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These Gluten-Free, Healthy Pumpkin Cookies Are Everything I Want This Fall
These healthy pumpkin cookies are the soft, cozy fall treat that was missing from my pumpkin recipe collection. I’d already turned my pumpkin obsession into healthy pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, and more, but somehow I still didn’t have a cookie! I wanted these to be soft and moist, with real pumpkin and warm spices, and of course, without refined sugar. Here’s why these gluten-free pumpkin cookies check all the boxes:
- All the fall flavor – With real pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg, these cookies taste like everything fall should be.
- Soft, moist texture – I wanted a soft, tender cookie with lightly golden edges, so don’t expect crisp and snappy here. These have a tender feel and vanilla frosting similar to my healthy pumpkin bars, but in cookie form.
- No refined sugar or wheat flour – I use Besti for natural sweetness and superfine almond flour for a delicate crumb. So not only are these gluten-free pumpkin cookies, they also have 4 grams of protein, 1.5 grams of fiber, and less than 1 gram of sugar each.
I love these pumpkin cookies with a glass of almond milk or a hot cup of coffee when I’m craving a cozy fall treat. Make a batch with me!
“I made these today and OMG! They are so good! I will make these all year long, not just in fall. Now I have 3 favorite cookie recipes.”
-Jeannette
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my healthy pumpkin cookies, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Pumpkin Puree – Make sure you grab plain canned pumpkin puree like this, not pumpkin pie filling, which already contains sweetener and spices. Canned is my preference for the most consistent texture, but if you want to use fresh roasted pumpkin, you can. Just puree it until completely smooth and drain off any excess moisture.
- Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour – This superfine grind is important here for your pumpkin cookies to turn out moist and tender instead of gritty or crumbly. Don’t substitute coconut flour, because it absorbs much more moisture and makes this recipe dry. Sunflower seed flour or macadamia nut flour are the closest alternatives, but the flavor and color can differ.
- Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – I use this in both the cookies and glaze. It keeps the cookies moist without refined sugar, and the powdered texture dissolves smoothly. I don’t recommend most brands of monk fruit, stevia, or erythritol here, because they’ll leave the glaze gritty, even if they’re powdered. Liquid sweeteners (like maple syrup) are too runny, so won’t work either. You can use plain confectioners’ allulose, though, but increase the amount to 1/2 cup in the cookie dough.
- Unsalted Butter – Let it soften so it creams smoothly. For a dairy-free option, my favorite is butter-flavored coconut oil.
- Egg – You only need one, so a flax egg works just fine as an alternative.
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg – These give the pumpkin cookies their warm, cozy flavor. If you want ginger and clove notes or a stronger flavor, see my variation on that below.
- Heavy Cream – I mix this with powdered Besti to create a creamy, spreadable glaze. (For those of you who said the glaze was too runny, I adjusted the amounts recently to improve this!) Canned coconut cream works as a dairy-free substitute.
- Baking Powder (for lift — I like this non-GMO one!), Vanilla Extract, & Sea Salt (to balance the sweetness)
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How To Make Healthy Pumpkin Cookies
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Cream the butter and powdered Besti. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat them together until fluffy.
- Add the other wet ingredients. Beat in the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients. This includes almond flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt. I stop mixing as soon as the dough is evenly orange with no dry pockets.
- Scoop and shape the cookies. Pack the dough into a medium cookie scoop, release it onto the lined baking sheet, and flatten each mound to about 1/4 inch thick.
- Bake in the oven, then cool. They’re done when the edges are light golden but the centers still look soft. Let the cookies cool completely on the pan before moving them.
- Glaze the cookies. Whisk the powdered Besti, heavy cream, and vanilla until smooth and spreadable, adjusting with a little more cream or sweetener if needed. Once your healthy pumpkin cookies are fully cooled, spread the glaze over them. I like an extra dusting of cinnamon on top!
My Recipe Tips
- Softened butter is key to creaming properly. If you forget to take it out of the fridge, don’t melt it. Instead, fill a metal bowl with boiling water to heat it up. Empty the water, dry, and place the bowl upside down over the sliced butter on a plate. The heat will soften the butter in a few minutes. Sometimes I have to repeat the process.
- This healthy pumpkin cookie dough is supposed to be very soft. This is normal! I don’t recommend adding extra flour.
- How to deal with sticky dough: Sometimes this dough works perfectly for me and other times it can stick to the scoop. If this happens, I find it helps to spray the scoop with oil (I love this glass spray bottle!). If that doesn’t help enough, you can chill the dough for 15-30 minutes in the fridge and try again. Wet or lightly oiled hands also help when flattening.
- Pumpkin cookie dough doesn’t spread much, so I flatten the scoops before baking. That gives you control over the final thickness.
- Don’t move them while they’re warm. These gluten-free pumpkin cookies are fragile coming out of the oven and can fall apart. They’ll firm up as they cool. Plus, the texture of the crumb inside will set in the process.
- You may need to adjust the amount of powdered Besti in the glaze to get it thick. It depends on how the powder settles, so a runny glaze just means you need more Besti. If you want it totally firm, I recommend refrigerating the cookies to help it set.
Healthy Pumpkin Cookies
By
My gluten-free, healthy pumpkin cookies have real pumpkin, fall spices, and creamy vanilla glaze. 4 grams of protein and no refined sugar!
Ingredients
[ See substitutions ]Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.
Pumpkin Cookies:
Vanilla Glaze:
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a large deep bowl, beat together the butter and Besti, until fluffy.
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Beat in the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla.
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Beat in the almond flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and sea salt, until a uniform cookie dough forms.
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Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop balls of dough and pack the dough into it. Release onto the lined baking sheet, 2 inches (5.08 cm) apart. Use your palm, or the bottom of a glass with a twisting motion, to flatten cookies to about 1/4 inch (.64 cm) thick.
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Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until light golden on the edges. Cool completely to firm up before moving from the pan.
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Meanwhile, make the glaze/frosting, if using. In a small bowl, whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth: heavy cream, powdered Besti, and vanilla. If it's too thick, add more cream, a teaspoon at a time, until it's a spreadable consistency. If it's too thin, add more powdered Besti to thicken.
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Spread a teaspoon of glaze on top of each pumpkin cookie (or simply sprinkle with powdered Besti instead).
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 healthy pumpkin cookie (2″ diameter)
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you deal with the dough if it’s sticky, get the right consistency, prevent the cookies from falling apart, and more.
- Storage: Keep these healthy pumpkin cookies in an airtight container for up to 5-7 days. I refrigerate them if I add the cream glaze.
- Freeze: Freeze completely cooled cookies in a single layer, or between sheets of parchment paper, for up to 2-3 months. You can freeze them with or without the glaze, or even freeze the raw cookie dough. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Healthy Pumpkin Cookies
Recipe Variations
I like these healthy pumpkin cookies just the way they are, but I’ve also experimented with a few different spins on them. Try these if you want to add a little something or change the texture:
- Extra pumpkin spice – These cookies have a subtle spice thing going, not dramatic. For a bolder pumpkin spice flavor, replace the cinnamon and nutmeg with 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice plus another 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.
- Add-ins – Fold 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chocolate chips (I like these sugar-free ones for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies) or chopped nuts (like walnuts or pecans) into the cookie dough.
- Chewier – These gluten-free pumpkin cookies are naturally soft and tender. If you like a chewy bite, sprinkle 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum into the dough. The best time to add it is together with the almond flour and spices.
- Swap the glaze – I highly recommend something on top because these cookies are only lightly sweet on their own! If you don’t want the vanilla cream glaze, you can use my tangy cream cheese frosting, drizzle or dip in melted chocolate, or just dust the pumpkin cookies with powdered Besti.
86 Comments
Jeannette
1I made these today and OMG! They are so good! I will make these all year long, not just in fall. Now I have 3 favorite cookie recipes.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Jeannette! So glad to hear these made your top 3!
Kimmie Ross
1These cookies are delicious!! There’s something about them (especially with a thinner cream glaze) that reminds me of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. As a millennial who grew up on those delicious little squares, I can’t get enough!
Kim Dame
1These cookies were excellent. Soft and moister than I expected, perfect texture. An absolute addition to my low carb lineup! Thank you!!!!
Nadine
0With a generous sprinkling of cinnamon on top this makes a pretty dessert to serve during the fall. This recipe was quick to mix up and easy to bake. For my family I definitely need to use the xanthan gum and the pumpkin pie spice + cinnamon option listed in the variations. We also preferred a thicker icing instead of a thinner glaze. Thanks Maya, I appreciate the variations you suggested so that I can adjust to my family’s tastes.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you for the feedback, Nadine! I’m glad you and your family liked the variations.
Kim
0These cookies are simply amazing! I love pumpkin-flavoured treats at this time of the year and these cookies and your pumpkin muffins are the best!
Wholesome Yum D
0I love pumpkin treats this time of year too, Kim! So happy you’re enjoying both the cookies and the muffins. Thanks for trying them!
Sonny
0Hi Maya, Can pure allulose be used instead of the blend? if so, is it the same amount? ty 😉
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sonny, Yes, you can! You’d need 1/3 more, so that would be 1/2 cup granulated allulose for the cookies and 1/3 cup powdered allulose for the glaze.
Cheralyn allen
0Just made these cookies came out great ! Be sure to let them cool and I did add the xanthan gum! So yummy ?
Cheryl
0Have you tried adding pecans or walnuts?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Cheryl, I have not tried that, but if you do please let me know the results.
Vickie Johnson
0Yum made these today for the 1st time only I forgot to flatten them before baking so soft in the middle not dry or crumbly. And very rustic looking will be baking these again.
Nicole
0I have a question. Why has every single cookie recipe I’ve tried on here produced SUPER dry SUPER crumbly cookies? They are inedible without a ton of icing. But they really are just sooo dry. What the heck am I doing wrong? I’m not a bad baker but I have wasted so much money on ingredients that I am quite honestly afraid to try anymore. Please help! I have been able to successfully reverse my husband’s type 2 diabetes with our new found keto and sugar free diet changes. But he truly does have a sweet tooth that I’d like to satisfy with healthy alternatives. But it doesn’t matter how healthy it is if we can’t swallow it.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Nicole, The ingredients you use can make a huge difference in the results you are getting. Using Wholesome Yum Almond Flour and Besti Monkfruit Allulose Blend provides a moist cookie.
Jill
0What can I use in place of a medium cookie scoop, I only have a small scoop?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jill, That would also work for you.
Janet krahn
0I lost my former comment but question I have a food allergy can flour be substituted?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Janet, I don’t see another comment from you. Are you asking to substitute white flour instead of almond flour? If so, the recipe would likely need other adjustments to avoid turning out too dry.
Katherine
0How much monk fruit would I add to allulose to get the “correct blend”? I am happy to see that you offer products that are already mixed; but I have a pantry full of all the single ingredients that need to get used up first! LOL! Thank you for your time and energy. I have made many of your recipes and have had great success!
Once I have made these, I’ll come back and tell you how they came out.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Katherine, Our Besti Sweetener is a proprietary blend that is a very specific process and is unable to be duplicated at home. I hope that when you use up your pantry stash you give it a try!
Janie
0Love the recipe!! Haven’t made them yet as I couldn’t find the temp. To which to bake them. I will try 350. Hope they turn out ok. Sure they will.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Janie, 350 degrees is the correct temperature.
Lisa
0Most of your recipes contain Almond flour. Many people cannot eat nuts.
Could you note in each recipe whether a substitute can be used, and note when no substitution is possible?
Thank you
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Lisa, If a recipe allows for a substitute I do usually note that. Macadamia or sunflower flour are usually appropriate substitutes for almond flour.
Kate
0I made a quick cream cheese icing and some cinnamon sugar pecans for the top.
Very tasty with lots of texture.
Heather Fehlner
0I made these last year and again this year. Last year, they were much more moist and less almond flour consistency. Did the recipe change? I liked the more pumpkin and moist
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Heather, No, the recipe has not changed. Did you switch brands of sweeteners? This uses monk fruit allulose blend as written, but if you want more soft, moist cookies, I recommend using monk fruit allulose blend instead.
Jeanine
0What other sugar can I use in place of the allulose that I do not have? I do have coconut sugar.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jeanine, You can use my Sweetener Conversion Chart to compare different types of sweeteners.
Rebecca Barnett
0Made them but they were mealy & not sweet enough.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Rebecca, I am sorry this recipe didn’t come out as expected. Please be sure you are using super fine blanched almond flour. The quality and texture of almond flour makes a big difference in the final outcome of baked goods.
julia lester
0Love these cookies! My friend who is a diabetic couldn’t believe how soft they were and how great they tasted. Dough was firm enough for me to roll into balls and then flatten which made them look like real cookies.
Sharon
0Do not know how anyone could even make the recipe as written. I read the comments after I made the cookies, and people mentioned there were eggs in it, but eggs did not appear on the list of ingredients! I ended up doubling the amount of pumpkin to make the dough moist enough to bake.
Very disappointed.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sharon, I am sorry you struggled with this recipe. 1 Egg is the fourth ingredient down from the top of the list in the recipe card. Without the egg and with more pumpkin, I imagine they are very delicate. I hope you decide to give this recipe a try again soon with the addition of the egg.
Francine Perreault
0This looks amazing. I am just wondering if they can be made using coconut flour vs almond flour?
Anna
0I made these as written and they were great. I’m trying to cut down on almond flour so I decided to try these with coconut flour. Based on another reviewers comments, I subbed the almond flour with coconut flour (3/4 cup). The batter was very dry so I had to add quite a bit of water just to be able to work with it. The cookies came out very crumbly and fragile and literally dissolved into a mess of crumbs if not handled VERY carefully. The taste was also not as interesting, and was almost bland. Needless to say, I do NOT recommend trying this experiment, LOL! I will definitely make the almond flour version again but perhaps with more sweetner.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Francine, That won’t work in this recipe, sorry.
Brandi
0I LUVVVV these cookies!!!!!!
…& I’m almond intolerant, so instead of using the general known
ratio of 1/4 cup coconut to every 1 cup of almond & with math, I gave it a try.
I used 3/4 of a cup of coconut flour, & they came out moist & exquisite… similar to a muffin/cake/cookie.
& I LUVVVVVV YOUR RECIPES!!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing with the world! Yours is always my first recipe website choice!!!!! The Coconut Flour Choc Chip cookies are my favorite!!! Thank you sooooooomuch!!!!!! Soooooo grateful to you!!!!! <3 <3 <3