Healthy Pumpkin Cookies

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.

1. Cream the butter and powdered Besti. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat them together until fluffy.
2. Add the other wet ingredients. Beat in the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla.
3. 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.

4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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!

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.