Gluten-free Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Gluten-free Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
gluten-free | tree nut free option | refined sugar free
by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | Nov. 5, 2024
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Usually I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin cookies. The texture never seems to be cookie-like and they always turn out too moist and soft or too dry and crumbly. But when I find a recipe that is hard to master, I just can’t quit. I have to keep trying recipe variations until I come up with one that fits the bill… and meets the taste test. These gluten-free pumpkin oatmeal cookies take the title of ‘best pumpkin cookie’ in my opinion! They are bursting with fall flavors and have a great texture… not too moist but still soft and chewy, and certainly not dry and crumbly. These pumpkin cookies are so good, you’ll have a hard time keeping your hands out of the cookie jar!

Modern Pioneer Recipe

These gluten-free pumpkin oatmeal cookies are a modern pioneer recipe! However, they certainly have simple, wholesome ingredients that even the earlier pioneers might have used.

Seasonal Recipe– The early pioneers would have cooked and baked seasonally, based on what produce and crops they could harvest from the fields, garden, and forest. On my homestead right now, we are in pumpkin/winter squash season! Even though I can’t grow pie pumpkins on my shaded, wooded homestead, I still like buying some pie pumpkins from local farm markets so I can cook and bake with pumpkin during the fall. I like making my own pumpkin puree from fresh pie pumpkins rather than buying store-bought canned pumpkin.

Simple Ingredients– Gluten-free whole oats and a gluten-free all-purpose flour are two other ingredients that make these cookies simple and healthy. Natural sweeteners, like coconut sugar and maple sugar are ingredients that allow these cookies to be perfectly sweet without unhealthy refined sugars.

Butter would have been another pioneer staple, although it was sometimes sparingly used if not enough was made and stored. These cookies use organic, grass-fed butter, which is a dairy product that I can have despite being dairy-intolerant. A few fall spices, some leavening agent, and a fresh egg add to the simple ingredient list for making these cookies flavorful and yielding a perfect texture.

Allergy-Friendly– These gluten-free pumpkin oatmeal cookies are perfect for modern pioneers with a gluten-intolerance or allergy. You will never miss traditional pumpkin cookies again after trying these cookies!

If I dare call cookies ‘simple and wholesome’, these cookies would be it! They are…

• gluten-free
• refined sugar free
• naturally sweetened
• nut free
• corn free
• soy free

Is Pumpkin Good for You?

Yes! Pumpkin contains many good vitamins and minerals. It is a good source of fiber and antioxidants. Fiber helps keep the digestive track healthy and running smoothly. Pumpkin is also a great source of vitamin A.

A 100 gram serving of pumpkin (which is a little less than 1/2 cup) gives you more than your daily vitamin A requirement! Of course, you would have to eat the whole batch of pumpkin oatmeal cookies to get one 100 gram serving of pumpkin, but it’s the thought that counts right? Vitamin A helps with good vision, prevents heart disease, and prevents cancer. Pumpkin also contains vitamin C, riboflavin, potassium, copper, and manganese in substantial amounts.

The seeds of a pumpkin also contain the amino acid called tryptophan, which gets converted into GABA once it is in the brain. GABA is a nutrient that relaxes the body and calms the nerves. So you could call these stress free cookies (except….they don’t contain the pumpkin seeds)! But you could easily mix in roasted and chopped pumpkin seeds into the batter of these cookies!

Pumpkin is a fun vegetable to bake with and I love trying out new pumpkin recipes every fall. I always have a long list of all the pumpkin recipes I want to try and I never get to them all. Here are a few that I have made though:

• Grain-free Pumpkin Coffee Cake
• Grain-free Pumpkin Pie
• Gluten-free Pumpkin Bars

Pumpkin Cookie Recipe Tips

Frozen, Canned, or Fresh Pumpkin?

You can use frozen, fresh, or canned pumpkin in these cookies! As a modern pioneer, I always opt for the fresh, homemade pumpkin puree option. If you use frozen pumpkin, drain any extra moisture from the pumpkin before measuring it out to use in the recipe. I have used both pureed and non-pureed pumpkin flesh in these cookies, and you really can’t tell the difference!

Whole Oats or Quick Oats?

These cookies are made with both gluten-free whole, rolled oats and gluten-free quick oats. The combination and balance of whole oats and quick oats gives these cookies a soft, chewy texture. Altering the whole oat to quick oat ratio may change the texture of the cookies. You can make your own quick oats by pulsing whole oats in the food processor!

Extra Add-Ins:

Honestly, these cookies are delicious just as they are! They may seem a little plain without chocolate chops or other add-ins, but they truly shine when they are simply topped with a little sprinkle of flakey sea salt. BUT, if you do want to mix in some extras to the batter, here are some I would recommend:

• chopped pistachios
• Enjoy Life chocolate chips
• Lily’s Sweets chocolate chips (refined sugar free!)
• roasted & salted pumpkin seeds
• organic raisins

Shaping the Cookies:

These pumpkin oatmeal cookies do not need to be shaped before baking. They will melt down and spread like classic oatmeal cookies. I use a cookie scoop to place heaping scoops of the cookie batter on the baking trays. No need to flatten the mounds as the cookies will spread out as they bake.

Storing Pumpkin Cookies:

These pumpkin cookies can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3-5 days or in the fridge for 7-10 days. Wait until the cookies have cooled completely before putting them in an airtight container to store in the fridge. These cookies freeze well too!

Want to try a gluten-free pumpkin breakfast cookie? Check out the pumpkin cookie recipe in The Pioneer Chicks Cookie Cookbook!

How to Cook a Pumpkin

In this recipe I use fresh, homemade pumpkin puree. Store-bought canned pumpkin often contains sugars and syrups. Some may not even contain real pumpkin, it may be a combination of pumpkin and squash! If you do buy pumpkin, make sure it is organic canned pumpkin with no added ingredients.

I highly recommend buying or planting your own pie pumpkins to freeze or can for later use! Whole uncut pumpkins can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 2 months. If you can’t grow your own pumpkins, support local farm stands or farm markets in your area!

Some people get intimidated by cooking up a whole pumpkin, but I think it is really simple.

How to Make Pumpkin Puree:

1. Cut– Just cut the pumpkin in half (okay, this step may be easier said then done), then put it on a rimmed tray (cut side down) that is lined with parchment paper.
2. Bake– Bake the cut pumpkin halves in your oven at 350°F until you can insert a fork easily into the pumpkin. This may take up to an hour or longer. Using a convection oven will speed up the cooking process. I usually set a timer for 30 minutes for pie pumpkins, then add more time as needed.
3. Cool– Let the pumpkin cool before you scoop out the seeds. Remove the flesh and put it in food processor to puree it, you can skip this step if you think that your pumpkin is smooth enough.
4. Store– Next you can either freeze the pumpkin flesh in freezer bags or can it in a pressure canner! Or use it fresh within 5-7 days!

If you want, you can save the pumpkin seeds to make homemade roasted pumpkin seeds. You will just need to scoop them out before you put the pumpkin in the oven. Also, the pumpkin seeds and leftover skins make a great treat for chickens! They love pumpkin and it is very beneficial for them!

For another delicious fall cookie recipe, be sure to check out my gluten-free zucchini cookie recipe!

These gluten-free pumpkin oatmeal cookies are the perfect cookie for the fall season! They would be great for family gatherings, fall parties, or just having on hand as a healthier fall dessert. Simple ingredients and no-chill time means you can whip up a batch of these cookies in no time at all in the homestead kitchen!

Where to Find the Ingredients

• Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free old rolled oats
• Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free quick oats
• Barred Woods maple sugar
• Madhava organic coconut sugar
• Otto’s Naturals baking powder
• King Arthur gluten-free all-purpose flour
• Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour
• Simple Organic pumpkin pie spice (I’ve also used apple pie spice before when I ran out of pumpkin pie spice!)
• Simply Organic cinnamon
• Flakey sea salt
• Supplies: cookie trays, unbleached parchment paper, cookie scoop

After you have made these pumpkin oatmeal cookies once, you will definitely want to add it to your repeat cookie list or even to your ‘make for Thanksgiving’ list! They are so easy to whip up, the recipe uses simple ingredients, and they taste delicious. I love that these pumpkin cookies are soft, chewy, and are bursting with fall flavors! The pumpkin in these gluten-free cookies provides you with some valuable nutrition and the cookies themselves are gluten-free, naturally sweetened, and made with homemade pumpkin puree. I finally found a pumpkin cookie that I can’t stop eating, and I’m sure they will be a huge hit on your homestead this fall too!

Join our modern pioneer newsletter community and get recipes on a bi-weekly basis to grow your homestead kitchen menu and recipe list! We’ll be gearing up for fall baking and you don’t want to miss these fall recipes!