Gluten-Free Pumpkin Snickerdoodles with Almond Flour
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/3 cup pumpkin puree (strained, see notes)
- 2/3 cup cane sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/3 cup gluten-free flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Sugar Coating:
- 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Measure 1/2 cup pumpkin puree and place it in the center of 3 layers of paper towels, a clean dish towel, or a fine-mesh strainer. Gently press and squeeze to remove excess moisture - you'll end up with about 1/3 cup of thick pumpkin paste. This step is crucial for chewy cookies instead of cakey ones.
- In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup room temperature butter, 1/3 cup strained pumpkin puree, and 2/3 cup cane sugar until light and fluffy. Add 2 egg yolks and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, mixing until well combined.
- To the same bowl, add 1-1/2 cups almond flour, 1/3 cup gluten-free flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and mix just until combined. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
- In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup turbinado sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. If you're not rolling the cookies in sugar, place the dough bowl in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up the butter for easier scooping.
- Using a medium cookie scoop or spoon, scoop portions of dough and drop them into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Toss to coat all sides and place on your prepared baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-12 minutes, or until lightly golden on top. The centers should still look slightly soft.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes so the butter can solidify slightly and they hold their shape. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
Strain that pumpkin puree: This single step makes the difference between cakey cookies and perfectly chewy ones. Don't skip it - it only takes 3 minutes but transforms the entire texture.
Room temperature butter is key: Cold butter won't cream properly, and melted butter will make the cookies spread too much. I leave mine out for about an hour before baking.
Don't overmix the dough: Once you add the dry ingredients, mix just until combined. Overmixing develops the gluten-free flours too much and creates tough cookies.
Chill if needed: If your kitchen is warm or the dough feels too soft to handle, pop it in the freezer for 20 minutes. This makes scooping much easier.
Cool completely before storing: These need to cool so the butter firms up slightly. Warm cookies will be too soft and might fall apart.
Did you make this recipe?Please let me know in the comments below how it turned out :)