Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies! - These soft and chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are perfectly spiced and loaded with chocolate chips. It's the best Fall cookie yet! Easy to make with only a 30-minute chill time.

Why You'll Love Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

The fall season is here, and it’s official: everyone, myself included, is going pumpkin crazy! The change in seasons calls for those irresistible festive bakes, like my gluten-free pumpkin bread, gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, and these gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Here are some reasons why you will love these gluten free pumpkin chocolate chip cookies:

• These pumpkin cookies have the perfect texture. Pumpkin has a lot of moisture, which is why most pumpkin cookie recipes end up soft, crumbly, and far too cakey. I’ve mastered a technique that gives you exactly what you crave: delicious cookies that are wonderfully soft and chewy in the middle with those coveted crispy edges and melty chocolate chips.
• Well-balanced flavor. If you’re a pumpkin spice fanatic, prepare to fall in love with this easy, delicious recipe!

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make chewy gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. See the recipe card below for exact measurements.

• Gluten-Free Flour: Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten-Free Flour blend works great in this recipe. Make sure to weigh the flour on a food scale for better accuracy.
• Pumpkin: Be sure to use 100% canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling!
• Brown Butter: Browning the unsalted butter serves two key purposes: it infuses the dough with a deep, complex flavor and, by removing moisture, it directly contributes to that chewy texture we want.
• Egg Yolk: To ensure these cookies stay delightfully chewy and soft—not cakey—we take two specific steps: we remove excess water from the pumpkin and use one large egg yolk. The yolk is a key because it enriches the dough, giving the cookies their perfect, chewy texture.
• Baking Soda & Baking Powder: Both baking soda and baking powder help lift the cookies while keeping them soft and chewy.
• Spices: A combination of warm pumpkin spices gives these cookies a festive flavor. I like to add a bit more cinnamon to tone down the cloves in the pumpkin pie spice blend. 
• Chocolate Chips: I love using a combination of dark chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips. 

Prepping The Pumpkin Puree For Chewy Cookies

While pumpkin's high moisture content (about 90% water) is great for keeping baked goods like muffins or bread soft, that excess liquid makes cookies cakey. To ensure our cookies are soft and with chewy edges—not cakey—we must remove as much water from the puree as possible to concentrate the pumpkin flavor and control the final texture.

Follow these steps to remove excess water and prevent cakey pumpkin cookies.

1. Measure and Spread: Use a food scale to measure 86 grams (about ⅓ cup) of pumpkin puree directly onto several layers of dry paper towels.
2. Blot Firmly: Fold the dry edges of the paper towels over the puree and press down firmly to absorb the moisture.
3. Repeat Until Thick: Transfer the puree to a fresh, dry set of paper towels and repeat the blotting 1 to 2 more times.
4. Ready to Go: The puree is ready when it is noticeably thicker, drier, and weighs approximately 60 grams (about ¼ cup).

How To Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here's an overview of how to make this gluten free pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe. For complete instructions, you can jump to the recipe card.

• Step 1: Brown the butter. In a medium skillet, brown the butter over medium heat. Immediately pour the browned butter into a large bowl to stop the cooking process and cool for 20 minutes.
• Step 2: Whisk in the sugar. Add the sugar and dark brown sugar to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine. 

• Step 3: Blot the pumpkin. Measure out 86 grams of pumpkin purée. Spread the measured pumpkin puree in a thin, even layer across a paper towel. Blot to absorb the moisture, then transfer the puree to a new paper towel and repeat this process 1-2 more times until it weighs approximately 60 grams.
• Step 4: Cream the wet ingredients. Add the pumpkin puree, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the bowl. Cream until smooth.

• Step 5: Add the dry ingredients and chocolate. Mix in the dry ingredients until just combined, then add the chocolate and mix until evenly distributed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
• Step 6: Bake the cookies. Scoop the chilled dough into 57-gram balls, then roll until smooth. Place the cookie dough balls on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake for 11-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the centers are still slightly soft. Sprinkle the tops of the baked cookies with flaky sea salt and transfer to a cooling rack.
  

Storage

• Store Leftovers: Store cookies in a tightly sealed airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• Freeze: You can freeze these gluten-free pumpkin cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to two months.  Remove the bag from the freezer the night before serving.

Common Questions

More Pumpkin Recipes

• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread
• Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bundt Cake
• Pumpkin Fax Granola
• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie
• Gluten-Free Brown Butter Pumpkin Biscuits

I hope you love this gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe as much as I do! If you make it, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below. Your review will help other readers in the community.

Recipe