Kids love the chocolate chip freckles in these gluten free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and so do I. Shaping them into jack-o'-lanterns is fun and easy. These are the kind of new traditions that gluten free families create. Make sure you've got the latest list of safe gluten free candy before you go shopping.
This is one of those recipes I've been making for decades that I eventually remade gluten free. For no-bake Halloween treats check out my page of Homemade Gluten Free Halloween Treats.
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Ingredients
The addition of brown rice and potato starch to my everyday flour blend helps make these soft cookies firm enough to hold and decorate.
- EGFG gluten free flour blend (sweet rice flour, potato starch, sorghum flour, millet flour)
- brown rice flour - added to make these soft cookies a little more firm.
- potato starch - added to ensure a smooth mouthfeel.
- gluten free whole oats
- baking soda
- cinnamon
- xanthan gum - needed for structure in gluten free baking
- butter
- white sugar
- brown sugar
- egg
- vanilla extract
- canned pumpkin puree
- milk
- mini chocolate chips - these are the freckles on the jack-'o-lantern.
See recipe card for exact amounts.
Instructions
Adding additional flours to a recipe that uses a blend can change it just enough to be the exact cookie you want. In this case I wanted a soft cookie that held up to decorating. Brown rice flour helps with crispness and potato starch gives gluten free baking a smooth texture.
Use the fridge to keep your dough cold so it can be molded into the shape you want and not spread too much in the oven.
Decorating Ideas
I've decorated these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies in many different ways. For young children using chocolate chips is simple. For serious decorators you might need some Halloween candy.
Visit Celiac Canada for the current list of Gluten Free Halloween Candy. It is updated in September every year so bookmark their site and go back often.
If you have enthusiastic kids and lots of candy, make royal icing and let the party begin! Check out my Cookie Decorating Party for tips and ideas.
Halloween Cookie Pizza
A cookie pizza is always fun and it's a great way to use up Halloween candy. I simply make the whole cookie recipe and bake it in an 8-inch square pan or a round pan.
I randomly top the cookie with chopped Halloween chocolate bars and scatter it with candy, googly eyes and more. The final touch is a drizzle of melted chocolate or colourful candy melts.
It takes a little practice to add the candy bars near the end of the cooking time so they don't completely melt and almost disappear. For this pizza I used the chocolate melts from my post for Homemade Halloween Treats.
Equipment
Metal ice cream scoops are the best tools for shaping cookies that are a uniform size and will cook evenly. Tell kids they can push the batter into random shapes like the actual pumpkins they see at the store. Let the fun begin!
Whether you bake cookies once a year or once a month you need baking pans. Those pans will last for decades so work toward a collection of good quality pans over time. This is a good start:
- two cookie sheets, the ones with no edges
- two jellyroll pans, also know as baking sheets, with ¼-inch sides all around (technically used for cooking they are essential for a cookie baking spree and I have baked hundreds of cookies in jellyroll pans)
Top Tip
Gluten free cookies are high in fat and sugar yet have a short cooking time. This presents gluten free bakers with unique challenges. Don't give up. Try different recipes, learn more about flour and check out this post, Tips for Making Gluten Free Cookies.
To hear more about cookies listen to Sue Jennett and I talk on A Canadian Celiac Podcast, Episode 43 Baking Gluten Free Cookies.
Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup EGFG gluten free flour blend (130 g)
- ¾ cup brown rice flour (110 g)
- ¼ cup potato starch (40 g)
- 1 cup gluten free whole oats (95 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- ½ teaspoon salt
WET INGREDIENTS
- 14 tablespoon butter melted (1 cup less 2 tablespoons)
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 tablespoon milk
ADD IN
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Combine flours, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Stir and set aside.
- In large bowl of an electric mixer add melted butter and sugars. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Add egg, vanilla, pumpkin puree and milk. Continue beating until combined.
- On low speed add dry mixture until just combined.
- Add chocolate chips. Let cookie dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. While oven is heating portion cookie dough on parchment lined cookie sheet. For regular round cookies use a 3 tablespoon scoop. For big Jack-o'-lanterns use an ice cream size scoop (½ cup). Using a bit of flour if needed, flatten into a large pumpkin shape. Add a bit of dough at the top for the stem.
- Bake cookies 20-22 minutes, slightly longer for larger pumpkins.
- Allow cookies to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely before decorating or storing.
- Decorate with icing, chocolate chips, candy corn or candy eyes. Makes 26 regular cookies or 13 large Jack-o'-lanterns.
Notes
Nutrition
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New here? I'll help to get you from overwhelmed and frustrated to confident and cooking gluten free food everyone wants to eat, as quickly as possible. Start with these 29 Tips for cooking with GF flour.
🎉 Exciting news! Cooking classes are back and Adventures in a Gluten Free Kitchen, a membership, is coming soon. Join the waitlist!
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