Warmly spiced Gluten-Free Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies: a tender and sweet one-bowl gluten-free cookie recipe with all the flavors of fall!
This recipe was originally published on October 3, 2020. It was updated on September 2, 2021.
Article summary:
In this blog post we will be making gluten-free pumpkin oatmeal cookies. These cookies are tender, nutty, warmly spiced, and comforting. They're an easy baking recipe that kids will like to help bake, too! Read on to learn how to make this recipe, check out recipe pro-tips, and more.
Table of contents
- These gluten-free pumpkin cookies are...
- Recipe ingredients
- How to make pumpkin oatmeal cookies:
- How do you drizzle a glaze over cookies?
- Recipe pro-tips:
- A note on how to measure flour:
- Recipe FAQs:
- Optional mix-ins:
- Storage directions:
- Tools needed to make this recipe:
- More pumpkin recipes:
- Sign up to get all my recipes as they drop!
The time is officially here, my friends.
The time to....
- Stock up on all things pumpkin at Trader Joe's (don't even get me started on their Pumpkin Swirl Brioche bread!)
- Order pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks
- Carve pumpkins
- Make anything pumpkin that we can possibly get our hands-on
- And (obviously) proudly profess a love for pumpkin on the internet
Did I mention that so far this week I have made these gluten-free pumpkin cookies (more on that in a second) twice, whipped up some pumpkin butter, and made a batch of my pumpkin muffins?!
Oh yeah, and I've also started my mornings with pumpkin bagels (Trader Joe's, of course!), dreamt of pumpkin ice cream, and made a pumpkin cake!!
I think I need help. 😬
And the pumpkin-eating monster inside of me still. Isn't. Satisfied.
But, I guess that monster should be relieved to know she still has plenty of time to dive into pumpkin treats.
One of those treats I'm going to continue to dig into between now and the end of whenever pumpkin season ends (I insist on that being Thanksgiving, by the way. #positivethinking) is going to be these gluten-free oatmeal pumpkin cookies.
With a thick, chewy, and warmly spiced pumpkin interior and a cinnamon maple frosting that I wish I could jump headfirst into, these cookies do a good job of satiating my inner pumpkin monster.
Until the next pumpkin craving hits, that is.
But when pumpkin season hits only once a year, how are we to blame these insatiable orange monsters?!
Instead, let's give them the respect they deserve by feeding them as many pumpkin treats as possible. Might as well start with these oatmeal pumpkin cookies. 🎃
These gluten-free pumpkin cookies are...
- Warmly-spiced
- Nutty
- Sweet
- Pumpkin-y
And yes, they're even good enough for me to make up new adjectives for them!
Recipe ingredients
- Canned pumpkin - pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix
- Coconut oil - raw, or virgin coconut oil is the best because it adds a sweet and nutty flavor to the cookies
- Large eggs
- Pure maple syrup
- Pure vanilla liquid extract
- Oat flour - using gluten-free oat flour keeps the recipe gluten-free without having to purchase an expensive gluten-free flour blend. This recipe is best if you make your own oat flour -- see my instructions on how below (hint: it's super easy and requires only oats!)
- Old fashioned oats - we want the old-school style rolled oats or old fashioned oats. Quick cook oats and steel-cut are the wrong textures for this recipe
- Pumpkin spice blend - use a store bought blend (I love the blend at Trader Joe's!) or make your own with this recipe!
- Cinnamon
- Baking powder & Salt
How to make pumpkin oatmeal cookies:
- Whisk together the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl and whisk until mixed well.
- Fold the oats into the batter.
- Fold in chocolate chips (if using).
- Scoop cookie batter onto parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies.
- Let the cookies cool. While cooling, whisk up the cinnamon maple glaze with a fork.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cookies.
- Let the drizzle dry and serve!
How do you drizzle a glaze over cookies?
Here's how you drizzle glaze over cookies:
- Place your cookies, spaced out an inch apart, on a piece of parchment paper
- Dip a fork in the glaze
- Lift up the fork and let the heavy glob of glaze fall off the fork into the bowl
- With the remaining drizzle on the fork, move the fork around in the air above the cookies as it drizzles the glaze on the cookies
- Complete with the rest of the cookies
- Let the cookies rest at room temperature or in the refrigerator, uncovered, or until the glaze has hardened
- Enjoy the cookies!
Pro-tip: whisk up the glaze immediately before drizzling it on the cookies. Otherwise, the glaze will start to form a skin or harden, making it hard to drizzle.
Recipe pro-tips:
- Line the baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. This helps the cookies cook evenly and not burn or stick to the baking sheets.
- Cool the cookies before drizzling with icing. If the cookies are iced when they are warm the icing will melt off of them or absorb into the cookie. Prevent this by icing them only when the cookies are completely cooled.
A note on how to measure flour:
The best way to measure flour is by measuring it. It is, without a doubt, the most accurate way to do so. I offer grams measurements in my recipe so you will want to weigh out grams.
The least accurate way to measure flour is by scooping the cup directly into the flour.
If you don't have a scale, here's a link to my favorite one (it's less than $10 on Amazon!). Otherwise, I recommend spooning the flour into a measuring cup and leveling it for the second-best results.
Recipe FAQs:
To make your own flour, just pour about 2 ½ cups old fashioned oats (gluten-free if you want your cookies to be GF!) into a blender or food processor and blend until the oats form a fine flour.
The best way to get evenly-sized cookies is to use a cookie scooper. They're easy to use and, if you level the bottoms off while cooking are very uniformly sized.
Yes, you certainly can make these cookies without the glaze. They will be slightly less sweetener than they would be with the glaze, but still just as delicious.
Yes, these cookies are perfect for high altitude baking. The only adjustment you need to make is the baking temperature from 350 to 365 degrees Fahrenheit (as I share on the recipe card), but everything else works perfectly as-is!
Optional mix-ins:
Make these cookies your own by stirring 1 cup of any of the following ingredients into the cookie dough:
- Chocolate chips
- Dried cranberries
- Pepitas, or pumpkin seeds
- Flaked dried coconut
Storage directions:
Leftover cookies last covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They also can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Tools needed to make this recipe:
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Flour scale
- Cookie scooper
- 2 Large baking tray/cookie sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
More pumpkin recipes:
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread
- Banana Pumpkin Muffins
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins
- Gluten-Free Iced Pumpkin Cookies
- Dairy-free Pumpkin Pie (without Evaporated Milk)
- Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars
If you make and like this recipe, please review and rate it 5 Stars at the top of the recipe card. This helps other people to find the recipes and helps this reader-supported publication, too!
Thank you so much for your feedback and support of Mae's Menu!
Gluten- Free Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (or 240g) oat flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice blend
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 ½ cups old fashioned oats
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
Cinnamon Maple Glaze
- ¾ cup confectionary sugar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened milk (almond, dairy, or other nut milk)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (365 degrees if baking at high altitude) and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the pumpkin puree, coconut oil, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until combined.
3. Add in the oat flour, salt, pumpkin pie spice blend, ground cinnamon, and baking soda into the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients. Whisk until there are no streaks of flour left in the batter.
4. Fold in the old fashioned oats with a spatula or wooden spoon until the oats are evenly mixed into the batter. Fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
5. Scoop the cookies onto a baking sheet in 1.5-2 tablespoon balls about 1.5-2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the bottom of the cookies are golden and the cookies have firmed up.
6. Remove the cookies from the oven and place the pans on wire cooling racks. Cool for 5 minutes. Then move the cookies directly onto the wire rack and cool until at room temperature.
7. If glazing the cookies, make the cinnamon maple glaze: whisk together the confectioner's sugar, maple syrup, almond milk, and ground cinnamon until a smooth and runny glaze forms.
8. Drizzle the glaze over the cookies and let them cool for 45 minutes- 2 hours, or until the glaze has hardened. Enjoy with a glass of tea or almond milk!
Notes
1. For the best flavor, use raw or virgin coconut oil for this recipe.
2. To keep this recipe processed sugar-free, leave the cookies unglazed. The glaze does offer just a small amount of processed sugar, however, as less than 1 teaspoon of the glaze coats each cookie.
3. Leftover cookies last covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They also can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
4. Chocolate chips are optional for these cookies. 1 cup of dried cranberries, pepitas, or coconut flakes could also be stirred into the cookie batter.
Nutrition Information
Yield
36Serving Size
1 cookieAmount Per Serving Calories 130Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 10mgSodium 31mgCarbohydrates 23gFiber 1gSugar 11gProtein 2g
Nutrition Disclaimer: This nutrition breakdown is just an estimate of the nutritional value of this recipe and cannot be taken as facts. The owners of Mae's Menu are not nutritionists or dietitians and therefore cannot be held accountable for this nutrition estimate. Please contact your nutritionist or medical professional for a nutritional breakdown of this food. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.
Liz says
Theese look absolutely scrumptious! Bookmarking these for later!
Beth says
These look so delicious and yummy! I can't wait to make this recipe! My family is going to love this!
Mae's Menu says
thanks, Beth!! Hope you love it!!
Sonal says
Healthy and delicious. You said it’s cheaper too... I think it’s perfect for the fall season.
Mae's Menu says
thanks, Sonal! I love the 1 to 1 gluten-free flours, but they can add up! I always think it's nice to have options. 🙂
Tawnie says
I've been looking for a gluten free pumpkin cookie recipe & so happy I found these - incredible! thank you!
Mae's Menu says
Of course!! Hope you love the recipe, Tawnie!
Denay says
My daughter made these delicious pumpkin cookies for an outdoor, socially-distanced gathering. She saved me a few, and boy were they yummy. I need to make a whole batch just for myself! hahahaa
Mae's Menu says
Awe!! I am so happy to hear they were a hit!! I always say that you can never have enough cookies. 😀
Thanks so much for commenting. Have a great night!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I love all the flavours and how perfect for this time of year.
Mae's Menu says
Thanks, Jaqueline!! Nothing like some good pumpkin this time of year! I can't seem to get enough of it. 😉
Thanks again and have a great night!
Hannah says
Hi! These look so good - can I sub gluten free flour for the oat flour?
Mae's Menu says
Hi, Hannah! I don't know for sure since I have yet to try it out myself (so I can't make any promises), but it might work. You can also easily make oat flour if you have oats -- just pop them in a blender and blend until fine.
Please let me know how it goes for you!
Best,
Chelsea