Gluten-Free Pumpkin Iced Cookies: tender and moist pumpkin bread cookies that are frosted with a to-die-for cream cheese icing!Cool the cookies completely before frosting. See my notes below the recipe for my favorite gluten-free flour recommendations.
3 ¼cupor 390g 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend (see notes below for recommendations)
½teaspoonsalt
1teaspoonbaking soda
1teaspoonground cinnamon
2teaspoonspumpkin pie spice blend
Cream Cheese Frosting
⅓cupunsalted buttersoftened to room temperature
¾cupor 6 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1teaspoonpure vanilla extract
3 ¾cupspowdered sugar
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray or grease with butter.
In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until smooth and a light tan color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixer and beat until whipped and light.
Add the pumpkin puree to the creamed butter mixture and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Note: the mixture may look curdled at this time and it’s okay. It’s just the pumpkin combined with the butter mixture.
In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, salt, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
Add the flour to the pumpkin and butter mixture and beat on low speed until just combined, stirring down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Scoop heaping tablespoons of pumpkin cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheets 2-3 inches apart.
Bake the cookies for 14-16 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through the baking time, or until the cookies are cooked through and golden brown on the bottom.
Cool the cookie sheets on wire cooling racks until the cookies reach room temperature.
Make the cream cheese frosting: beat together the softened butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the vanilla extract and the powdered sugar to the creamed butter mixture. Beat on low speed until combined.
Frost the fully cooled cookies with the cream cheese frosting. Enjoy immediately or let the cookies set for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator before enjoying!
Notes
Leftover cookies keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They also can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost the cookies at room temperature for 15-30 minutes before enjoying.
Non-gluten free cookies: these cookies can also be made with the same amount of all-purpose flour in place of the gluten-free flour.
To prevent the batter from looking curdled when the pumpkin is mixed in, you can also alternate mixing in half of the pumpkin and half of the flour mixture on low speed (until all of the pumpkin and flour are added), or until the cookie dough is combined and no streaks of flour or pumpkin remain.