These frosted gluten-free pumpkin cookies taste just like the soft Lofthouse cookies you grew up on. They're thick, cakey, and full of cozy pumpkin spice, topped with a tangy yogurt cream cheese frosting made without powdered sugar. No one will ever guess they're gluten-free!
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies At A Glance
- ✅ Recipe Name: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
- 🕒 Ready In: ~1 hour (includes 20 minutes chilling and cooling before frosting)
- 👪 Serves: 20 cookies
- 🍽 Calories: ~207 per frosted cookie
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: 1:1 gluten-free flour, cornstarch, pumpkin purée, Greek yogurt, butter, cream cheese, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice
- 📖 Dietary Info: Gluten-free, no powdered sugar, easily made dairy-free
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: They're soft, cakey, and Lofthouse-style, with a tangy maple cream cheese frosting that isn't overly sweet. They're easy to make ahead for Thanksgiving tables, bake sales, and holiday cookie plates.
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My Lofthouse-Style Pumpkin Cookies
I've always had a soft spot for those pillowy Lofthouse cookies from the grocery store bakery. The problem is they aren't gluten-free, and the frosting is basically powdered sugar and artificial flavors. After my healthier Lofthouse cookies went viral, a pumpkin version felt like the obvious next batch.
Getting that cakey texture with gluten-free flour took some testing. Cornstarch turned out to be the key, and pulling them from the oven while they still look slightly underdone keeps them soft. For the topping, I used my healthy cream cheese frosting made with Greek yogurt and maple syrup instead of powdered sugar. It's tangy, lightly sweet, and sets up nicely on top.
Now they're on my Thanksgiving dessert table every year, right next to my mini protein pumpkin cheesecakes and apple pie oatmeal cookies.
Jump to:
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies At A Glance
- My Lofthouse-Style Pumpkin Cookies
- Why You'll Love These Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting (Step-by-Step)
- Recipe Video
- My Tips for Soft Pumpkin Cookies
- How to Store and Freeze Frosted Pumpkin Cookies
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies FAQs
- More Gluten-Free Fall Cookies to Try
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
They're so soft and fluffy, just like those classic Lofthouse cookies we used to love! The cream cheese yogurt frosting is the perfect touch… sweet, creamy, and not too heavy. I love that they're gluten-free.
- Saskia
Why You'll Love These Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies
- Soft and cakey: Thick, pillowy, Lofthouse-style cookies that stay tender for days.
- No powdered sugar frosting: The cream cheese frosting uses Greek yogurt and maple syrup, so it's tangy and lightly sweet.
- Simple gluten-free baking: A store-bought 1:1 flour blend plus a little cornstarch. No specialty flours needed.
- Make-ahead friendly: Chill the dough up to 24 hours or freeze dough balls for up to 3 months, then bake straight from frozen.
- Easy to make dairy-free: Swap in vegan butter, non-dairy yogurt, and dairy-free cream cheese.
Ingredients You'll Need
All you need is a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and a few pantry staples. Let your cold ingredients come to room temperature first for the smoothest dough and frosting.
For the Cookies
- Gluten-free flour blend: Use a 1:1 all-purpose blend that includes xanthan gum, like King Arthur or Bob's Red Mill. Spoon and level it, since packed flour makes the cookies dense. It's the same flour I use for my gluten-free baked apple cider donuts.
- Cornstarch: This is what gives them that soft, Lofthouse-style bite. Arrowroot or tapioca starch works in a pinch.
- Pumpkin purée: Use 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which already has sugar and spices. Use the rest of the can in my healthy pumpkin bread.
- Pumpkin pie spice: I use the full amount because I love a strong pumpkin flavor, but start lower if you prefer it subtle.
- Butter: Softened unsalted butter creams with the sugar for a fluffy dough. Vegan butter works for dairy-free.
- Egg: It holds these gluten-free cookies together so they don't crumble.
- Greek yogurt: My favorite trick for keeping them moist and tender, with a little extra protein. Plain 2% or 5% both work.
- Granulated sugar: It sweetens the dough and helps the cookies puff up soft and cakey.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Using both gives the cookies lift without spreading them flat.
- Vanilla and salt: They balance the sweetness and bring out the pumpkin spice.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese: Use block-style full-fat cream cheese or Neufchâtel, not the whipped tub kind, or the frosting will be runny.
- Greek yogurt: It makes the frosting tangy and lighter than a classic cream cheese frosting. Plain or vanilla both work.
- Maple syrup: It replaces powdered sugar, so the frosting is lightly sweet with a warm fall flavor. Use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup.
- Vanilla extract: A splash rounds out the tang.
Scroll to recipe card for quantities!
Substitutions and Variations
- Make them dairy-free: Use vegan butter, a thick non-dairy yogurt (in both the cookies and frosting), and dairy-free cream cheese.
- No pumpkin pie spice: Mix 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves.
- No cornstarch: Swap in the same amount of arrowroot or tapioca starch.
- Out of pumpkin: Use butternut squash purée instead.
- Frosting twists: Add ½ teaspoon cinnamon or ¼ teaspoon maple extract, or skip the frosting for a lighter cookie.
- Other flours: Stick with a 1:1 gluten-free blend or all-purpose flour (if you are not gluten-free), since almond or oat flour won't work the same. For an oat flour cookie, try my oat flour chocolate chip cookies.
How to Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting (Step-by-Step)
The dough comes together in one mixer bowl, and the cookies bake in under 10 minutes. The key is pulling them early so they stay soft.
- Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar. Beat them with a stand or hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. While it mixes, whisk the flour, cornstarch, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
- Step 2: Add the wet and dry ingredients. Mix in the egg, Greek yogurt, pumpkin purée, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients in three parts on low speed, stopping as soon as the flour disappears.
- Step 3: Shape the cookies. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Gently pat each one to about ½ inch thick.
- Step 4: Bake until just set. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8 to 9 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden on the bottom. They'll look a little underdone, and that's what you want.
- Step 5: Make the frosting. While the cookies cool completely, beat the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth and fluffy.
- Step 6: Frost and serve. Spread the frosting over the cooled cookies and dust with pumpkin spice, if you like.
Recipe Video
My Tips for Soft Pumpkin Cookies
- Chill the dough for 20 minutes: Pumpkin makes the dough soft, and a quick chill keeps the cookies thick instead of spreading.
- Pull them at 8 minutes for the softest texture: They'll look underdone, but they finish setting on the pan. Go to 9 or 10 minutes if you like them a bit firmer.
- Wait to frost until they're fully cool: Even slightly warm cookies will melt the yogurt frosting right off.
- Use a cookie cutter for perfect circles: Right out of the oven, set a round cutter over each cookie and gently swirl it to "scoot" the edges into shape.
- Chill before stacking: Refrigerate frosted cookies in a single layer until the frosting firms up, then stack them with parchment in between.
How to Store and Freeze Frosted Pumpkin Cookies
- Frosted cookies: Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Because of the cream cheese frosting, they shouldn't sit out for more than about 2 hours, so set them out right before serving.
- Unfrosted cookies: Store at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.
- Freeze the cookies: Freeze unfrosted cookies in a single layer, then move them to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and frost the day you serve them.
- Make the dough ahead: Chill the dough for up to 24 hours, or freeze scooped dough balls for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies FAQs
Most pumpkin cookies are not gluten-free because they're made with wheat flour. These pumpkin cookies use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, so they are. If you're baking for someone with celiac disease, check that your flour, spices, and cornstarch are labeled gluten-free.
Cornstarch, pumpkin purée, and Greek yogurt keep these gluten-free pumpkin cookies soft. Cornstarch lightens the flour blend, while pumpkin and yogurt add moisture. Pulling them from the oven at 8 minutes, while they still look slightly underdone, keeps them thick and cakey.
Yes, pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting need to be refrigerated. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, and don't leave them at room temperature for more than about 2 hours.
You can, but pumpkin cookies freeze best unfrosted. Freeze them in a single layer, then store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and add the cream cheese frosting the day you serve them.
Pumpkin cookies usually turn out flat when the dough is too warm or the baking powder and baking soda are old. Chill the dough for 20 minutes before baking and check the dates on your leaveners.
Cream cheese frosting gets runny when it's made with tub-style or whipped cream cheese, which has more water than blocks. Use block cream cheese, and if the frosting is still soft, chill it for 15 to 20 minutes before spreading.
More Gluten-Free Fall Cookies to Try
If you loved these gluten-free pumpkin cookies, here are a few more recipes to try next:
Did you make this recipe?
If you make this recipe, be sure to comment and rate it down below. Also, don't forget to tag me @healthfulblondie on Instagram and use the hashtag #healthfulblondie so I can see your delicious creation and share it with my followers!
📖 Recipe
Frosted Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies
Video
Ingredients
The Cookies:
- 3 cups gluten-free 1:1 baking flour, spooned and leveled, minus 2 tablespoons (see step 1)
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch*
- 2 - 3 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice , (I use 3 for a strong pumpkin flavor)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ cup pumpkin puree, room temperature
- ¼ cup greek yogurt (2 or 5%), room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (12 tbsp), room temperature
Cream Cheese Yougrt Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese or Neufchatel, room temperature
- ¼ cup greek yogurt (plain or vanilla), room temperature
- ¼ cup real maple syrup, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients: Measure the gluten-free flour into a large bowl, then remove 2 tablespoons. Add the cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until there are no lumps.
- Cream the butter and sugar: In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the wet ingredients: Beat in the egg, Greek yogurt, pumpkin purée, and vanilla until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients: Add the dry mixture in three parts on low speed, stopping as soon as the flour disappears. Scrape down the bowl.
- Chill the dough: Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Shape the cookies: Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie, roll into balls, and gently flatten to about ½ inch thick. Space them 2 inches apart.
- Bake: Bake one sheet at a time for 8 to 9 minutes, until puffed and just barely golden on the bottom. They will look underdone. Pull them at 8 minutes for the softest cookies or 9 minutes for slightly firmer ones. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. If it's too soft to spread, chill it for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Frost: Spread the frosting over the completely cooled cookies and dust with pumpkin pie spice, if you like.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe tested and developed by Tati Chermayeff, creator of Healthful Blondie. A former Division I rower, Ironman triathlete, and recipe developer based in Austin, TX, Tati creates high-protein and healthy recipes that actually taste like the real thing.
Saskia says
They're so soft and fluffy, just like those classic Lofthouse cookies we used to love!! The cream cheese yogurt frosting is the perfect touch.... sweet, creamy, and not too heavy. I love that they're gluten-free and made with wholesome ingredients, so I can enjoy them guilt-free. Can't wait to bake another batch!
Tati Chermayeff says
So happy you loved them! 😄 Soft, fluffy, and guilt-free is the dream—glad the frosting hit the perfect note too!
Andy says
LOVE! These cookies were so amazing: soft and like a cake. It reminds me of the lofthouse cookies. Love it.
Tati Chermayeff says
Thank you, Andy! That soft, cakey Lofthouse texture was exactly what I was going for, so this makes me so happy to hear.
Shelly says
WOW! These cookies were unbelievably delicious. I made them on Saturday for my kids birthday party and they were devoured in minutes.
Tati Chermayeff says
Shelly, I love this! There's no better compliment than cookies disappearing at a kids' party. Thank you for making them and taking the time to leave a review!