Pumpkin Honey Spice Cookies

Below is a holiday inspired recipe from the National Honey Board for Gluten-free Pumpkin Honey Spice Cookies.

I love using honey because it is a natural sweetener.  I’ve been using more of it since my brother-in-law started keeping honey bees last year. A few of my recipes that use honey include:

• Chocolate Nut Butter Date Balls
• Nutty Apricot Balls
• Honeyed Grapefruit with Pecans
• Pineapple Cinnamon Chicken
• Cranberry Salad
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Coconut

Shirley at Gluten Free Easily also keeps bees and has plenty of recipes that use honey.

I like what the National Honey Board has to say about honey,

“This pantry staple is much more than a simple sweetener. With more than 300 varietals in the United States, honey adds its own unique profile to every recipe.  In general, lighter colored honeys are milder in flavor, while darker honeys are more robust.  Besides giving a touch of sweetness to every bite, honey also adds an appealing golden color for an eye-catching, mouthwatering treat.

Plus did you know honey is the perfect ingredient for gluten-free recipes, especially baked goods. Honey not only adds moisture to gluten-free recipes, it masks “off” bitter flavors often found in gluten-free flours.”

The pumpkin, pecans, and cranberries in these cookies make them ideal for holiday gatherings, and they’re sure to be a hit.

Yield:

Pumpkin Honey Spice Cookies

Print

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups gluten-free flour blend*
• 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

Instructions

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

Notes

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