Enjoy these gluten-free pumpkin cookies are also dairy-free, egg-free, and vegan! Grab a glass of almond milk and enjoy these delicious cookies all fall long!

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Do you love eating pumpkin with everything in the fall months? I do too. When late September rolls around, you can find pumpkin spiced lattes, cakes, and yes, even cookies at many stores and bakeries.

If you’re like me, you enjoy indulging in pumpkin season, but a lot of what’s available at most stores, cafes, and bakeries aren’t safe for folks on a gluten-free diet. Not only that, add in a few more food intolerances like dairy and eggs, and yep, it’s all off the table.

So how do I get to ring in the fall season or celebrate the “pumpkin everything” time of year without eating gluten or dairy? I make these treats for myself at home!

The number one thing that keeps me from baking or eating the treats I know I want to enjoy is too much effort. Which is why I’ve put together this delicious pumpkin cookie recipe for you… but really, for me.

This pumpkin cookie recipe is perfect for fall and can be used for a number of different activities. Try mixing up a batch of these easy gluten-free pumpkin cookies to enjoy alongside one of your favorite fall activities:

Watching Peanuts The Great Pumpkin or A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
Bringing to a friend’s house to watch the big game
Pumpkin carving parties
Halloween festivities
Drinking with apple cider and sitting around a fire outdoors or in front of a fire inside
Reading books on a rainy day
Adding to the Thanksgiving dessert table

Whatever the activity, there’s never a bad time to make these gluten-free pumpkin cookies. They’re full of cinnamon and pumpkin spice and delicious pumpkin flavor.

The best part is that they’re dairy-free and egg-free, so you can enjoy them on either of these diets or a vegan diet if that’s how you roll.

In this post, we’ll go through all you need to know to make these super yummy gluten-free pumpkin cookies so you can enjoy them through the whole fall season.

Is pumpkin gluten-free?

Pumpkin and pumpkin puree is naturally gluten-free. Fresh pumpkins contain no gluten if you plan to use fresh pumpkin puree for this recipe.

Canned pumpkin is naturally gluten-free, as well. Read the ingredients lists to be sure that there are no added gluten ingredients in the product before purchasing.

Read on: What foods are naturally gluten and dairy-free?

How to make pumpkin cookies gluten-free

To make pumpkin cookies gluten-free, you can use a gluten-free flour blend or one specific type of gluten-free flour.

I like to use almond flour in my pumpkin cookies, because I like the texture and that it adds some extra healthy fats and fiber to the cookie. I figure if I’m going to eat a cookie, it should be offering up something good in return, right?

How to make pumpkin cookies vegan

These pumpkin cookies are vegan, because I haven’t added any eggs or dairy products.

Are you wondering how to make cookies without eggs or dairy without them falling apart?

Believe it or not, these stay firmly together with just the use of the almond flour, pumpkin puree, and maple syrup. You don’t even need to add a flax or chia egg to get them to bind. It’s like magic, but this recipe really does work without needing any extra eggs or binding ingredients.

Ingredients for gluten-free pumpkin cookies

You don’t need too many ingredients for delicious vegan gluten-free pumpkin cookies. Here are main ingredients I use in my recipe.

Almond flour

Most pumpkin cookies call for an all purpose flour, but I decided to not swap that out for a gluten-free flour measure for measure option, because I like my cookies to have a little bit of nutritional value.

Almond flour is full of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. If I’m eating cookies, I figure I should feel good about reaching for a second.

Pumpkin Puree

For this recipe, I use organic pumpkin puree. You don’t want to use pumpkin pie mix as that has a bunch of sugar and spices already added to it. You want to start with a plain pumpkin puree and add the flavors you want to it.

Baking Powder

Baking powder gives these cookies a little lift since we don’t use any eggs in them.

Maple Syrup

Maple syrup serves two functions in this recipe. The first is to sweeten them, and the second is to act as a binder since we aren’t using any eggs. Use a good quality maple syrup as the flavor really comes through.

Vanilla extract

Vanilla extract gives any cookie it’s homemade flavor, and it gives a ton of flavor to the sugar cookie dough in this recipe. Plus I love how delicious the house smells whenever I use this ingredient!

Read on: Is vanilla extract gluten-free?

Now that you know what’s in these gluten-free pumpkin cookies, let’s talk about how to make them step by step.

How to make vegan gluten-free pumpkin cookies

Making these pumpkin cookies couldn’t be easier. Enjoy these gluten-free pumpkin cookies next time you’re doing any of your favorite fall activities or for your Halloween or Thanksgiving gathering.

Preheat the oven

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. While the oven is preheating, prepare your baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

Make the cookie dough

In a bowl, combine almond flour and baking powder. Stir to combine. Add the pumpkin puree and maple syrup. Stir well until everything is well combined.

Gluten-free Pumpkin Cookies - Ingredients

Scoop the pumpkin cookie dough

Using rounded tablespoons or a 1 ½-inch cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough out onto your prepared cookie sheet. The smaller you make the cookies, the more cookies you’ll have and the faster they’ll bake.

You will have at least 12 cookies, maybe more depending on the size of your scoop.

Roll the dough into cookie dough balls

Roll the dough between your palms to create a smooth surface for each cookie dough ball. Repeat with all other cookie dough balls.

Press the cookies

These cookies don’t rise much, so you’ll want to use your fingers to gently press the cookies into discs.

I like to put a plastic sandwich bag over my hand to do this task to make for easy cleanup, but it isn’t necessary if you don’t mind getting your hands a little sticky.

Bake the gluten-free pumpkin cookies

Transfer to the oven and bake for 12 to 13 minutes.

Cool the cookies and enjoy

Remove from the oven and cool for at least 10 minutes before moving off the baking sheet, otherwise the cookies may fall apart. Enjoy with a glass of dairy-free milk or cup of coffee.

Do I need to chill the dough?

These cookies come together very quickly and don’t require chilling before rolling out the dough or baking.

How to store gluten-free pumpkin cookies

These cookies soften up after about a day at room temperature in an airtight container. If you want them to last longer (they never last very long in my house!), you can store them in the fridge to extend their life and texture.

Yield: 12 cookies

Gluten-free Pumpkin Cookies (Dairy-free, Vegan)

Name: Gluten-free Pumpkin Cookies (Dairy-free, Vegan)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups almond flour; ¼ cup pumpkin puree; ¼ cup coconut oil or vegan butter, melted; ¼ cup maple syrup; 1/8 tsp sea salt; ½ tsp baking powder; ½ tsp cinnamon; ¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice; 2 tsp vanilla extract

Enjoy these gluten-free pumpkin cookies are also dairy-free, egg-free, and vegan! Grab a glass of almond milk and enjoy these delicious cookies all fall long!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 22 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups almond flour
¼ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup coconut oil or vegan butter, melted
¼ cup maple syrup
1/8 tsp sea salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
In a large bowl, combine almond flour, pumpkin puree, melted coconut oil or vegan butter, maple syrup, sea salt, baking soda, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
Using rounded tablespoons or a 1 ½-inch cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough out onto your prepared cookie sheet.
Press the cookies into discs using your fingers, as these cookies don't rise much in the oven.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before enjoying.

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If you love pumpkin cookies and are looking to avoid gluten, dairy, and eggs, give this recipe a try and let me know what you think in the comments!

I hope you try making these cookies this fall with some apple cider or a cup of coffee! These are perfect for Halloween and Thanksgiving too!

If you loved this post, I hope that you’ll share it with your friends on Facebook and pin it for future reference on Pinterest.

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Comments

Chris says
April 2, 2023 at 5:16 am
Hi Rachael,
What is the difference between melted vegan butter and oil? Vegan butter is made from vegetable oil, so can I just use oil?
- Rachael Roehmholdt says
  April 6, 2023 at 1:51 pm
  Hi Chris, there’s not much difference. You’re right vegan butter is made up of oil, so you may substitute vegetable oil in this recipe. I’m not sure if a one-to-one replacement would work perfectly in this recipe as I haven’t tried it out myself but in theory it should work! If you give it a go, let me know how it turns out!
  For more info on dairy-free butters and butter substitutes, you might want to check out this post: https://www.rachaelroehmholdt.com/dairy-free-butter-substitutes/

Gluten-free Pumpkin Cookies (Dairy-free, Vegan)

Is pumpkin gluten-free?

How to make pumpkin cookies gluten-free

How to make pumpkin cookies vegan