Homemade Little Debbie Pumpkin Delights Recipe (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Allergy-Free)

This Homemade Little Debbie Pumpkin Delights recipe is a copycat version of the seasonal treat you know and love! A healthier gluten-free, vegan, and allergy-free recipe for the soft pumpkin spiced cookies with a spooky carved face and stuffed with pumpkin butter filling! A dessert that tastes like pumpkin pie but you don't have to wait for its limited-edition arrival!

I'm crying, are you crying? The BEST pumpkin cookie, the seasonal delight from childhood...homemade! And finally, you can make them from scratch so they're safe for food allergies and gluten-free! They're called pumpkin delights for a reason and this is just one of many. If you never had the chance to have one of these soft stuffed cookies, your seasonal pumpkin repertoire is about to get one delicious allergy-free makeover!

What are Pumpkin Delights?

Let's back up and talk about the real deal Little Debbie version first. With 8 individually wrapped cookies in each box, they're described as, "Soft baked cookies with pumpkin flavored filling and a carved pumpkin face cutout." So image a super soft, cake-like pumpkin cookie with a hit of molasses and spice, with a thin layer of sweet pumpkin butter filling inside, peeking out from a *creepy* jack-o-lantern face. I say creepy because if you take a look at the "smile" on the pumpkin cookies, you'll understand what I mean.

However, the description goes on to include, "The carved pumpkin cutout will be sure to put a smile on you and your kids’ faces. Be sure to grab a box of this cheerful treat for your yearly trip to the pumpkin patch!" (The face looks a bit sinister to me, haha!) A homemade cutout face is much cuter and includes "teeth". To me, the real cookies look like purses with faces (the pumpkin stem is also missing!) Regardless...

Ingredients you need

To make a simple gluten-free pumpkin cookie and pumpkin filling you only need a few things and one of them is a batch of homemade pumpkin butter. This recipe is literally SO easy, made in the slow cooker with a can of pumpkin puree and spices, but you can also opt to buy some pumpkin butter (which is going to be more expensive, etc.)

For the cookies:

• Gluten-Free Baking Flour
• Baking Soda
• Flax Egg
• Pumpkin Puree
• Molasses
• Brown Sugar Sweetener
• Maple Extract (or vanilla!)
• Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Ginger (or homemade pumpkin pie spice!)
• Vegan/Soy-Free Butter

A healthier gluten-free and allergy-friendly copycat

If celiac, food allergies, and vegan needs weren't in the picture, I'd buy a box in a second, wouldn't you? Since that's the only thing holding us back from these seasonal cookies, let's remove the gluten, dairy, egg, soy, and corn syrups while we're at it! This recipe is:

• Gluten-Free
• Vegan
• Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Corn-Free, Coconut-Free)
• Low in Sugar
• Nothing Artificial
• Kid-Friendly
• 100% Delicious

How to make Pumpkin Delights from scratch

Before we dive in, you need a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter! While you can use any sized cutter you can get you hands on, this 5-pack from Walmart was only 97¢. I used the second largest cutter, not too big, not too small, (about 3 inches across at its widest.

Making the cookie dough:

1. Prep the flax egg and set it aside.
2. Mix together all the dry ingredients, the flour, baking soda, and spices in a large bowl.
3. Add in the pumpkin, extract, molasses, and brown sugar at this point.
4. Then cut in the super cold butter. Use your hands to work the butter in and then place the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill (it needs to be cold!)

Prepping the cookies:

1. On a flat surface (I like greasing a silicone baking mat and sprinkling extra flour on it) roll out the chilled cookie dough to about ¼ inch thickness.
2. Using the pumpkin cutter, I was able to get 12 pumpkins, making 6 cookies. Depending on the size and thickness of the dough, you may end up with more or less. Continue to reroll the dough as needed, if it starts to get too warm, place it in the fridge again.
3. Now, take a knife and cut out two triangle eyes and a crooked toothy mouth on 6 of the pumpkin cutouts. (Don't worry, these are not masterpieces!)

Filling the cookies:

1. Place about ½ a tablespoon of pumpkin butter on 6 of the uncut pumpkins and spread it lightly around, avoid getting too close to the edges.
2. Place the 6 pumpkins with faces over the uncut cookies with the pumpkin butter and lightly use your fingers to seal the cookies all around the edges.

Baking the cookies:

1. Now bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 10-14 minutes (again, the time depends on the thickness and size of the cookies you made.
2. Remove and let them cool on a wire rack to prevent soggy bottoms!

Storage and Serving Suggestions

• Store the finished cookies in a closed container in the fridge for up to a week. They need to be refrigerated due to the pumpkin butter (which does not have preservatives!).
• Freeze the stuffed cookies by wrapping each in wax paper and then in a large plastic bag for up to 6 months for best results. You can thaw them in the fridge overnight.
• When serving the cookies, bring them to room temperature for optimal taste. I also loved giving them a quick warm in the microwave to make the pumpkin butter filling all ooey-gooey again!

Side note, I only ever had real Little Debbie Pumpkin Delights cookies ONCE! I was at a friend's house and her mom gave me a cookie to-go before I went home. I vividly remember it being delicious, which is odd since I hated pumpkin pie and pumpkin things growing up. I never one of these pumpkin cookies again though, but in recent years, seeing them hit the shelves in the Fall...I craved them (at least my "idea" of what they tasted like, haha!) Literal smiling pumpkin hand pies begging you to eat them!

This seasonal treat is SO delicious though and so darn cute! Cuter than the sinister Little Debbie version, healthier, and safe for everyone to enjoy! Serve them to the kids as a fun Halloween/Fall dessert or enjoy one yourself with a hot cup of coffee!

Little Debbie Pumpkin Delights Recipe

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Sorry, Little Debbie, but I think the Strength and Sunshine family beat you on this one! These "stuffed with pumpkin goodness" adorable gluten-free Pumpkin Delights will make EVERYONE smile for sure and we can say everyone since this homemade recipe is allergy-free and vegan too!

More Pumpkin Recipes To Try:

• Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake
• Soft & Grainless Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies
• Soft Spiced Cocoa Pumpkin Cookies
• Mini Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
• Pumpkin Mug Cake
• Crustless Pumpkin Pie

So tell me:

+ Ever have a Little Debbie Pumpkin Delight? The ONE time...but so, so good!

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