10.14.2012

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies- Gluten-Free Recipe

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies- Gluten-Free Recipe
Gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with a secret ingredient.

Reprising this autumn-inspired cookie recipe from the 2010 archives, because so many of you are new to gluten-free baking - and may have missed it!

Fall usually stirs my culinary imagination to conjure seasonal soup recipes and Crock Pot comfort food. The key word here is usually. Historically. As in, what I've done before, come the Autumn Equinox. This time around the season's wheel, however, my restless spirit has been wandering far and wide and away from dreams of butternut chili and baked rice casseroles toward the tempting, sweeter things in life.

As in cookies.

Like the character Ana Pascal confesses in one of my favorite movies, Stranger Than Fiction, I decided that if I was going to help make the world a better place this week, I'd do it with cookies.

So today's post, Dear Reader, is brief and sweet. Just like the treat I baked this weekend when I began with the idea of a pumpkin cookie. I craved something different than my Pumpkin Pecan Cookies and my nutmeg icing drizzled Pumpkin Quinoa Cookies. I craved dark chocolate. And peanut butter. And so I threw them in the bowl with pumpkin and coconut flour and, well.

There was a happy ending to the story.




Gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip cookies... with peanut butter!
The texture is a hybrid of peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

A secret ingredient or two makes these cookies special. I added subtle spices- not too much. I didn't want to overpower the medley of flavors in this unusual cookie.

Ingredients:

1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup organic coconut flour
1/2 cup potato starch or tapioca starch
1/4 cup almond flour or hazelnut flour
1 1/2 cups organic light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2/3 cup organic pumpkin puree (canned is fine)
1/2 cup organic cashew butter, peanut or almond butter
2 tablespoons organic canola oil or grapeseed oil
2 free range organic eggs, beaten (or Ener-G Egg Replacer for 2 eggs, mixed)
1 tablespoon bourbon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or an Exopat.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flours, starches, sugar, xanthan gum, leavening, and spices.

Add in the pumpkin puree, cashew butter, oil, eggs, vanilla extract.

Beat until the ingredients come together and form cookie dough. The dough should stick together when you pinch it. If it is too dry, add a teaspoon of warm water.

Add in the dark chocolate chips. Stir by hand until the chips are distributed.

Divide the dough into 18 pieces.

Using the palms of your hands, roll the 18 pieces of dough into balls. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet and press down lightly with your palm to slightly flatten the dough. Shape into a circle if you need to. Press on a few extra dark chocolate chips, if you like.

Bake in the center of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Cookies will be firm and slightly golden brown on the bottom. Don't over bake, as they will crisp up as they cool.

Cool cookies on a wire cooling rack.

Delicious warm and gooey with a glass of ice cold rice milk.

Makes 18 medium sized cookies.

Wrap leftover cookies in foil when cooled. Bag and store in the freezer for maximum freshness and an easy on-the-go snack.

Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com

All images & content are copyright protected, all rights reserved. Please do not use our images or content without prior permission. Thank you. 

Karina's Notes:


This recipe has cashew/nut butter, coconut and nut flour, which some of you avoid. I can only suggest trying a safe-for-you brand of seed butter and your favorite flour blend as a substitute.
Note that changing the flours changes the texture and flavor of the recipe. So please taste test and adjust according to your preferences.
If you sub out the coconut flour, you may need less oil, as coconut flour grabs oil.
You can also add chopped walnuts, pecans, raisins or dried apricots for even more cookie fun.



 Gluten free cookies with pumpkin peanut butter and chocolate chips
Not your average gluten-free cookie.


More seasonal pumpkin yum from food bloggers:

Crock Pot Pumpkin Spiced Latte from Stephanie at A Year of Slow Cooking
Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies at Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars at Gluten-Free Is Life
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Roll at The Gluten-Free Homemaker
Gluten Free Easily has a crustless Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie

And... if you need even more pumpkin deliciousness, here's my Gluten-Free Goddess Pumpkin Recipes.


Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies- Gluten-Free Recipe

71 comments:

Rach said...

I bought an heirloom pumpkin this weekend! I'm going to roast if for it's puree sometime this. So many yummy pumpkiny fall recipes to make.

dbswissy said...

The cookies are in the oven as I type...the dough is delicious and addicting! For any others looking for a nut flour substitute I used 1/4 cup cocoa powder instead of the almond flour and it seems to have worked great. Thanks for the great recipe!

Linda said...

I actually gasped when I saw those cookies. They look wonderful! I can't wait to try them. Thanks for the link love. :)

the blissful baker said...

this looks fantastic! not spongy and cakey like most pumpkin cookie recipes i've seen around

Mama Gupta said...

Is hazelnut flour also an acceptable substitute in the pumpkin muffins for almond flour? My special flour store doesn't carry almond flour.

Thanks! Jennifer

Karina Allrich said...

Thanks so much for the cookie love. xox

As for subbing the almond flour in my recipes with hazelnut flour- yes- it works! Delicious. I switch back and forth. Both are tasty. xox

Karina

hannahshmanna said...

those look amazing!

Jas. said...

Yum - buying pumpkin next weekend at the markets to roast, puree and bake with - delicious!

Margaret said...

Can I replace the brown sugar with something unrefined, like honey or agave nectar? If so, how? (I can't eat cane sugar.)

Kendra said...

Margaret- you could probably sub in agave, but only sub in about 2/3 of the quantity in the recipe and then see if you need to add any extra flour. you can usually interchange liquid sweeteners with granulated sugar but you add less of the liquid.

good luck!

gfe--gluten free easily said...

Hi Karina--I have to agree with Linda. I gasped at the beauty of these cookies, too. Picture perfect, and the only thing better than a pumpkin recipe to me is a pumpkin recipe with chocolate added! LOL, but true. ;-)

Thanks so much for linking to my crustless pumpkin pie--a favorite classic for my family. I just picked up some sugar pumpkins so I'll be making some crustless pies soon. :-)

Oh, and I'm very certain you did indeed make the world a better place with these cookies! Hugs,
Shirley

The InTolerant Chef said...

My very bestest movie! If my husband brought home that 'bunch of flours' he could do whatever he wanted with me, I would be putty in his hands....

Jenn said...

Karina, these look amazing!!! I think these cookies are going to motivate me to make some pumpkin purée....

Carolyn said...

These look so good, and I know I could modify them a bit to make them lower carb for me. Great recipe. I agree, the best way to make the world a better place is cookies!

Meghann LittleStudio said...

Oh Lawdy, these look amazing! I made some of my own pumkin cupcakes with chocolate fudge icing this weekend, and I was just wondering what I could do with the leftover pumpkin puree...now I know! Thanks so much for what looks to be a great new favorite for me!

Anonymous said...

Oh my, those cookies look amazing. I only just recenly started enjoying chocolate again after 5 years. Most things gluten free contain chocolate. Now, this is one I am sure to try. Cannot wait. Thank you so much.

Anonymous said...

I raise my hands to heaven and thank the Lord Jesus Christ for you Karina!!! Surely every other gluten free goddess in the world does too or at least the chefs that cook their meals. I haven't sunk my teeth into anything as delectable as your pumpkin muffins since the curse was pronounced and it became necessary to take that fresh hot loaf of homemade bread out of the oven and watch someone else devour the first steaming fat slice as the butter slowly drips its way into the warm crevices. Well , that's my lame attempt at description......you do that exceedingly well too I might add!! I so enjoy your script and your devotion to GOOD gluten free recipes. THANK YOU and I really do thank God for you!! I remain the Santa Fe Gluten free Princess....

Jackie said...

As always, your photos are just beautiful and I am inspired to bake. I am enjoying your latest uses of coconut flour, as I am trying to incorporate it more into my diet as well. The moisture from the pumpkin undoubtedly helps with the success of using the ingredient.

Thank you so much for sharing so openly as you always do, and thank you further for the inspiration!

Stephanie O'Dea said...

Your cookies look and sound marvelous. I need to break out the mixer today and start baking.

It was lovely chatting with you yesterday!

oxxo

Carmen said...

My kids really love having a tall glass of So Delicious coconut milk with their cookies! These cookies look wonderful and I'm going to make them for their halloween party. Thank you!

Tess said...

I hope this wasn't asked already, but do you suppose I could replace all flours with Bob's Red Mill all purpose blend? I'm embarrassingly new to GF baking, but I must must must try this recipe!

Lita said...

We return from our road trip tomorrow and the first thing I want to do is make these cookies and get busy with my Halloween decorating...they look unbelievable!!

Tasty Eats At Home said...

Oh, if only I didn't already have more things to do than hours in the day this week. These look heavenly. Putting on the to-do list ASAP.

Karina Allrich said...

Thank you all for your cookie love. xox

As for subbing the flours- I can't vouch for using a pre-mix (you'd be missing out on the tender, subtle sweetness of sorghum flour, coconut flour and almond flour). And if it has bean or rice flour in it, you may have to adjust flavorings in order to get the cookie as delicious as it is here. Rice flour may make it more crumbly.

Karina xox

Dia said...

Yum!!
My CSA share included a couple of delicata squash this week - & their suggestion is to bake the squash whole, then cut (much softer than hacking through that raw pumpkin/squash 'shell!') & scooping out the seeds!
On the weekend I had a delightful GF tort that was made with almond flour & had a bit of gingerbread taste - let me just say delicious!!

Grace said...

Guys, I think we really need to focus here on deciphering the Secret Ingredient, assuming that it's something besides love (which goes great in everything) and is also legal.

Is it...a vodka martini? A back rub from the hubby? I'm stumped.

The Recipe Choreographer said...

Those look delightful! So full of body. Can't wait to try them.

Andrea said...

This recipe looks wonderful Karina! I am gathering so many pumpkin recipes to try this season it's hard to decide which to make first!

Luke and Marissa said...

Thank you so much for leaving your comment on my blog. I did start eating gluten again, at least until my doc appointment Monday. Whatever my outcome, I'm super excited to follow your blog! These recipes look fantastic!

Elana said...

These look really, really good. I've been working on everything pumpkin this week (including cookies) and had several failures. Thanks for showing what pumpkin success looks like!

Alison Moore Smith said...

Just found your blog. I have a couple of friends who will LOVE all your gluten-free recipes!

Betsy said...

I cannot wait to make these! I've been craving pumpkin everything - breads, cookies, pancakes, pies. YUM!

Tehsina said...

OMG These look delicious! Can't wait to try them =)

Meagan said...

Can I come over and we will make these?

Mel said...

Ack! Do you mean 2/3 of a cup of pumpkin puree or 2/3 of a 15 oz can?

Karina Allrich said...

It is 2/3 cup pumpkin puree. Thank you for pointing that out! xox

Again, thanks everyone for all the pumpkin cookie love. xox

Karina

Jennifer said...

These sound and look amazing! I love the use of peanut butter in them too!

Grace said...

What is the secret ingredient??

Karina Allrich said...

Thanks for noticing, Jennifer!

Grace, The secret ingredient in my pumpkin cookies is peanut butter. It adds fabulous flavor, texture and body. Not to mention, vegan protein.

Of course, the numero uno secret ingredient I advocate in cookie baking is love.

Always the best.

xox Karina

Zoe said...

Hi, Karina! I really want to make these now that I've seen them - the cookies just look perfect. Quick question - what would you suggest substituting the sorghum with? Would quinoa flour work, or no? I'm still fairly new to baking with gluten-free grains (but not new to gluten-free baking by any means). Thanks!

Karina Allrich said...

Hi Zoe- I think some quinoa flour would work (though it will overpower the coconut/almond tastes) but I wouldn't do a full cup- it might make the cookies crumbly. Maybe half a cup, and half a cup of brown rice flour? Karina

Greg L said...

Hi Karina! I've been reading using your recipes for a while now but never posted (also a friend on Facebook!)
I have had tons of success with your recipes! Thank you so much!
However, following this recipe to the T, I got a stretchy gummy batter that turned into dense cakey cookies :(
Is there any rookie mistake you think I could have made? I did all the vigorous mixing by hand this time. When I make your buckwheat choc. chip cookies in a stand mixer they turn out fine.
Thanks for your help!

Karina Allrich said...

Greg, Did you forget the peanut butter? It sounds like it was missing, from your description. Or... if the batter was thin, too much liquid, maybe? GF batters are different, and can seem stretchy from the xanthan gum. Usually sticky, to a degree. GF Cookies are more dense than wheat cookies. Maybe over-baked? Hard to know, really... Karina

nessabean said...

I really want to make these. From my experience coconut flour is really unique. I don't have access to it. What could I substitute for it?

Karina Allrich said...

How about a blend of almond and sorghum flour instead? Karina PS: If you have a food processor or grinder maybe you could mill coconut flakes into flour?

Carrie said...

everything you make just looks absolutely amazing Karina!! I wish I had your gift for photography! Beautiful!!

kpage16 said...

I made these cookies for my birthday to share with non-gf friends. The cookies were such a hit! Everyone loved them, and folks were sad when they all disappeared! Not a soul could tell that they were wheatless. Amazing cookies! Thank you!

Rachel said...

Hey Karina -- This may sound silly since we're communicating through a GF blog, but how would I make these cookies with regular flour as delicious vegan treats instead of GF vegan? I want to try the recipe (i love the addition of peanut butter!), but the only GF flour mix I have contains bean flours which I know will make the cookies slightly bitter. I am not keen on GF/wheat flour ratios. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Sophie said...

Waw, Karina!! Your cookies look delightful!! Fabulous cookies, perfect for Fall!

Kisses from Brussels to you!

Meghan said...

Well there goes all my self control. These cookies are so heavenly! I subbed beet sugar for brown sugar, garbanzo bean flour for almond and carob chips for chocolate chips (to avoid cane sugar). They were simply wonderful!

Daisy said...

I just made these cookies - they are really yummy but really strong on the peanut butter flavor. Is it possible to sub out some of the peanut butter for more pumpkin?

Karina Allrich said...

Thanks so much, everyone! I appreciate your lovely comments. xox

Daisy- As for subbing the peanut butter- I've given this some thought. To keep the texture of these, how about subbing a mild nut butter such as almond or cashew butter? Those nut butters have a less assertive flavor impact. If you'd like to make it all pumpkin- you'll need to experiment with ingredient ratios, because the nut butters act like flour.

Karina

Anonymous said...

Do you think substituting raw sunflower seeds (after grinding in coffee grinder) for coconut flour would work? We can't do coconut, unfortunately.

Claudia Kasprzyk-Galus said...

We can't use tree nut flours. Can I use more coconut flour?

Anonymous said...

I just made these but didn't have the sorghum flour. In your sub section you mentioned "Medium flours are akin to all purpose flour- these include sorghum and superfine brown rice flour." Since I had all purpose I used that in sub of sorghum but used all other ingredients. The texture was a little gummy. Should I not use the xanthan gum when I use all purpose?
Thanks in advance.

GFGidget said...

PB and pumpkin are a match made in heaven! Instead of Almond or Hazelnut Flour, I have recently begun using Italian Chestnut Flour. HOLY GOODNESS! It is amazing! Try it!

Unknown said...

Absolutely on my holiday plate!!!! Thank you, Karina.

gidge said...

These look so yummy! However, could I substitute sweet potato for the pumpkin? I am allergic to it.

Ali said...

Thanks Karina for the mention! Your pumpkin chocolate chip cookies look yummy! :)

Amanda Douglas said...

Hey Karina,
I tried to make these today but like Greg and someone else's batters, mine turned out really thick, sticky and gummier than a usual batter. Instead of using sorghum flour I used Bob's Red Mill all-purpose mix which already has some potato starch in it I noticed-could that have been the problem?

Anonymous said...

hello, i made these cookies and subbed out sorghum for coconut(couldnt find coconut) and buckwheat for almond(im nut free) and they turned out badly. they were really big and not sweet and they didnt spread out as they cooked... anyone who wants to make this recipe, dont use the subs i used... alternatively, it may not have been the subs i used at all, i think it was the amount of oil, maybe it needs more oil or possibly ghee or shortening in order to spread???

in the mean time, im asking my grandmother for her (non gf) cookies recipe and hopefully will be able to figure out how to gf/df-ify it, when i do i will try and comment it onto one of your cookies recipes for anyone. (also im nut free and dairy free)
-K

gfe--gluten free easily said...

Thank you my dear friend for linking to my Crustless Pumpkin Pie!! You are always so wonderfully generous! As far as your cookies ... pumpkin and peanut butter? What a surprise, but they look fantastic! Actually I am sure they are. I think I'll make them for our road trip this weekend. :-)

xoxo,
Shirley

j.cro said...

Stranger Than Fiction is one of my favorite movies too. I haven't baked in a long while and I can't wait to try these. Thanks Karina!!!

LilyBird said...

I cried tears of joy when I saw this post. Years ago we bought pumpkin chocolate chip cookies at the local grocery store. They stopped selling them and I've missed them. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this recipe!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this rercipe. I love the flour combination, espy because we are trying to avoid rice flour. My kids helped make the cookies and had a blast shaping them. Even my two year old made nice looking cookies! We made them smaller and ended up with over forty cookies! And i used only 1/2 cup sucanat sugar and a touch of maple syrup. Four our palate they were still very sweet. My kids got a nice treat and I still have plenty of cookies left for the week's lunches (if they last that long!)
Thanks again, I love the site.

Anonymous said...

I don't recommend the flour mix I used for this (Namaste). The rice flour and starches made this too dry. It must have been too low in sorghum. Weird, though, because I usually have no problems subbing flours in the muffins - I guess I have to be more careful with the cookies. From Beth Ward

Karina Allrich said...

I agree, regarding the Namaste flour mix (I have not had good luck with it). The sorghum/coconut flour/nut flour blend is much better.

Anonymous said...

Can I sub canned organic pumpkin in lieu of pumpkin purée? Newbie...first GF thanksgiving!

Karina Allrich said...

Yes- canned pumpkin is best, actually. Cheers on your first gluten-free Thanksgiving! Karina

Marlene Longtin said...

The cookies are amazing! I've tried using sunflower seed butter instead of the nut butter and they turned out fine. The are just a little dryer then usual but still very good. This can help someone with nut allergies.

Marlene Longtin said...

This recipe is great! I tried using sunflower seed butter instead of nut butter and they turned out great. A little dryer then usual but still great tasting. This is great for people with nut allergies.

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