Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I make these deliciously fluffy cake-like cookies every fall. On this occasion, it was made sweeter by the fact that most of the ingredients I used were found on clearance or reduced racks. This made it even more affordable and I just love the thrill of bargain hunting. I use a cookie scoop and a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat for the best results.

RECIPE Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ready in 30-40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup canned pumpkin

• ½ cup white granulated sugar

• ½ cup brown sugar (I prefer dark brown)

• 1 egg

• ½ c coconut oil melted and cooled

• 2 tsp gluten-free vanilla extract

• 2 cups gluten-free measure for measure flour ( I use King Arthur cup for cup flour)

• 2 tsp gluten-free baking powder

• ¾ tsp gluten-free baking soda

• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon

• ½ tsp of salt

• 1 to 2 cups gluten-free chocolate chips (I use enjoy life mini chocolate chips)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats. I have also successfully used parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, egg, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.

3. In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice, and whisk to combine.

4. With a hand mixer on a low setting ( or whisk) slowly add dry mixture a little at a time to wet mixture until combined. Scrape the bowl down with a rubber spatula a few times in between mixing and adding dry ingredients.

5. Gently stir in chocolate chips and allow the mix to sit for 10 minutes.

6. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop round spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet leaving 1-2 inches in between each cookie.

7. Bake at 350 ℉ for 10-12 minutes or until set and slightly golden.

8. Allow cookies to rest on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before using a spatula to transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Tips

Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing them in a covered container for up to 3 days. I store mine in the refrigerator or freeze them to ensure freshness after a few days.

Building our Greenhouse

In 2019, we took the next step in our gardening adventure and built a greenhouse. Here is a timelapse of the process.

We got this greenhouse from Costco (a generous gift from my father), but it is currently sold out. The brand if Palram and you can find similar models with a google search.

My husband designed the deck and we purchased all of the materials at Home Depot. It can be disassembled into smaller pieces that fold in half so that we can move it when we relocate someday. I am so grateful to have such a handy husband. I actually saved the plans if you want to see his thought process.

Having a greenhouse is not necessary for having a successful garden. Prior to this, I started seeds inside, purchased store-bought plants, and even purchased a $50 greenhouse from Christmas Tree Shops to get us by. It actually worked well, but the cover had to be washed, dried and carefully put away each year. It got brittle with time and I eventually had to purchase a replacement cover. I also had to be very sure of the temperature each day as it did had to be manually vented. On several occasions, I had to have someone stop by and open it up while I was at work because the day turned out hotter than expected.

This tiny greenhouse served me well for many years. I recommend it. Especially if you are just starting out, or if you have a tiny budget like I did when I purchased this. I actually still have the shelves from this greenhouse and I have repurposed them in the new one.

You can find this greenhouse here: Walk-in Greenhouse

Seeds started in the pop-up greenhouse:

Seeds started indoors:

This is the first full season using the new greenhouse and it has been wonderful. I have been able to start all of my plants from seed this year and even harvest lettuce and radishes in early spring! I am looking forward to seeing what the rest of the season has in store.