takes these cookies to the next level. Yum.

Bake for 11-15 minutes. Since ovens vary, make sure to check to see when your cookies are done. You’ll know they’re done when the edges are lightly browned and the tops of the cookies are golden.

Pumpkin spice + chocolaty goodness. Now I know you’re tempted to eat them right away, but let them cool for about 10 minutes before devouring.

Pro tips and recipe notes

To soften your butter, take it out of the fridge about an hour before starting.
I use King Arthur Gluten Free 1/1 flour because it already contains xanthan gum. If you go with a different flour that doesn’t contain xanthan gum, you may need to add it. Please note, I’ve only made this recipe with King Arthur Gluten Free 1/1 flour.
I use organic pumpkin. You can also go with Libby’s.
I use Rumford baking powder because it is gluten free, aluminum free, and non-GMO.
I use Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips. Yum. Go with whichever kind of chips you prefer. If you like nuts in your cookies, go ahead and add them. It’s up to you.
Need to make this dairy-free? No problem. I haven’t tried this myself, but instead of butter, you could use a dairy-free butter substitute like Earth Balance. Also, go with dairy free chips or nuts.
Your cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a week.
Freezing your cookies:
I would prefer to freeze my cookie dough over freezing already baked cookies. That way, you get the nice homemade aroma and softness when you take them out of your oven.

But if you want, you can freeze the baked cookies. Just make sure to allow them to cool completely. Then store them in a freezer-safe zip-top storage bag with parchment paper between each cookie, squeeze out extra air and place flat in the freezer.

There’s nothing like these warm, spicy chocolate chip cookies. Grab your favorite warm beverage or, if you prefer, a tall glass of cold milk along with a cookie or two.

Happy baking!

More mouthwatering desserts

Dessert archives – Here you will find all my gluten free desserts.

Chocolate drizzled coconut macaroons (easy and healthy)– These macaroons are every coconut lovers dream cookie.

Healthy coconut and almond dark chocolate bars – These beautiful bars are sheer happiness in your mouth: a layer of toasted coconut flakes, coconut oil, almonds, and chia seeds topped with a thin layer of delicate chocolate and sprinkled with more chopped almonds. Yum.

Gluten free blueberry muffins – Get your ingredients together, and you’ll be taking these gluten-free coconut flour blueberry muffins out of the oven in just 25 minutes.

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