These gluten-free almond flour pumpkin cookies are soft, cakey, and packed with cozy pumpkin spice. They’re simple to make with almond flour, real pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and a touch of maple syrup, then finished with a rich brown butter cream cheese frosting. The dough comes together quickly and bakes in about 12–15 minutes, making these an easy fall treat to enjoy with coffee or share with friends.
How Almond Flour and Coconut Flour Work Together in This Dough
Almond flour gives these cookies a tender, cakey texture but offers little structure on its own because of its higher fat content. When tested without any coconut flour, the dough spread too thin and remained greasy around the edges. Adding just 1/4 cup of coconut flour corrects that by absorbing moisture and tightening the dough so the cookies bake up soft and set without puddling. Coconut flour is very absorbent, so a small amount goes a long way.
Letting the dough rest for 5–10 minutes is important: the coconut flour needs that time to pull in moisture from the pumpkin and butter. The dough firms up noticeably during this rest, making it much easier to scoop and shape. Also, this dough won’t spread like wheat-based cookie dough, so flatten each scoop to about 1/2″ thick before baking to avoid a dense, underbaked center.
Brown the butter for the frosting
You can make a standard cream cheese frosting with softened butter, but browning the butter first adds a nutty, toasted depth that complements the pumpkin spice. After browning, allow the butter to cool until it’s mostly solid at room temperature—warm browned butter will make the frosting thin and greasy, while re-solidified butter whips into a light, spreadable consistency.
Gluten-Free Baking Tips
- Rest the dough 5–10 minutes. This gives the coconut flour time to absorb moisture so the dough firms up and is easier to portion.
- Flatten each cookie to about 1/2″ thick. Because the dough doesn’t spread in the oven, flattening helps the cookies bake evenly without a raw center.
- Cool completely before frosting. Frosting will melt and slide on warm cookies, so wait 20–30 minutes for the cookies to cool on a rack.
- Let browned butter re-solidify slightly before mixing. The butter should be soft but mostly solid to prevent a greasy frosting.
Almond Flour Pumpkin Cookies
Soft, cakey almond flour pumpkin cookies with warm fall spice, topped with brown butter cream cheese frosting. Ready in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1¼ cups fine almond flour, packed
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
- 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, cooled to room temperature and mostly solid
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 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 cooled melted butter, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully combined.
- Stir the dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients until no dry streaks remain. Let the dough rest for 5–10 minutes to allow the coconut flour to absorb moisture and firm up.
- Using a 1½ tablespoon scoop, portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Flatten each cookie with the palm of your hand to roughly ½” thick.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes, until the cookies look set and the edges are just turning golden. The centers may appear slightly soft; they will finish setting as they cool.
- Cool the cookies completely on the pan or a wire rack before frosting.
- To make the frosting, beat the browned butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt, and beat until light and fluffy. Use a paddle attachment or beat by hand until well combined.
- Spread or pipe the frosting onto cooled cookies and serve. Store frosted cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Because the frosting adds a lot of sugar, only frost the cookies you plan to serve that day and freeze the rest unfrosted.
- Canned pumpkin puree varies in moisture. If the batter looks noticeably wetter than a thick, glossy paste, add 1 tablespoon extra coconut flour to adjust.
- Use plain pumpkin puree—not pumpkin pie filling—so the sweetness and spice balance stays correct.
- If your oven bakes unevenly, rotate the baking sheet halfway through baking to prevent the back row from browning faster than the front.
- If you prefer less spice intensity for sensitive palates, reduce the ground cloves by half.
- For a lower-sugar option, skip the frosting and dust cooled cookies with a mixture of cinnamon and a small amount of sugar.
Nutrition
Approximate per serving: 242 kcal; 26 g carbs; 15 g fat; 3 g protein. Nutrition is automatically calculated and should be used as an estimate.
Additional Info
Servings: 15 | Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 15 mins | Total: about 25–30 mins
Course: Baking, Dessert · Cuisine: American
How to Make Gluten-Free Almond Flour Pumpkin Cookies
Gather all ingredients and measure accurately. Using fine almond flour and the small amount of coconut flour specified produces the best balance of tenderness and structure.
Dry ingredients: Whisk the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, and spices together until evenly distributed so every cookie has balanced flavor.
Wet ingredients: Combine the cooled melted butter, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla until smooth and glossy. There should be no streaks of butter.
Combine and rest: Fold the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture and let the dough rest 5–10 minutes. This makes scooping and shaping easier.
Scoop and flatten: Portion with a 1½ tbsp scoop, flatten each portion to about ½” thick, and bake as directed. Flattening ensures even baking.
Bake: Cookies should look set and slightly soft in the center when removed from the oven. Cool fully before frosting.
Frosting: Beat browned butter and cream cheese until smooth, then add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and whip until light. Frost cooled cookies generously.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
Frosted cookies keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bring them to room temperature for 10 minutes before serving so the frosting softens. Unfrosted cookies freeze well: cool completely, freeze in a single layer until firm, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw and then frost. Frosting can be frozen in an airtight container for about a month; thaw in the fridge and re-whip before using.
Reheating
These are best at room temperature. If refrigerated, let cookies sit 10–15 minutes before serving so the frosting and cookie soften.
Round Out a Fall Dessert Spread
Serve these cookies piled on a plate with hot coffee for a classic pairing. They also work well alongside other pumpkin or almond flour treats for a brunch or dessert table. If you want a lighter option, leave them unfrosted and dust with cinnamon sugar for a less sweet presentation.
More Almond Flour Baking to Try
- Almond flour pumpkin bread or muffins for sliceable or grab-and-go options.
- Almond flour brownies for a rich, chocolatey contrast on a dessert tray.
- Classic almond flour chocolate chip cookies when pumpkin season winds down.