Put a fall twist on a classic with these Gluten-free Pumpkin Snickerdoodles! They are crisp yet chewy, made with real pumpkin, warm cinnamon, and pumpkin spice!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
If you love classic gluten-free snickerdoodles, you're bound to love this recipe for the best gluten-free pumpkin spice snickerdoodles, too! With a bit of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice, these gluten-free pumpkin cookies are chewy in the center but have crispy edges, just like a snickerdoodle should be! But if you love softer cookies, included in the recipe is an easy tip to make softer-style cookies if you prefer! Of course these cookies are rolled in cinnamon sugar and have those characteristic crinkles on top!
This pumpkin cookie recipe is easy to make and perfect for any fall occasion. They would even be the perfect compliment to your gluten-free pumpkin pie on your gluten-free Thanksgiving dessert table! You can take them to the next level and turn this recipe into gluten-free pumpkin cream pies that are out of this world delicious! Also, check out these gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and gluten-free pumpkin oatmeal cookies for even more great pumpkin cookies!
Check out even more great pumpkin recipes, like gluten-free pumpkin bars, gluten-free pumpkin bread, and Starbucks pumpkin spice sauce!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- 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.
All worked great but in my opinion, Cup4Cup produced the cookie with the best texture. The cookies got a little more crisp and chewy compared to the other flours, which I liked. Although if you prefer a softer cookie, the other blends are the way to go! - Cream of Tartar: You must include the cream of tartar if you want that classic tangy snickerdoodle taste! Find it in the spice aisle.
- Pumpkin Puree: Make sure to use 100% pure pumpkin puree for this recipe and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Egg: For a chewier cookie use just the egg yolk. For a softer cookie, use the full egg.
- Dairy-Free: Easily make these dairy free by using Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks in place of the butter. Also note: Cup4Cup flour is not dairy-free. Choose another tested blend if you need dairy-free.
Step by Step Instructions
- Cream the butter and sugars together.
- Then add in the pumpkin, egg yolk, and vanilla.
- Blend in the dry ingredients.
- Chill the dough until firm.
- Use a small (1 Tablespoon size) cookie scoop to portion the dough. Roll dough balls in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Now it's time to bake!
Storage
- These cookies are best when eaten fresh.
- They last well for several days at room temperature if kept in an airtight container.
- To freeze, portion cookie dough balls and freeze separately on a tray. Once solid, transfer to a bag. The dough can be baked from frozen but you will need to add a few minutes to the baking time. This is a great way to get ahead of holiday baking!
Variations
- These cookies make a delicious pumpkin cream pie when filled with buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
- Half-dip cooled cookies in white chocolate to make make them extra fancy!
- Mix in 1 cup of white chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
Top Recipe Tips
- Chill the dough: The dough is very sticky so chilling is a must! Once the butter firms back up they will be much easier to roll.
- Room Temperature: Make sure to use room temperature ingredients for proper blending.
- Measuring: When measuring flour, use the "spoon and level" method or measure the flour by weight. These are the most accurate ways to measure flour for recipes.
To spoon and level: Spoon the flour into a measuring cup. Then use the back of a knife or another flat edge to scrape the excess flour off the top of the measuring cup, leaving it level with the top of the cup. - All gluten-free flour blends behave a little differently, for best results use a flour blend that was tested for this recipe.
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More Gluten-Free Recipes
If you love this gluten-free pumpkin cookie recipe, be sure to check out these other pumpkin recipes from the blog!
Recipe
Gluten-free Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup gluten free flour blend, with xanthan gum already included, such as cup4cup Multipurpose Flour or King Arthur Measure for Measure
- 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
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, softened to room temperature, Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks for Dairy-free.
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg yolk, *see note
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- 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 yolk, and vanilla.
- Blend in the dry ingredients.
- The mixture will be sticky. Refrigerate the dough until firm, about 30 minutes to 1 hour to make them easier to roll.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Combine sugar and cinnamon for rolling.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Roll in cinnamon-sugar and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 14-15 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned on the bottom and set. Cool cookies for a few minutes on the pan before removing.
Cheryl Rowley
I went to make these a second time and the recipe is gone for the pumpkin snickerdoodles. It now only shows the recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Where did the other recipe go?? Would really like to make them again. There were awesome!! Thank you.
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside
Thanks for telling me this! I will fix it on the back end asap!
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside
All fixed! Sorry about that and thanks again for alerting me!