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AIP Pumpkin Cookies are a soft, autumnal cookie — delicious and not too sweet. Filled with warm fall spices, here’s a treat to enjoy as a snack, afternoon tea item or dessert.
This recipe is Paleo, Gluten-free, egg-free and nut-free.
Ingredients in AIP Pumpkin Cookies
The main ingredients in AIP Pumpkin Cookies are basic AIP pantry staples: cassava flour, coconut butter, coconut flour, collagen and gelatin. Also canned pumpkin (you can probably use leftover cooked winter squashes too, dense ones, like kabocha or butternut), coconut oil, honey or maple syrup and sea salt.
For leavening, apple cider vinegar and baking soda.
The recipe Notes below the recipe contains links if you don’t know where to source something. You can also make your own coconut butter (which saves a lot of money and is a quick, easy process if you have a high-speed blender or food processer).
Pumpkin Cookies always include fall spices. This recipe includes cinnamon, ginger (dried or fresh, your preference) and cloves. You can also add mace if you love it and want extra spices! These favorites are all AIP compliant.
How to garnish and serve AIP Pumpkin Cookies
You can either bake and serve these cookies plain, or you can add frosting.
Plain, these cookies are great to add to any meal, a special pastry-like treat to have with protein and veggies at breakfast. A carb-treat with or after lunch.
Or a healthy dessert with dinner.
If you want them to be an obvious dessert, then you can slather them with AIP Buttercream (recipe here), which makes them look like very traditional pumpkin cookies — lovely for their eye appeal, how fun they taste! and for the holidays.
How to store AIP Pumpkin Cookies
I like to refrigerate cookies for a few days and then freeze any extras. You can also leave them out at room temperature for up to two days in a well sealed container. Once frosted, though, it’s best to keep them chilled.
To freeze, place in a well sealed container. Defrost at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
If you pack frozen cookies in lunches in the morning or the night before, the frozen cookies will be defrosted by lunch time.
AIP Pumpkin Cookies (Paleo | GF | egg-free | nut-free)
Equipment
- bowl and spatula
- cookie sheet
- cookie scoop
- oven
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup canned pumpkin
- ½ cup cassava flour Otto's preferred (or Bob's)
- ½ cup coconut butter warmed slightly; see Recipe Notes for source
- ⅓ cup coconut oil softened, or ghee
- ⅓ cup honey or maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ¼ cup collagen
- 2 Tablespoons maple sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 Tablespoon gelatin
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ to 1 teaspoon ginger dried (depending on preference) or 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger root
- ½ teaspoon baking soda sifted
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl: cassava flour, coconut flour, collagen, maple sugar, gelatin, spices, baking soda and sea salt.
- In a medium sized bowl whisk together the wet ingredients: pumpkin, warm coconut butter, coconut oil, liquid sweetener and apple cider vinegar.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, folding together thoroughly without over-mixing.
- Using a 2-ounce (or 3 Tablespoon) cookie scoop (see Recipe Notes), mound cookie dough onto cookie sheet, spacing apart by 1". Take 3 wetted fingers and press down on each cookie to flatten slightly.
- Bake in preheated oven 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown around the edges and golden brown on top. (See photos below.) If you wish to frost with AIP Buttercream, first allow cookies to fully cool.
Sara says
Flavour is really good on these…just didn’t flatten enough initially and they were way too soft. So, flattened them a little more and put them back in (yes, after the entire 15 mins). Put in again on convection for 2 more mins and they were much better.
So, maybe the note to “flatten slightly” should be just flatten (to cookie size), cause they don’t spread.
mary lombardi says
Can I use regular butter?
Megan says
Yes, you can! 🙂
Hillary says
Is the calorie count with or without the frosting?
Megan says
Hi Hillary, Without.
Staci says
Are these soft and cakes or crisp and harder?
Megan says
Hi Staci, they’re tender and on the softer side. Not crisp and hard.
Staci says
Thank you. I will make these when I’m at home and not when I am looking for something to travel with. (like I am right now.)
Megan says
Sounds good, Staci! 🙂
Suzanne says
This looks so good! Do you use this buttercream in any other recipes?
Megan says
Hi Suzanne, yes! Here’s the AIP Pumpkin Cake that I originally designed the buttercream for: https://eatbeautiful.net/aip-pumpkin-cake-dairy-free-nut-free-egg-free-amazing-buttercream-frosting/ Also, Cinnamon Cupcakes: https://eatbeautiful.net/cinnamon-cupcakes-strawberry-buttercream-frosting-paleo-aip/ Any cake or cake-y cookie would be great.
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Do the cookies keep long?
Megan says
Hi Vanessa, you’re welcome. The post indicates storage above. I like to refrigerate cookies for a few days and then freeze any extras. You can freeze for up to 3 months. Just wrap well before storing either way. 🙂
Niki G says
It finally reached 62 degrees in Texas today lol and felt like fall. So I scoured the web for a good AIP recipe. These are delicious. I accidently read maple SUGAR as syrup so my batter was a little crumbly but they still hold together ! The whole house smells wonderful and I can actually eat it!! Yay! Thank you for an awesome recipe. I’ll freeze a few of these in case of a craving.
Megan says
Great to hear, Niki!! Yay, how lovely. Thank you so much for sharing and bringing a smile to my face. So glad you’re enjoying “fall” lol and the cookies! 🙂
Danielle says
This looks delicious! Did you use whole cloves? And do they just get mixed in with the dry ingredients? I didn’t see them mentioned in the recipe instructions.
Megan says
Hi, Danielle, thanks! The cloves used are ground cloves; they are listed under “spices” in the Instructions, yes, for dry ingredients. 🙂 Enjoy!! Happy fall!
Kim says
Could I use Agar Powder or Kappa Carrageenan in place of the gelatin? If so, what’s the ratio?
Megan says
Hi Kim, while I create some recipes with that sub so I know exactly, with this recipe I did not, so I’m not sure. Let us know if you figure it out. 🙂
Kim says
I tried subbing Agar for the gelatin with the same amount and they came out great! Thanks for a delicious fall recipe! ??❤️
Megan says
Awesome to hear, Kim! Thanks so much for sharing!! YAY for the variation!
Laurel says
Is the collagen essential ?
Megan says
Hi Laurel, yes, it does affect the texture and benefits it.
Ella says
These look tasty! I might have to make these for dessert with leftover Thanksgiving casserole.
Megan says
Sounds fun! Enjoy. 🙂
Jen says
These cookies were absolutely amazing! I didn’t add the frosting on top. I don’t like sweet cookies. But these were just right without the frosting!!
Megan says
Great to hear, Jen! Thanks so much for sharing!! (Easier without the added frosting step, too!)
Teresa Rolt says
These are delicious! I did have to cook mine for about 10 min longer. I used maple syrup and collagen that has a brothy taste to it… but it didn’t affect the taste of the cookies at all. I would make them again!
Megan says
Great to hear, Teresa! Thanks so much for sharing!