Delightfully Gluten Free (TM)

Pumpkin Honey Spice Cookies

I received this recipe from the National Honey Board, and decided to try it out.  We LOVE pumpkin, and I love the flavor that honey gives to baked goods, so it seemed like a great thing to do today with the boys out of school early.  We loved these cookies!  They weren’t too sweet (at least not until I added milk chocolate or white chocolate).  I probably should have looked at the nutrition information before eating so many of them, but, oh well.

All-natural honey not only adds moisture to gluten-free recipes, it also masks “off” or bitter flavors often found in whole grains and gluten-free flours. This ideal ingredient is not just a simple sweetener — with more than 300 varietals in the United States, honey adds its own special flavor to any recipe.  In general, lighter colored honeys are milder in flavor, while darker honeys are more robust.  And besides giving a touch of sweetness to every bite, honey also adds an appealing golden color to baked goods for an eye-catching, mouth-watering treat.

It can be challenging to incorporate gluten-free substitutes for popular ingredients and still get the taste and texture of counterparts containing gluten.  Honey can be the perfect addition to gluten-free recipes, especially baked goods like cookies.

Enjoy the taste of the holidays with these Gluten-free Pumpkin Honey Spice Cookies developed by the National Honey Board.  They’re sure to be a hit with both adults and kids — and they’re perfect to bring to cookie exchanges or office and home celebrations during the holidays.

GLUTEN-FREE PUMPKIN HONEY SPICE COOKIES

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

2 cups gluten-free flour blend* (note from Cassandra – don’t use a flour blend with xanthan gum AND add the guar gum.  Honestly, the cookies will be fine, just a bit stiffer/gummier.  And yes, I know this from experience.)
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon guar gum powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup pumpkin purée
1 large egg
1 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup dried cranberries

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease or line with parchment paper 3 cookie sheets. In a bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. On a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, cream together honey and butter. Beat in pumpkin and egg (mixture will look curdled, but will smooth out when dry ingredients are added). On low speed, mix in dry ingredients until blended; mix in pecans and cranberries. Drop tablespoons of dough onto prepared cookie sheets, leaving 1 inch between them. Bake 15 minutes or until firm to the touch. Cool on pan 5 minutes; with spatula, transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

*Use a store-bought blend or make your own blend by combining equal parts white rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch or cornstarch.

Nutrition Information Per Serving (1 cookie): 109 calories; 5 g fat; 13 mg cholesterol; 84 mg sodium;  16 g carbohydrate;  1 g fiber; 1 g protein

For more information about honey and for more honey recipes, visit www.honey.com.

We decided to add some chocolate to the tops of ours.  I also threw the last of the batch (the first batch, with the extra gum) in a dish and into the microwave for a minute and a half, with some white chocolate chips on top.  Sometimes, laziness pays off.


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2 responses to “Pumpkin Honey Spice Cookies”

  1. Mel Avatar

    These look SO GOOD! I’ve been really hankering for pumpkin lately and wasn’t sure what to make next. (And the cranberries, such a festive addition, will take us through November and all the way through December.) It’s hard to be rushed and need to scrutinize a traditional recipe to see if it looks like it would work GF– Thanks for testing these out for us!

  2. Angie Halten Avatar

    looks yummy…especially with the chocolate!