Move over Little Debbie, there's a new cream pie in town! These Gluten-free Pumpkin Cream Pies are perfect for fall baking and over the top delicious! Tangy cream cheese frosting sandwiched between two pumpkin spiced cookies is the perfect combo.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
These pumpkin cream pies came together quite spontaneously! I had a lot of cookies left from testing out my gluten-free pumpkin snickerdoodle cookie recipe. I also had some cream cheese frosting leftover from these delicious gluten-free pumpkin bars. Then it struck me! Pumpkin cream pies!! I slapped a dollop of frosting between a couple cookies and oh, wow! What a treat!
If you're a fan of all things pumpkin, I have no doubt you will love this recipe! These gluten-free pumpkin cream pies are melt in your mouth soft and indulgent!
While these cookies are quite easy to make, they are sure to impress! Whip up a batch for a festive addition to your Thanksgiving desserts, especially for those who don't love gluten-free pumpkin pie. If you have more pumpkin, be sure to check out these gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and gluten-free pumpkin oatmeal cookies as well! The combo of pumpkin and chocolate is so delish!
Ingredients
- Gluten-free Flour Blend: Use a gluten-free flour blend that is a 1:1 or cup for cup replacement for baking. It will be a blend of rice flour and starches, with xanthan gum already included. This recipe was tested with King Arthur Measure for Measure, Namaste Perfect Blend, and Cup4Cup multipurpose flour.
- Cream of Tartar: Adds a slightly tangy flavor to the cookie. It's not too noticeable but you'd know if it was missing. Find it in the spice aisle.
- Pumpkin Puree: Make sure to use 100% pure pumpkin puree for this recipe and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Dairy-Free: Easily make these dairy free by using Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks in place of the butter.
Cup4Cup flour is not dairy-free, so choose another tested blend.
The cookies are filled with a gluten-free cream cheese frosting. You can substitute dairy-free cream cheese, such as Kite Hill brand, and diary-free butter or shortening.
For an even easier, budget-friendly frosting option, you could also substitute with your favorite gluten-free and dairy-free canned frosting. There are many options in the grocery stores from brands such as Betty Crocker, Duncan Hines, and Simple Mills all of which carry gluten and dairy free canned frostings. Just be sure to check labels before purchasing.
How to Make Gluten-free Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies
- Make the pumpkin cookie batter.
- Roll balls of cookie dough in cinnamon sugar and bake. Cool completely.
- Make the cream cheese frosting. Place a dollop of frosting on one cookie.
- Gently press another cookie down on top to create a sandwich.
- Try not to eat them all before you get a chance to share!
Storage
These cookies are best when eaten fresh! Store the cookies tightly wrapped for 2-3 days at room temperature. They do not need to be refrigerated, but can be if you prefer.
Top Recipe Tips
- Room temperature ingredients are needed for proper blending of both the cookies and frosting.
- Chill the dough! The dough is very sticky so chilling is a must! Once the butter firms back up the cookies will be much easier to roll.
- All gluten-free flour blends behave a little differently, for best results use a flour blend that was tested for this recipe.
- Measure flour with the spoon and level method or by weight to ensure accuracy of measurements. Dipping the measuring cup into the container of flour will likely result in too much flour. Always use proper measuring cups for dry ingredients and not a liquid measuring cup.
- Make sure the cookies are completely cooled before filling with frosting or the frosting will melt.
- If you are using dairy-free ingredients for the frosting, you may need to add more powdered sugar to reach the proper consistency of the icing.
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More Gluten-Free Fall Recipes
Recipe
Gluten-free Pumpkin Cream Pies
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cookies
- 1 ¼ cup gluten free flour blend, with xanthan gum already included, such as King Arthur Measure for Measure or Namaste Perfect Blend
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- ½ cup butter, softened to room temperature.
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, for rolling
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, for rolling
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Make the Cookies
- In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until well combined and creamy. About 2 minutes.
- Blend in the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla.
- Stir in the dry ingredients. Blend until evenly incorporated. The mixture will be sticky.*
- Refrigerate the dough until firm, at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a small bowl, mix together ¼ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Then roll the dough in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Place cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned on the bottom and set. Cool cookies completely before filling.
Make Frosting & Fill Cookies
- With an electric mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter.
- Blend in the vanilla.
- Gradually blend in the powdered sugar.
- Place about 1 tablespoon of icing on one cookie, place another cookie on top of the icing.
- Gently press the cookies together until the icing reaches the edges. Set aside and repeat with remaining cookies.
LC
These cookies are amazing! So soft and the right texture. My family ate the entire batch in less than 24 hours. Delicious!
LJ
This time of year I always have canned pumpkin, so all the ingredients were already in my pantry. Super easy to make , super fun for my kids to help and super yummy!
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside
Thanks for the feedback LJ! I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe!