Gluten-free Pumpkin Snickerdoodles (Keto Option)
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If you love pumpkin and snickerdoodles, you've come to the right place. These Healthy Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are not only gluten-free & sugar-free with AIP, vegan, and keto options, but they're super delicious too.
These Gluten-free Snickerdoodles are so good, our boys ask for whenever I'm in a baking mood. They like them better than store bought “healthy cookies” too. Win for mom and win for kids!
This is one of our all-time favorite cookie recipes.
Pumpkin recipes are just one of my favorite things no matter what time of year it is. We have a few of our favorites on the blog like these Soft Pumpkin Cookies, and homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice, and even a Dairy-free Pumpkin Creamer, but these Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are something special.
And for a cookie, these are quite healthy and adaptable to almost any special diet. Not only are they gluten-free, but these fabulous cookies can also be made grain-free and low-carb.
Literally, every time I talk about baking cookies, my sons ask for these.
And if you're in the mood for snickerdoodles now, but don't feel like baking, try these Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Balls.
Ingredients
Following are the ingredients you'll need for the recipe. For more details and amounts needed, scroll down to the recipe card.
- flour – most gluten-free blends should work well for this or make your own blend. See the Keto Version section for low-carb directions.
- pumpkin puree – make sure to not buy pumpkin pie filling for this. You want plain pumpkin puree only.
- coconut oil – butter can also be used.
- sweetener – I use a low-carb sweetener, but really any granulated sweetener should work out as long as it's a one for one substitute for sugar.
- egg or egg substitute – either one works well. I use this Powdered Egg Replacer all the time for this recipe.
- spices
Directions
- Preheat oven.
- Combine ingredients for Cinnamon Coating and set aside.
- Combine flour, salt, baking soda and spices in a medium-sized bowl.
- If coconut oil is not soft enough to mix easily, melt in pan and place in a bowl.
- Add sweetener and egg (or substitute) to the softened oil. Beat well. Add pumpkin puree and vanilla. Beat again.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly.
- Take a small amount of dough, roll into balls, drop in cinnamon sugar topping, and roll to coat.
- Place on a baking stone or cookie sheet, flattening a bit.
- Bake until slightly golden brown.
- Cool a bit before removing from baking sheet to completely cook on cooling rack.
Keto Version Instructions
There are other options of low-carb flours that you could try, but using almond flour is the most obvious version. As mentioned in the Recipe Notes above, here is how you can do that.
Use the same amount of almond flour as the gluten-free flour amount.
Increase the baking soda by 50% and use only 1/4 cup coconut oil.
This version is great. We actually like it even better than the regular gluten-free pumpkin snickerdoodle version.
Recipe Notes and Substitutions
- Sweetener: Although I use xylitol for a candida-friendly option, you can substitute any healthy sweetener.
- Egg Substitute: My Homemade Powdered Egg Replacer is a great homemade option for an egg substitute. A flax egg or chia egg would be great as well.
- Flour: See my Gluten-Free Baking Tips for gluten-free flour blend info. For a grain free or paleo version, use either organic tiger nut flour, which is also AIP, or 2 cups organic almond flour, for low carb. If using almond flour, increase the baking soda by 50% and use only 1/4 cup coconut oil. These work out GREAT this way. I haven't tried the AIP option, but we love the keto version.
- THM: For those on the Trim Healthy Mama plan, this recipe is a crossover unless you use the almond flour option, which will make these snickerdoodles qualify as an “S.”
- Topping: You could also use my Healthy Cinnamon Sugar as a topping for these cookies.
- Soaking Option: For better digestibility, you could also soak the flours overnight, per instructions in my post on How and Why to Soak Grains. Be warned, however, that you will get quite a workout mixing a batter this thick after it soaks. Note that for some reason, the fermenting process doesn't seem to work so well with these cookies so it's up to you if you want to try it.
- Cookie Spread: These cookies don't spread out much when baking, so as much as you press them down, that is the size that the baked cookie will be.
Other Healthy Fall Recipes
- Nut Butter Fruit Dip (perfect for apples, pears, whatever). Great drizzled on the cake, cookies, ice cream, or warm cereal.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – perfect for all of your pumpkin recipes.
- Paleo Shepherd's Pie – low-carb with roasted veggies
- Healthy Gourmet Caramel Apples
- Pumpkin Pecan Cookies – the perfect fall combo!
- Healthy Pumpkin Custard – like an easy crustless pumpkin pie.
Healthy Gluten-Free Pumpkin Snickerdoodles (Sugar-Free with Keto Option)
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1/2 cup coconut oil (or healthy fat alternative like butter)
- 3/4 cup low carb sweetener
- 1 large egg (or egg substitute like this Powdered Egg Replacer)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups gluten-free flour (whole grain preferred. Use Almond Flour for grain-free. See Recipe Notes)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cinnamon Coating
- 1/2 cup granulated sweetener (as healthy as possible–use low-carb sweetener)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Combine ingredients for Cinnamon Coating and set aside for later use.
- Combine flour, salt, baking soda and spices in a medium-sized bowl.
- If coconut oil is not soft enough to mix easily, melt in a pan over low heat. Place in a bowl.
- Add sweetener and egg (or substitute) to the softened oil. Beat well. Add pumpkin puree and vanilla. Beat well again.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly, but do not over-mix.
- Take a small amount of dough (I use a small cookie scoop for this process), roll into balls, drop in cinnamon sugar topping, and roll to coat. (NOTE: For gluten-free cookies, the smaller the cookie the better as they will crumble more easily than those made with gluten flours.)
- Place on a baking stone or cookie sheet (I highly recommend baking stones) about 2 inches apart, flattening a bit with your hand (or the bottom of a glass).
- Bake for about 10 minutes, or until slightly golden brown.
- Cool for approximately 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet to cool on a cooling rack.
- Try not to eat them all at once :-).
Notes
- Sweetener: Although I use xylitol for a candida-friendly option, you can substitute any healthy sweetener.
- Egg Substitute: My Homemade Powdered Egg Replacer is a great homemade option for an egg substitute. A flax egg or chia egg would be great as well.
- Flour: See my Gluten-Free Baking Tips for gluten-free flour blend info. For a grain free or paleo version, use either organic tiger nut flour, which is also AIP, or 2 cups organic almond flour, for low carb. If using almond flour, increase the baking soda by 50% and use only 1/4 cup coconut oil. These work out GREAT this way. I haven't tried the AIP option, but we love the keto version.
- THM: For those on the Trim Healthy Mama plan, this recipe is a crossover unless you use the almond flour option, which will make these snickerdoodles qualify as an “S.”
- Topping: You could also use my Healthy Cinnamon Sugar as a topping for these cookies.
- Soaking Option: For better digestibility, you could also soak the flours overnight, per instructions in my post on How and Why to Soak Grains. Be warned, however…you will get quite a workout mixing a batter this thick after it soaks :-). Note that for some reason, the fermenting process doesn't seem to work so well with these cookies so it's up to you if you want to try it.
- Cookie Spread: These cookies don't spread out much when baking, so as much as you press them down, that is the size that the baked cookie will be.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and preparation methods. Optional ingredients are not included. Net carbs are typically calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols (such as erythritol) from total carbohydrates. This information should not be relied upon for medical or nutritional purposes.
I'd love to hear what you think about these cookies once you try them!
I’m not sure when you posted this, but it’s my understanding that xylitol is very harmful for consumption.
https://draxe.com/xylitol-side-effects/
I keep looking for healthy sugar alternatives – something that won’t feed bacteria. I have Lyme Disease.
I’m wondering if honey could be a replacer, even though it’s not granulated. But perhaps I could create honey sugar/powder?
For the egg replacer, I swear by is ground chia + water.
Highly allergic to vanilla, and I’ll be sharing these cookies with my niece who has a nut allergy (so no almond extract), so I’m thinking orange extract?
Best GF flour I’ve found for baking is Trader Joe’s. Have you tried it?
Super highly allergic to ginger, so I’m not sure what you’d recommend for a replacement on that.
I’m beginning to wonder if I should even try doing this. lolol
Hi there. Thanks for commenting. There are varying opinions on xylitol and it’s benefits or side effects. It can cause digestive upset, for sure. I think with all sweeteners there are plusses and minuses so I try to blend them and use stevia the most.
You could use honey for sure.
As for the orange extract that will work as well. I’ve done that kind of substituting before with good results.
I have never used TJ’s flour.
I would maybe do more cinnamon for the ginger. I hope you like them and I think they will work!
OMYUM! Made these tonight – so delicious (used almond flour and stevia). Really good – husband didn’t know it wasn’t real sugar and we ate – well, i am not counting, but i will say half the batch in one sitting! Thank you for a great recipe.
So glad to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to share. I haven’t made these in awhile and well, we have the same problem when we do :). Hope to see you around again.
Oh! I was so distracted by the (3), yes three, EpiPen ads on the recipe page that I haven’t read the recipe yet. Do you have control over what ads are placed on your page?
I will now read and print the recipe.
I’m so sorry. I can do the best I can – are you on mobile? Hope you enjoy them.
Hi! I’m thinking of making these when I visit home from college in a few weeks. Do you think I would be able to substitute the sweetener with maple syrup or honey?
Yes, that will work. Enjoy!
I’m not sure what I did wrong but my batter was runny :/ I used the almond flour but everything else was the same please help
I’m not sure – I have never had that happen. Maybe add more almond flour?
Robbie: you were supposed to increase the baking soda by 50% and only use 1/4 c coconut oil (or butter) if you used the almond flour.
Love these! I am a paleo follower and my hubby isn’t. I used 1 cup almond and 1 cup tapioca flour the first. No need to flatten. Awesome chewy goodness! I have some in the oven right now that are 1 cup almond and 1/2 c tapioca flour and 1/2 ground flax seed. More nutty in flavor, but the coconut sugar cinnamon combo cover the nuttiness. Love this recipe and my hubby and kiddos willingly eats them!
So glad to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Thanks for this recipe! I have Candida and loooove these! However, I used almond flour bc I’m gluten free and xylitol because of the Candida. And they turned out doughy and flat. I kind of scooped them up and ate them anyways bc they are so good. Anything I should add or change to make them stay together and rise a bit more? I’d love to remake them with any suggestions.
I’m not sure – I can try the recipe again for you?
Hi.
Thank you for the recipe. I am looking fwd to making these this week!! 🙂
Just wondering though, what other type of oil can I use to replace the coconut oil?
People are now learning and saying that coconut oil is NOT good for people. :\
You’re welcome. May I ask where you are reading that? You could use anything really – butter, palm, ghee, olive oil….but the solid fats will work better.
Hi,
this sounds so yummy!! I have one question, about how many cookies can I yield with this recipe?
thanks
Hi there. I haven’t counted. I guess it depends on how big you make them. I’ll try to remember to count next time I make the recipe but I would guess about 15 larger cookies.
Oh my!! I LOVE SNICKERDOODLES!! I’m excited to try these Adrienne! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Yea for snickerdoodles! Thanks, Erin. Hope you like them!