These Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Cinnamon Frosting are gluten free, vegan and SO soft and delicious! You would never know they are healthy!
Hi there everyone! My name is Gina Fontana, certified health coach, published author and food blogger over at HEALTHY LITTLE VITTLES, a blog that focuses on gluten-free, vegan, and plant-based recipes. I’m so grateful to be writing a guest post today on the Food Faith Fitness blog, and am so excited to have connected with Taylor and all of you!
I hope you enjoy this delicious Fall dessert recipe and come visit me over at Healthy Little Vittles for more recipes like it 🙂 So let’s get to it, shall we?!
Soft sugar cookies, oh how I’ve missed you! It seems the day I gave up wheat flour, eggs, and dairy was the day that soft, melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookies also became a thing of the past.
That was until today, my friends. Perhaps this is the most delicious cookie recipe I have made in the last 3 years since I started the HEALTHY LITTLE VITTLES blog. No joke!
These bakery-style sugar cookies are rich and sweet- you’d never know they are a healthier version of a pumpkin Fall favorite. These Soft Pumpkin Sugar Cookies are made with coconut sugar and real canned pumpkin, nut/seed butter, plant butter, gluten-free baking flour, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, flax eggs, and a little pumpkin spice to keep ourselves immersed in seasonal October treats.
These sugar cookies are so easy to make too. They can be drop cookies or you can gently roll them in your hands and lightly press down to make sure they are perfectly round. Then you simply bake for 10-12 minutes, cool, and frost with a delicious powdered sugar butter frosting infused with cinnamon and bourbon!
A few things to keep in mind:
- Gluten-free, vegan cookies don’t spread like you might be used to with more traditional sugar cookies. While the baking powder and soda help, it’s necessary to lightly flatten the scooped cookie dough into a disc shape with your hand.
- Don’t overbake the cookies! 10 minutes was plenty of time, you want to make sure they stay soft and tender!
- If the frosting involves too much sugar for you (it is made with powdered sugar) you can absolutely leave it out, or replace it with another lower-sugar frosting. You could even just sprinkle a little coconut sugar and cinnamon on top of each cookie prior to baking instead.
- If you’re going to use sunflower seed butter (which is what I used), your cookies will turn green when they are cool. If you’re not sharing them, then no biggie, haha, but if you’re planning on gifting them, be sure to replace with another nut butter like cashew or almond butter. You could also try adding a teaspoon of lemon juice to see if that helps, though I have not tried that. It’s quite an interesting phenomenon, google why this happens! 😉
If you’re looking for more pumpkin goodies, try my Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars or even my Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese! Or if you’re not one of the pumpkin obsessed, check out these other Autumn recipes:
Naturally Sweetened Instant Pot Apple Butter
You can find more tips and tricks to gluten-Free, vegan baking in my brand new ebook A Beginners Guide to Gluten-Free Vegan Dessert, so be sure to check that out if you’re interested!
Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram or Facebook @HealthyLittleVittles @FoodFaithFit #healthylittlevittles if you make these super soft, super delicious pumpkin cookies!
Ingredients
- 2 cups Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Preferably 1:1 baking flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1/2 cup Canned Pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling!
- 1 cup Coconut Sugar
- 1/2 cup Plant Butter softened 1 stick non-dairy butter
- 1/4 cup Nut/Seed Butter like cashew, almond, sunflower seed butter
- 2 Flax Eggs 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 5 Tbsp water
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 pinch Salt
For the Frosting
- 3 Cups Organic Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 3 tbsp Plant Milk non-dairy
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 cup Plant Butter 1/2 stick non-dairy butter
- 1-2 tbsp Bourbon
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F
- Make your flax eggs by combining the flaxseed meal and water and letting it sit for a few minutes until it "gels up"
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, nut/seed butter, vanilla, and coconut sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until well blended
- Beat in the pumpkin and flax eggs until well mixed.
- On low speed, beat in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt
- On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls OR gently roll the dough between your hands and then lightly flatten them with the palm of your hand (not too flat)
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes and cool for about 15-20 minutes before frosting.
For the Frosting
- In a medium bowl, place powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, cinnamon, and 3 tablespoons plant (non-dairy) milk
- In a small saucepan, melt 1/4 cup butter over medium heat, whisking constantly, then add the bourbon (optional)
- Pour the melted butter mixture into the powdered sugar bowl and whisk until the powdered sugar is dissolved. If the frosting is too runny, add more powdered sugar, but keep it mind it will set up as it sits. If it's too dry, add just a splash more milk
- When the cookies are cool, frost the cookies and sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days
- **NOTE: if you use sunflower seed butter, your cookies will likely turn green as they cool. Google why this happens!
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
STAY IN DA KNOW (AND GET SPECIAL BEHIND-THE-SCENES INFO) BY FOLLOWING ALONG WITH FFF ON PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, AND TWITTER!
This post may contain affiliate links, but I only recommend products that I actually use and <3. Thanks for supporting FFF!
Capri says
The bourbon Icing is the best! And the cookies are so chewy and delicious
Taylor Kiser says
Thanks, Capri!
Wanda says
We do love cookies with frosting! You totally had me at bourbon frosting!
Taylor Kiser says
Yaaayyy!! Thanks, Wanda!
Beth says
These look so delicious and yummy! My family is going to love these! I can’t wait to make these!
Taylor Kiser says
Thanks, Beth! Hope your family enjoys them!
Rebecca says
these look delicious! I kinda want to make them with sunflower butter just to see how green they get 🙂 that’s a fun side effect
Taylor Kiser says
Thanks, Rebecca! Let me know if you do!
Noelle Simpson says
Yum! This was perfect for a treat and I loved the flavors of the frosting
Taylor Kiser says
So glad to hear that!
Syd says
This recipe is absolutely amazing! My family has this recipe on repeat rotation now and it turns out perfect every time. The bourbon frosting is also an absolute favorite-we use it on all kinds of sweets not just these cookies. Thank you for sharing a great recipe!
Taylor Kiser says
So glad to hear this! Thank you, Syd!