As a seasoned gluten-free baker, I’ve shared many tricks for making soft, bakery-style gluten-free cookies, but making these pumpkin spice treats requires a special tweak. If you love chewy gluten-free pumpkin cookies, not fluffy or cakey, you’ve come to right place! What’s the easy trick? Eliminate excess moisture in the canned pumpkin before combining with warm spices, gooey chocolate chips, and other simple ingredients!
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Chocolate Chip Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies
It’s time for pumpkin spice and everything nice! Just because you or loved ones need gluten-free pumpkin recipes doesn’t mean they have to endure substandard stand-ins. In fact, these easy gluten-free pumpkin cookies have an improved taste and texture that beats out traditional recipes.
What’s the trick? Canned pumpkin contains a lot of moisture, which is harder for gluten-free starches and flour blends to absorb. When developing a fluffy gluten-free pumpkin bread recipe, instead of dense or gummy, I learned eliminating pumpkin’s excess moisture gave exponentially better results.
When do this for spiced pumpkin cookies, it has an added benefit. Typically pumpkin cookie recipes have a cake-like texture because of all the water canned pumpkin contains. But once you remove the excess, you are left with pumpkin favor in a soft, chewy cookie with crisp edges.
The other easy tricks are borrowed from homemade gluten-free chocolate chip cookies – chilling the dough and using a lower oven temperature to eliminate any gritty, off-putting texture.
Below I share more gluten-free pumpkin cookie tips, including step-by-step photos, how to shape cookie dough, workable ingredient substitutions for dairy-free cookies, and the best way to store and freeze. Let’s make the best gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip cookies ever!
These are amazing! I did half the batch with white chocolate chips and the other half with chocolate chips… perfection! I can’t thank the author enough for putting this recipe together and meticulously detailing the hows and whys of it!! They are beyond yummm. Bravo!!!
—Robin
Free Guide! 5 easy tips for baking like a gluten-free pro!
Simple hacks for fail-proof gluten-free dishes every time!
Ingredient Tid Bits
- Canned pumpkin – For this recipe be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. I recommend using Libby’s brand because it is thicker, more concentrated, and contains less moisture than other brands. Since the whole can isn’t used, use the rest in a batch of these 5-minute gluten-free pumpkin oat muffins or flourless pumpkin pancakes!
- Light brown sugar – Using all brown sugar, instead of using white sugar or a combination, is another way to achieve a soft, chewy texture.
- Egg yolks – Another trick for yielding chewy chocolate chip cookies with canned pumpkin. Room temperature yolks help bind the dough without adding extra liquid from the whites. You can refrigerate the leftover whites in an airtight container and make an egg white scramble the next day.
- Molasses – Gives a nice smoky, spiced taste to compliment the pumpkin flavor and adds more chewiness. If you do not have molasses on hand, replace with pure maple syrup.
- Spices – A mixture of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. If you want to save a step of measuring different spices, these can all be replaced with 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice.
- Gluten-free flour – I particularly like using Cup4Cup gluten-free flour blend because the cornstarch in the blend adds to the cookie’s chewiness.
- Chocolate chips – In baking recipes using chocolate chips, I like to use a combination of regular semi-sweet chips and miniature, so lots of chocolate is dispersed evenly throughout. Use dairy-free chocolate chips for a dairy-free recipe.
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(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
Remove moisture for chewy pumpkin cookies
First, preheat the oven to 325°F. I’ve found baking GF cookies at a lower oven also helps with grittiness because it slightly extends the baking time, giving more time for the starches to meld with the fat. For easy clean up, line baking sheets with parchment paper or leave ungreased.
Next, spread the canned pumpkin in a thin layer on a plate. Lay a paper towel over the top and press gently to soak up moisture. Discard the paper towel and repeat with a new paper towels, about 6-8 more times, or until the paper towel soaks up less moisture. This technique is used to make a soft and chewy versus “cakey” cookie.
Mix up the cookie dough
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter with the brown sugar until very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in the canned pumpkin (I always seem to forget this step!), egg yolks, vanilla, and molasses. Mix again until well combined.
Finish with lots of chocolate!
After mixing in the dry ingredients, add a mixture of semi sweet chocolate chips and miniature chips for evenly dispersed and lots of gooey chocolate.
Chill, divide and bake
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes. This gives time for the GF starches to absorb the moisture, eliminating any grittiness.
Use a large cookie scoop to divide the dough into 6 large cookies per baking sheet. Bake for 14-16 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through. Cookies are done when they start to crack and lose their shine on top.
These cookies need a little extra cooling time before handling. Cool on the pan for 10-15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. See below for some more tricks for bakery-style, soft ridged cookies.
Tips For Shaping Cookie Dough (Epic Bakery-Style)
When shaping the pumpkin cookie dough you want to avoid flat cookies that spread too much. There’s an easy trick for that!
Once the dough is chilled, portion it out using a large cookie scoop, which is about 3 tablespoons. Roll into a smooth cookie ball and then shape into a tall cylinder with a flat bottom. As the dough bakes, it melt into layers, achieving bakery-style cookies.
As the cookies emerge from the oven, you’ll notice they look puffy and “cakey.” Have no fear, they will collapse down into chewy cookies as they cool. If you want to speed up the process, or would like flatter, ridged cookies, lay dish towels on the counter and “bang” the sheets onto them to forcibly collapse them.
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Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa
Extra Chewy Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies (Not Cakey!)
Ingredients
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree, Libby's brand recommended
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons molasses
- 1 ¾ cup gluten free all purpose flour, Cup4Cup gluten-free flour recommended
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, (or substitute 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice for spices)
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, (I use ½ cup semisweet, ½ cup miniature chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. For easy clean up, line baking sheets with parchment paper or leave ungreased.
- Spread the canned pumpkin in a thin layer on a plate. Lay a paper towel over the top and press gently to soak up moisture. Discard the paper towel and repeat with a new paper towels, about 6-8 more times, or until the paper towels soaks up less moisture. This technique is used to make a soft and chewy versus "cakey" cookie.½ cup canned pumpkin puree
- In a large mixing bowl, or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the softened butter with the brown sugar until very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.¾ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- Add in the blotted canned pumpkin, egg yolks, vanilla, and molasses. Mix again until well combined.2 egg yolks, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons molasses
- Add the gluten-free flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low speed until well combined and no flour pockets remain. Stir in the chocolate chips.1 ¾ cup gluten free all purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 30-45 minutes. This allows time for the GF starches to absorb the moisture and helps eliminate any grittiness.
- Use a large cookie scoop (approximately 3 tbsp dough) to divide the dough into 6 large cookies per baking sheet. Bake for 15-16 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through. Cookies are done with they start to crack and lose their shine on top.
- When they come out of the oven, they will be puffy, but collapse down into chewy cookies as they cool. Sometimes I will place a couple dish towels on my counter and "bang" the sheet a few times to collapse the cookies faster. They need about 10-15 minutes to cool and set on the pan before transferring and enjoying!
Notes
Additional Mix-Ins
To keep the cookie dough to mix-ins balance, add approximately 1 cup total, any combination.- Chopped nuts, such as pecans, walnuts, or macadamias.
- Dried fruits, such as cranberries, cherries, figs, currants, or raisins.
- Use milk chocolate, gluten-free butterscotch chips, chocolate chunks, white chocolate chips or a combination.
- Sprinkle a little sea salt on top of cookies before baking.
Storing and Freezing
Storing: Gluten-free cookies have a shorter shelf than traditional cookies because they dry out and lose the soft texture after a couple days. Make sure the cookies have cooled completely first before stacking and storing in an airtight container. Freeze Before Baking: Drop portioned cookies on parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once the cookies are hard, transfer to a ziplock freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months. When ready to bake, place on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake from frozen, adding an additional 1-2 minutes baking time. Freezing Baked Cookies: If you don’t plan on enjoying the cookies within a day or two, wrap stacks of 2-3 cookies in plastic wrap, transfer to a ziplock freezer bag, and freeze up to 3 months. Recipe adapted from In Bloom Bakery.This post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you. Read full disclosure policy here.
Very happy with these, thank you!
You’re welcome! Thank you for taking a moment to comment.
Best,
Melissa
I made these cookies and followed your directions to a T. My husband thought I was a little crazy soaking up the liquid in the pumpkin 😉
My cookies unfortunately came out cakey but taste great.
I often wonder if the issues I have with recipes is the altitude as we are almost at sea level. This is a struggle in many of the recipes I try. Any hints or thoughts would be great!
Hi Angela,
Next time I would cut back on the flour just a bit, about 1/4 cup less. Even when I make them they come out of the oven a little poofy, but they fall as they cool or sometimes I will even bang the sheets on the counter. Weird, but it works!
Best,
Melissa
These cookies have a lovely flavour. Mine did not fall (remained puffy) and like another person commented, were quite crumbly. Followed the recipe to a T. Will explore other flours and would appreciate any recommendations on brands.
Hi Marie,
Which flour blend did you use? For the texture you are describing, I would cut back 1/4 cup of the flour you are using. Also, to get them to settle into soft ridges, sometimes I bang the pan on the counter after the come out of the oven. Weird, I know, but it works!
Best,
Melissa
Melissa, I can’t wait to bake these!!
I’ve been wanting a chewy pumpkin cookie with little chopped bits of dried chewy ginger.
That’s what I’ll be adding rather than chocolate chips.
I’m all excited now, Happy Baking!
My family loved these – they turned out great, I doubled the batch and cut the sugar (1/4 cup) back slightly.
Glad to hear, Erin! Thank you so much for taking the time to share!
Best,
Melissa
Just made them and they are delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
Thank you so much, Lonnie! I appreciate you taking the time to drop me a line. 🙂
Best,
Melissa
Now that Cup4Cup flour changed their recipe, will that effect the results of this recipe? I’d love to give it a try.
Hi Catherine,
I wasn’t familiar with this? How do you mean? I’ve still been using it and haven’t noticed a difference, but maybe I’m still getting the old version?
Best,
Melissa
These cookies are amazing! Even my husband and kids enjoyed them!
So happy to hear, Mandy! Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Best,
Melissa
These are amazing! I did half the batch with white chocolate chips and the other half with chocolate chips… perfection! I can’t thank the author enough for putting this recipe together and meticulously detailing the hows and whys of it!! They are beyond yummm. Bravo!!!
Oh this is so sweet! Thank you so much, Robin. I really appreciate you taking the time to make my day!
Best,
Melissa
Hi, I have recently changed to gluten-free eating this year due to health reasons. I absolutely love chocolate chip cookies and have been searching for a replacement recipe. I tried this one out today and the flavor is absolutely amazing. However, the consistency is odd to me. It would fall apart, and then stick to everything at the same time in my mouth. I followed all the instructions provided in the recipe, however, there was some graininess and an odd consistency to me. It may be the type of gluten-free flour I used. Im still adjusting to how gluten-free items are, but what are your thoughts on this? The flavor is amazing and will continue to try and find the consistency I like.
Hi Kassidy,
I know exactly what you are talking about and that is 100% the brand of GF flour you are using. Unfortunately there is a huge difference in taste and texture throughout the brands. What brand are you using? Some are A LOT grittier than others and I find you can taste it more in cookies versus cakes or muffins.
Best,
Melissa
I especially like that in the direction’s portion you include ingredients amounts. Eliminates scrolling back and forth. Thank you.
Have not made them yet, but plan to soon.
Appreciate this, Sheila! Drop me a line when you do. I would love to hear what you think!
Best,
Melissa
They tasted great but still a little cakey even though I did the tricks to prevent this.
Sorry to hear this, Ella. It’s not going to be possible to eliminate all the cakey-iness altogether unless you left out the canned pumpkin, but I think it resembles a more traditional cookie versus typical cakey pumpkin cookie. What brand of pumpkin did you use? Using Libby’s helps a lot because there is less moisture. I appreciate you taking the time to write!
Best,
Melissa