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These Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect fall twist on your favorite classic cookie. They’re extra soft, chewy, and filled with fresh pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice for the ultimate seasonal dessert. All you need is 10 ingredients!
Table of Contents
Seasonal desserts have got to be one of my favorite things about Fall and the holiday season, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to merge two of my favorite things: cookies and pumpkin spice! Seriously, what could be better than a warm and soft homemade pumpkin chocolate chip cookie that’s completely vegan!?
We based this pumpkin cookie recipe off of our wildly popular Classic Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe. It is essentially the same, with a few changes to make these cookies suitable for the fall season. They’re SO delicious. I think that I might prefer this pumpkin cookie dough over the other one! It has the best flavor, and I love pumpkin-spiced anything!
If you’re also obsessed with pumpkin this time of year, make sure to give these pumpkin recipes next: Pumpkin Gnocchi, Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes, and this Pumpkin Spice Pretzel Bites with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Vegan butter – Our original Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies are made with melted coconut oil, but we find that the additional flavor in vegan butter compliments the pumpkin puree and warm spices best. It also yields a chewier cookie! That said, if you prefer to bake with coconut oil, it does work well in place of vegan butter. To avoid a coconut flavor, be sure to use refined coconut oil.
- Sugar – This cookie recipe uses both brown sugar and white sugar to create a greater depth of flavor and the perfect moist, chewy cookie. When possible, opt for organic sugars. Conventional sugars are often processed through bone char and are not technically vegan. If you’re looking for a new, quality brand of sugar, we love Wholesome Sweet Organic.
- Pumpkin puree – In addition to packing these pumpkin cookies with the best, fresh pumpkin flavor, pumpkin puree also acts as a vegan egg replacer and helps bind the cookie dough together. Make sure to use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. They are often stocked next to each other on the shelves at the grocery store but are not the same thing!
- Vanilla Extract – Adds depth of flavor and helps enhance the warmth and aromatics in the fall spices.
- All-Purpose Flour – We have made these vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with Bob’s Red Mill organic all-purpose flour and Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour, and both work well.
- Leavening agents – In addition to helping these cookies rise, the combination of baking powder and baking soda also encourages them to brown on the edges and yield a lighter, fluffier texture!
- Vegan Chocolate Chips – We like to use Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can use any brand of chocolate chips you prefer. Just check the ingredient list for sneaky milk products.
Equipment needed
- Medium Bowl
- Wire Rack for cooling your cookies
- Whisk
- Baking Tray
- Spatula
- Stand Mixer (Optional)
- Cookie Scoop
How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Combine the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, add the melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin and vanilla extract. Mix well to combine.
- Stir in the dry ingredients. Into the same bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Stir well until a cooking dough forms, then fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets. Using a tablespoon-sized scooper, drop balls of dough onto the baking sheet with 2 inches between each. We are usually able to fit 12 cookies on each sheet and bake in 3 batches (this recipe makes 3 dozen cookies!). No need to press them down.
- Bake. Bake for 13-14 minutes, or until the edges of the pumpkin cookies begin to brown, yet still have a chewy middle. The cookies will seem soft, but will continue to firm up while they cool.
- Transfer to a cooling rack. Allow the soft pumpkin cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 1 minute after baking. Then, carefully transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Good news! These vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are easy to make gluten-free. We have tested these cookies using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour and it works well. If you choose to opt for a different brand of gluten-free flour, make sure to use a similar gluten-free flour blend. Single gluten-free flours such as oat flour, almond flour, coconut flour, etc. will not work.
If you follow the recipe as written, these cookies are on the flatter side because the cookie dough is not chilled before baking. We personally prefer this because it helps to make a chewier cookie. If you prefer your cookies to be puffier and more cake-like in texture, chill the dough for a minimum of 2 hours before baking.
If you’re out of chocolate chips or simply want to switch up the flavor, try chopped pecans, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), or vegan white chocolate chips.
We know that canned pumpkin puree is not common in countries outside of North America. If that’s the case, you can make your own pumpkin puree by roasting a sugar pie pumpkin and blending it into a pureed texture using a food processor. For a complete step by step guide, check out this helpful resource: How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree.
Storage Instructions
How to store baked cookies: Leftover cookies store best in an airtight container at room temperature. When stored optimally, these cookies will last for up to 1 week.
How to store cookie dough: Raw cookie dough can be prepped in advance and refrigerated for up to 24 hours or frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, scoop the cookie dough into individual cookie dough balls and spread them on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and flash-freeze the cookie dough until frozen solid. Once frozen, transfer the cookies to a freezer-safe bag such as a Stasher bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake cookies directly from frozen for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.
How to freeze cookies: Cool the cookies to room temperature, then transfer them back to the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and flash-freeze them until the cookies are frozen solid. Once frozen, transfer the cookies to a freezer-safe bag such as a Stasher bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
More Vegan Pumpkin Recipes You May Enjoy:
Dessert
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Dessert
Classic Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Bread
Vegan Pumpkin Bread
Dessert
Pumpkin Cream Horns
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate these vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies; we’d love to see your photos!
Print
Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 36 cookies
Description
These Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect fall twist on your favorite classic cookie. They’re extra soft, chewy, and filled with fresh pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice for the ultimate seasonal dessert. All you need is 10 ingredients!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup vegan butter, melted
- 3/4 cup organic granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed organic brown sugar
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour (or sub all-purpose flour if not gluten-free)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (depending on how spicey you want it)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/4 cups vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper it a silicone mat. Keep in mind that this recipe makes 3 dozen so you will need to bake multiple batches. See notes for freezing options.
- In a large bowl, add the vegan butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin and vanilla, and mix well. Stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt until a dough forms. Lastly, mix in chocolate chips until well incorporated.
- Optional: Set the dough into the refrigerator to chill. Since we are using melted vegan butter, the cookies on their own (unchilled) will be chewier and flatter cookies. If you would like the cookies to be higher (spread less) and more cake like, set the dough in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Using a tablespoon sized scooper, drop mounds of dough onto the baking sheet 2 inches apart (we fit 12 on each sheet and baked these in 3 batches). No need to press them down.
- Place into the oven and bake for 13-14 minutes, or until the edges brown. The cookies will seem soft but don’t worry, they will firm up while they cool. Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 1 minute after removing them from the oven and then carefully transfer them onto a cooling rack using a spatula. Cool completely.
Notes
- This recipe is adapted from our Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.
- Coconut oil works well in place of the vegan butter. If you would like to avoid a coconut-y flavor, be sure to use refined coconut oil.
- If you would like to save this dough for later, you can freeze it! Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and use a cookie scooper to evenly scoop mounds of the dough. You can line them up close together since you are not baking them. Once you have scooped out all of the dough, place the baking sheet into the freezer for 30-60 minutes (the longer the better). Remove the dough mounds from the trays and transfer them to a freezer safe bag. Be sure to keep note of when you freeze them + what time and temperature you need to bake them at! Since the dough is frozen, it might require 1 to 2 minutes or even longer for baking.
- Store in an airtight container for 1 week.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Vegan
Keywords: Dessert, Cookies, Vegan, Gluten free, Pumpkin, chocolate chip
Nutrition facts label provided by Nutri Fox.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional’s advice. This page may contain affiliate links, which simply means that we earn a commission if you purchase through those links, but your price remains the same. Thank you for supporting Sweet Simple Vegan!
I generally liked these. I used the suggested gluten-free 1-to-1 flour but did not have vegans to please, so non-vegan chocolate chips and butter. Using a tablespoon measuring spoon yielded way more than 36 cookies, and when I went back & looked, the link for the scooper was to a *2 Tablespoon scoop* not the “1 Tbsp” in the recipe, so ?? However, although the cookies were smaller, they didn’t overbake at 13 minutes, so it’s ok. Also, while tasty, I didn’t get a strong pumpkin taste out of these. I would try again & maybe adjust the puree and pumpkin pie spice to get more out of them, but definitely will go in my recipe box to use again!
★★★★
These are absolutely delicious and so easy to make. Pairs nicely with a glass of apple cider 😉 10/10 will make again.
★★★★★
We love these cookies!! I have made for years now!! They are my husband’s favorite cookies 🍪. I now use them as my fall cookies! Thank you so much for the recipe!!
★★★★★
These are fantastic!! I followed the recipe exactly, they are perfect!
Thank you so much for creating this perfect fall pumpkin cookie and making it vegan *and* gluten free!!! I have recently been diagnosed with celiac disease and I used to love to bake, but my sad attempts at making gluten free baked goods have been typically gooey, weird, and never tasting good. These are so easy to make, come out fluffy and cooked perfectly, and have such a good pumpkin flavor! Thank you so much. Having celiac is a constant feeling of fomo, especially during the holidays. *insert happy pumpkin loving tears*
★★★★★
I make these pretty much once a month and love them!
Very yummy, I didn’t use gluten free flour though.
★★★★★
These are great! Love the pumpkin spice flavor with the chocolate chips.
★★★★★
These are absolutely amazing! So fluffy – almost like a mix between pumpkin bread and chocolate chip cookies. I used coconut sugar instead of brown + cane sugar and I used a cup of almond meal in place of one of the cups of gf flour and they turned out great.
My friend made these and they were AMAZING!!! I’ve been have 2-3 a day ????????♀️ I can’t wait to make a batch! Thanks so much!! Excited to see what other yummies you have on here!
★★★★★
Just made these and I’m so impressed. They were every simple to make and carry so much flavor!!
★★★★★