Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
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Fall baking doesn’t get much better than these Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting! They’re pillowy soft, lightly spiced, and so tender they practically melt in your mouth with every bite. Then they’re topped with a creamy cinnamon cream cheese frosting that takes them completely over the top. These pumpkin cookies are super easy to make in 15 minutes, which is exactly what I want when I’m craving something cozy and homemade without spending all afternoon in the kitchen. They’re naturally gluten-free and can easily be made dairy-free with a few simple swaps.
If you love pumpkin spice season, grab a cup of coffee and make a batch of these cookies…but here’s your warning: they’re insanely addictive and you NEED them!
Psst…this recipe is one of my favorites and it’s going into my NEW Holiday Cookbook dropping October 1st!! It’s a limited-time release packed with gluten-free and dairy-free holiday recipes for Fall and Christmas. Grab your spot on the WAITLIST here:
What Makes These Pumpkin Cookies So Soft?
The pumpkin is the secret to these incredibly soft cookies. It adds moisture and gives the cookies that light, tender texture that makes them so different from traditional cookies, especially being gluten-free. The warm spices bring all those classic fall flavors, while the cinnamon cream cheese frosting adds the perfect creamy, slightly tangy finish. Put them together and you have one seriously delicious fall dessert that makes everyone ask “Are these really gluten-free?”
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Cookies
These aren’t your typical crisp or chewy cookies. They’re soft, tender, and almost cake-like, which makes them completely irresistible. Honestly, I usually double batch the recipe because they disappear insanely fast in our house and that typically allows a few leftover!
- Soft, fluffy, and pillowy
- They practically melt in your mouth
- Full of cozy pumpkin spice flavor & perfect with coffee
- Naturally gluten-free
- Easily made dairy-free
- Simple ingredients & easy to make
- Topped with the most delicious cinnamon cream cheese frosting
Perfect for Fall Baking
These Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies are a great to make with kids because the cookie dough comes together quickly and frosting cookies is always the fun part! They’re also perfect for:
- Fall baking
- Halloween parties
- Thanksgiving dessert tables
- School treats
- Cookie exchanges
- Cozy weekends at home
- Enjoying with your morning coffee
How to Make These Cookies Dairy-Free
Making these pumpkin cookies dairy-free is super easy! Our household has both gluten and dairy allergies, so we’re always swapping the dairy in recipes. Honestly, you just need to swap the butter and cream cheese for dairy-free butter and dairy-free cream cheese. We love using Earth Balance dairy-free butter and Daiya or Philadelphia dairy-free cream cheese. The cookies still turn out soft, fluffy, and absolutely delicious.
Storage for These Cookies Is Easy
After cookies are frosted, store in a sealable container in the refrigerator.
If these cookies aren’t easy enough already, just wait until I drop this piece of news with you! You can freeze these cookies!! Just allow them to cool completely and freeze in a freezer-safe sealed container or Ziploc bag, WITHOUT frosting. When ready to serve, thaw cookies then frost them.
Loved this recipe? It’s one of many going into my NEW Holiday Cookbook launching October 1st for a LIMITED-TIME ONLY full of all gluten-free and dairy-free recipes! Jump on the WAITLIST here:
More Gluten-Free Fall Recipes You’ll Love:
- Gluten-Free Sourdough
- Gluten-Free Carrot Zucchini Muffins
- Gluten-Free Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
- Gluten-Free Sourdough Discard Drop Biscuits
- Easy Sausage and Apple Sheet Pan Dinner
- Gluten-Free Ooey-Gooey Cinnamon Rolls
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Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened at room temperature (dairy-free works too, see notes)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 cups gluten-free flour (we use Pamelas or King Arthur)
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened at room temperature (dairy-free works too, see notes)
- 1 tbsp butter, softened at room temperature (dairy-free works too, see notes)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a cookie sheet or baking stone.
- In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar together until well combined. Then, add the eggs and pumpkin puree and mix well.
- Next, add the gluten-free flour, baking powder, salt, & spices and mix until well combined.
- Drop a spoonful onto the prepared greased pan. Bake for about 15 minutes and cool on a wire rack.
Frosting:
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the cream cheese & butter together until well combined. Then add the vanilla, powdered sugar, and cinnamon.
- Allow cookies to cool completely & then frost the cookies. I usually just use a spoon and drop frosting on the cookie, then use the back of the spoon to spread the frosting around. If needed, refrigerate frosted cookies to set the frosting.
Notes
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