These gluten-free almond flour pumpkin cookies are soft, tender, and full of warm pumpkin spice. Made with almond flour, a touch of coconut flour for structure, real pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and a bit of maple syrup, they bake up cakey and comforting. A brown-butter cream cheese frosting finishes them with a toasty, rich flavor. The dough comes together quickly and bakes in about 12–15 minutes, making these an easy fall treat to enjoy with coffee or to share with friends.
How almond flour and coconut flour work together in this dough
Almond flour gives these cookies a naturally tender, slightly moist crumb, but on its own it can leave dough loose and greasy because of its high fat content and low structural properties. A small amount of coconut flour—just 1/4 cup—absorbs extra moisture and firms the dough so the cookies bake up cakey instead of spreading into thin, oily disks. Coconut flour is very absorbent, so a little goes a long way.
Letting the dough rest 5–10 minutes before scooping is important: the coconut flour needs that time to pull in moisture from the pumpkin and butter. Without the rest the dough feels wetter and harder to shape. Also, this dough doesn’t spread like traditional wheat-based cookie dough, so flatten each cookie by hand to about 1/2″ thick before baking; otherwise a rounded scoop will bake into a dense, dome-shaped cookie with an undercooked center.
Brown the butter for the frosting
You can make a standard cream cheese frosting with melted or softened butter, but browning the butter first adds a nutty, toasted depth that complements the pumpkin spice. After browning the butter, let it cool until it’s back to room temperature and mostly solid; warm browned butter will make the frosting greasy and thin, while re-solidified butter whips up light and spreadable.
Gluten-free baking tips
- Rest the dough 5–10 minutes: This lets the coconut flour absorb moisture so the dough firms up and is easier to scoop and shape.
- Flatten each cookie to about ½” thick: The dough won’t spread much in the oven, so flattening prevents dense, underbaked centers.
- Cool completely before frosting: Cream cheese frosting will melt and slide on warm cookies. Wait 20–30 minutes so the cookies set fully.
- Let browned butter re-solidify: Use browned butter that is room temperature and mostly solid so the frosting whips properly.
Almond Flour Pumpkin Cookies
Soft, cakey almond flour pumpkin cookies flavored with pumpkin spice and topped with brown butter cream cheese frosting. Ready in about 30 minutes.
Servings: 15 • Prep: 10 mins • Cook: 15 mins • Total: 25 mins
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 1¼ cups fine almond flour, packed
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
For the frosting
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter, browned, room temperature and mostly solid
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and sea salt until evenly combined.
- In a large bowl, whisk the melted cooled butter, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla until smooth and glossy with no streaks of butter.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until fully incorporated. Let the dough rest 5–10 minutes; it will firm up as the coconut flour absorbs moisture.
- Use a 1½ tablespoon scoop to portion the dough onto the prepared sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Flatten each cookie to about ½” thick with the palm of your hand.
- Bake 12–15 minutes, until the cookies look set and the edges are just beginning to color. The centers may still look slightly soft; they will finish setting as they cool. Cool completely before frosting.
- For the frosting: beat the cooled, mostly-solid browned butter and room-temperature cream cheese together until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt, and beat until light and fluffy.
- Generously spread or pipe the frosting onto the cooled cookies and serve. Store frosted cookies in the refrigerator.
Notes
- The frosting is sweet, so frost only the cookies you plan to eat within a few days and freeze the rest unfrosted.
- Pumpkin puree brands vary in moisture. If the dough looks much wetter than a thick paste, add 1 tablespoon extra coconut flour and let rest again.
- Use plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which contains sugar and spices that will change the recipe balance.
- If your oven heats unevenly, rotate the baking sheet halfway through baking to prevent over-browning at the edges.
- For lower sugar, skip the frosting and dust cooled cookies with a cinnamon sugar mixture instead.
Nutrition
Per serving (approx.): 242 kcal; Carbs 26 g; Fat 15 g; Protein 3 g. Nutrition is an approximation.
How to make gluten-free almond flour pumpkin cookies
Begin by gathering all ingredients and preheating the oven. Whisk the dry spices and flours together, then combine the wet ingredients to form a thick, glossy pumpkin batter. Fold the dry mix into the batter, allow the dough to rest briefly, portion and flatten the dough on parchment-lined sheets, and bake until set. Finish with a generous swirl of browned-butter cream cheese frosting once the cookies are fully cooled.
Storage & freezing instructions
Frosted cookies should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let them sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before serving so the frosting softens. Unfrosted cookies freeze well: cool completely, freeze in a single layer until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Frost after thawing. You can freeze frosting separately for up to a month; thaw in the fridge and re-whip before using.
Reheating
These are best served at room temperature rather than reheated. If chilled, allow 10–15 minutes at room temperature before serving so the frosting and cookie regain a softer texture.
Round out a fall dessert spread
These cookies pair well with other pumpkin-forward baked goods for a seasonal spread. Serve them piled on a platter next to slices of pumpkin loaf or pumpkin muffins for variety. They also make an attractive addition to a dessert table alongside other cream-cheese–frosted treats.
More almond flour baking to try
- Almond flour pumpkin bread — warm, spiced loaf for slicing.
- Almond flour pumpkin muffins — grab-and-go pumpkin treats.
- Almond flour brownies — rich, fudgy chocolate for variety.
- Almond flour chocolate chip cookies — a classic almond flour cookie without the pumpkin.