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You know those soft sugar cookies you can buy at Walmart or Super Target, or pretty much any grocery store with a bakery? The super soft fluffy ones that are slathered with some kind of delicious frosting and then sprinkled with festive sprinkles to coordinate with whatever season or holiday or football team we are currently celebrating.
Well these soft pumpkin cookies with cashew frosting are inspired by those sugar cookies and IMHO I hit the nail right on the head and made them even better! BECAUSE PUMPKIN, DUH!!!!
But I may be a little biased.
These soft pumpkin cookies are…well soft and tender. They are packed with pumpkin-y flavor and all of the warming spices that go along with it. The cashew frosting tastes like a traditional buttercream frosting, only it’s made with healthy fats and no powdered sugar – CELEBRATE! Instead, the cashew frosting is sweetened with honey or maple syrup – it literally melts in your mouth.
Bonus, these cookies are gluten free and dairy free! They are almost vegan but I couldn’t do away with the egg, it added great texture to the cookies.
The combo of the soft pumpkin cookies topped with the cashew frosting is a match made in heaven. And WAY better than anything you’d find at Walmart. Just sayin’.
Are you on board yet?!
You could really sink your teeth into these soft pumpkin cookies!
Proud owner of the mouth that created that cookie bite shot in the picture below!!!
One note about the frosting: if you have made my healthier vegan “buttercream” frosting before keep in mind that I have found a few ways to make the frosting smoother, more spreadable, and taste more like true buttercream frosting. I have updated the recipe to reflect those changes.
These soft pumpkin cookies with cashew frosting would be a perfect treat during the fall season. They would even made a great dessert for Thanksgiving, even though I know pumpkin pie will steal the show, as it should.
You can never have too many dessert options on Thanksgiving, right?!
These pillow-y pumpkin cookies await you!
Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Cashew Frosting (Gluten Free)
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 37 mins
- Yield: 17 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Gluten Free, Dairy Free
Description
Pillow-y soft pumpkin cookies topped with cashew frosting that tastes like buttercream. The perfect dessert recipe for fall or the holidays!
Ingredients
- 1 batch of Healthier Vegan “Buttercream” Frosting
- Cookies
- 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
- 3 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or sub honey)
- 1/3 cup pumpkin puree (NOT PUMPKIN PIE FILLING)
Instructions
- Make the frosting : Make the cashew frosting as directed in the recipe. Keep in the fridge to chill until the cookies are baked. The frosting could be made several days ahead of time.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a baking sheet by greasing it or lining it with parchment paper or a silpat mat. Set the baking sheet aside.
- Make the dough: In a large mixing bowl whisk together the dry ingredients, almond flour, coconut flour, salt, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice until well mixed.. Add in all of the wet ingredients, pure vanilla extract, egg, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, pumpkin puree and mix using a spatula until everything is well incorporated.
- Scoop cookies: Use a small cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons) to scoop the cookies onto the prepared baking sheet. You should have 17 small cookies. Use a spatula to flatten the cookies.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies have browned slightly. Allow to cool completely before removing the cookies.
- Frost: Once the cookies have completely cooled allow the frosting to sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes, or until softened. Frost the cookies using a knife or spatula.
- EAT: Enjoy the cookies immediately or store them in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They do keep for up to 7 days, but they start to soften more and loose their texture after 4 days, still good though! Also the frosting does keep frosted on the cookies at room temperature for up to several days.
Notes
You will have vegan cashew frosting left over. Lucky you! It will keep in the fridge for up to one week. Spread it on muffins, cookies, cupcakes, cakes – anything! It will freeze for up to 6 months!
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