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    Home » Recipes » Low Sugar Desserts

    Soft Pumpkin Cookies (Made with Buckwheat Flour)

    Published: Oct 26, 2022 by Lauren · This post may contain affiliate links · 8 Comments

    Jump to Recipe  ↓

    These soft pumpkin cookies are a healthy way to enjoy the flavors of Fall. They are totally gluten-free, as they are made with buckwheat flour. They're also lower in sugar, making them suitable as a nutritious midday snack!

    Stack of cookies with chocolate chips on a white plate.

    These soft, little cookies might be our new favorite pumpkin treat!

    They're made with 100% buckwheat flour, and they're also egg-free, making them a very allergy-friendly cookie. The chocolate chips give them a touch of decadence, but the cookie recipe itself is actually quite low in sugar.

    I originally posted these over six years ago and knew they needed an update this Fall.

    The kids gobbled these up, and the hubs approved of them too! (They make great snacks to send to school, by the way.)

    I love the texture the buckwheat flour lends to these. They have a chewy, addictive bite that makes (me) want to eat more and more.

    For reference, though 'wheat' is in its name, there is zero gluten in buckwheat.

    Ingredients needed

    Pumpkin puree - This provides flavor and helps hold the cookies together.

    Applesauce - Using applesauce adds sweetness, a soft texture, and helps to lower the fat a bit.

    Maple syrup and molasses - There is a modest amount of both of these natural sweeteners added. Both flavors work well with pumpkin.

    Vanilla, cinnamon, pie spice - All of these spices help to give the cookies their pumpkin spice flavor!

    Coconut oil - This adds richness and texure; see Recipe Notes below for substitution ideas.

    Baking powder, baking soda, sea salt - Baking agents help with just that...baking. The amounts used here give the cookies a little rise and expansion as well. Salt brings out all the flavors, don't forget it!

    Chocolate chips - You can also use chopped dark chocolate, which disperses easier. The kids love biting into a soft cookie with a sweet morsel of chocolate!

    How to make healthy soft pumpkin cookies

    Mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in separate bowls.

    • Flour and spices in a large white bowl.
    • Whisking pumpkin puree with oil and maple syrup.

    Add the wet ingredients to the dry mix and stir until it all comes together. Don't worry about over-mixing, as there is no gluten. Add in the chocolate, reserving a few chips for the tops of the cookies.

    • Cookie dough batter in a large bowl with a red spoon.
    • Pre-baked cookie dough on a sheet of parchment paper.

    Cookie making tips and tricks

    • Use room temperature ingredients. Butter and coconut oil clump (coconut oil, more so) when cold, so bring all ingredients to room temperature to ensure your batter is smooth.
    • Using a small ice cream scooper helps make cookies that are the same size and therefore bake in the same amount of time.
    • Measure the flour carefully. Too much flour and the cookies with be dry and dense; too little and they will fall flat. A kitchen scale helps greatly with this! It's one of the best purchases I've made.
    • Use a parchment paper-lined baking sheet to make a softer, fluffier cookie with little to no clean-up.
    • Better to under-bake than to over-bake! Over-baked cookies are dry, while under-baked cookies retain moisture and a chewier texture. When cookies are out of the oven and cooling, they continue to bake from the warmth.
    Hand holding a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie.

    Recipe notes and substitutions

    These do NOT spread when baking, so make the pre-baked shape as you want the final cookie to be.

    Use light buckwheat flour for this recipe, not the dark-colored. The lighter buckwheat flour has a much milder, pleasant taste.

    Applesauce can be substituted for pear puree, though it will have a slightly different taste.

    Melted butter or grapeseed oil are good replacements for coconut oil.

    If you don't like molasses, you can substitute honey or more maple syrup.

    Close-up of cookie with chocolate on plate with a pumpkin in the background.

    More healthy cookie recipes

    Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (NO Butter!)

    Barley Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Low Sugar Breakfast Cookies

    Stack of cookies with chocolate chips on a white plate.
    Print Recipe
    4.63 from 8 votes

    Soft Pumpkin Cookies (Egg-Free)

    Bite-sized chewy pumpkin-flavored cookies that are low in sugar and made with gluten-free buckwheat flour.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time16 mins
    Total Time26 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Cookies
    Keyword: Dairy-free, Gluten-Free, Low sugar
    Servings: 24 small cookies
    Calories: 61kcal
    Author: Lauren Goslin

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup pumpkin puree
    • ⅓ cup applesauce
    • 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla
    • ¼ cup coconut oil melted
    • 1 teaspoon molasses
    • 1 ¼ cup light buckwheat flour (about 205 grams) see Recipe Notes
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon pie spice
    • ¼ cup chocolate chips or as desired

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices).
    • In a separate medium bowl, mix wet ingredients (pumpkin, applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla, oil, molasses).
    • Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture, along with chocolate chips.
    • Use a mini ice cream scoop or a tablespoon and distribute the batter onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
    • Bake 14-17 minutes (I like mine a bit undercooked, as they can dry out if baked for too long).
    • Cool and enjoy!

    Notes

    Adapted from Dr. Mark Hyman
    WW Points: 3

    Nutrition

    Sugar: 2.9g | Fiber: 1.1g | Calories: 61kcal | Fat: 3g | Protein: 1g | Carbohydrates: 8.2g

    If you have a chance to try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below letting me know how you liked it!

    Shared with: Full Plate Thursday

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    Filed Under: Low Sugar Desserts

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Natalie

      September 16, 2021 at 9:06 am

      Yummy!

      Reply
    2. Kurt

      May 02, 2017 at 10:31 am

      Great recipe!! I hope you guys find your dream home!

      Reply
    3. Heidi

      September 16, 2016 at 9:38 am

      Can these be made with another gluten free flour?

      Reply
      • Lauren

        September 16, 2016 at 4:09 pm

        Sorry, I'm not sure!

        Reply
    4. lucie

      September 06, 2016 at 3:48 am

      These look incredible and are making me so excited for fall! Best of luck with your house!

      Reply
      • Lauren

        September 06, 2016 at 8:24 am

        Thanks Lucie!

        Reply
    5. Celeste

      September 05, 2016 at 4:22 pm

      Fingers crossed! House buying is stressful and these look super yum! Looks like my pumpkin can in the pantry will find a home soon 🙂

      Reply
      • Lauren

        September 05, 2016 at 5:27 pm

        Thanks Celeste! I hope you enjoy the cookies if you try them!

        Reply

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    Hi there, I'm Lauren Goslin, and I've been a food blogger for over ten years. My goal with this blog is to show you healthy, lower sugar recipes that my family and I enjoy.

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