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Several pumpkin cookies on a slate serving tray topped with cream cheese frosting

Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

These big, soft pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting are made without gluten or eggs.

Prep: 15 minsCook: 10 minsTotal: 25 mins
Servings: 30 cookies 1x

Ingredients

Cookie Ingredients:

  • 2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp. flax meal + 6 Tbsp. water) or 2 whole eggs
  • 3 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour* such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free 1:1 Baking Flour
  • 1 cup cane sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 12 Tbsp. (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
  • 1 ¼ cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Frosting Ingredients:

  • 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400℉. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Prepare flax egg by placing 2 Tbsp. flax meal + 6 Tbsp. water in a small bowl, whisking to combine and allow to rest 8-10 minutes until a gel forms.
  3. In a large bowl add flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and sea salt. Whisk to combine well.
  4. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the chilled butter into the dry mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
  5. Add the flax eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla to the dry mixture then stir with a large spoon until the dough forms into a ball (we like to work the dough into a ball with clean hands). The dough should be smooth to the touch (maybe a hair sticky). If the dough is wet and sticky, add a little more flour and stir again. If the dough is dry, add a splash of water and stir again.
  6. Roll dough into 28-30 golf-ball-sized pieces, placing on two baking sheets allowing enough room so that they won’t touch when flattened.
  7. Using your hand, gently flatten each ball of dough so that it’s about ¼-inch thick and 2 ½-inches in diameter.
  8. Place pans in the oven and bake 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned and the tops of the cookies are set – rotating the pans back to front (spin ‘em) and top to bottom (swap ‘em) halfway through cooking time.
  9. Use a spatula to carefully remove cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting:

  1. Place softened butter, cream cheese, and vanilla in a medium bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer).
  2. Beat until well combined. Add powdered sugar and pumpkin pie spice and continue to beat at high speed until fluffy.
  3. Spread frosting on cooled cookies and dust with additional pumpkin pie spice or sprinkles.

Notes

This recipe was tested using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free 1:1 Baking Flour. Other baking blends containing xanthan gum will likely work as well. If you have good results with a different flour blend, please leave a comment below and share your experience with others.

*Depending on the consistency of the pumpkin puree you use, you may need to add additional flour. The dough should be soft but not sticky where you can’t roll it into a ball. If it is too sticky add 1 Tbsp. at a time of flour.

Nutrition Information

  • Serving Size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 165
  • Fat: 7g
  • (Sat Fat: 4g)
  • Sodium: 165mg
  • Carbohydrate: 24g
  • (Fiber: 1g
  • Sugar: 11g)
  • Protein: 1g

Dietary

© The Real Food Dietitians