Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

We are celebrating pumpkin season with some amazing Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. Of all of my vegan pumpkin recipes, this twist on classic vegan chocolate chip cookies is my favorite!

Seasonally spiced, perfectly sweet, soft, chewy and crispy like the best cookies should be, they make a great fall dessert, snack or mid-afternoon treat with with a glass of cold almond milk!

In this post:

And a few ingredient notes:

• Pumpkin purée- Canned or homemade. Don’t use pumpkin pie filling or the cookies will be way over-sweetened/seasoned. Squash puree also works.
• Pumpkin spice - Sometimes called pumpkin pie spice. For that seasonal fall flavor! You can buy pumpkin spice online or at most grocery stores, or make your own blend from spices you probably already have in your pantry. Details for how to do that are in the FAQs.
• Ground flaxseed - The secret ingredient that will give these cookies the perfect cookie texture. Don't try using anything else. I tested this recipe every which way and ground flax really is the best option.
• Baking soda - Not baking powder. This is really important in this recipe because cakey cookies are not good. Baking soda delays the setting process which means your cookies will spread perfectly, and it also speeds up the Maillard reaction. This means your cookies will brown better, taste better and have the perfect cookie crispy, soft and chewy cookie texture.
• Vegan butter - A harder vegan butter like my vegan butter recipe or Earth Balance works much better than softer more margarine style ones like the tub Becel/Flora. You can also use vegan brown butter for even more amazing flavor. Just be sure to make it and give it time to cool and set before using.
• Sugar - It's important to keep the quantity exact for the cookies to spread and have the best texture. White granulated or cane sugar works better than brown sugar in this recipe.
• Vegan chocolate chips - I have been loving the Enjoy Life Mega Chunks but any dairy-free chocolate chips will do.

Expert Baking Tip - I highly recommend weighing the ingredients with a digital scale for the best results. The balance of flour to fat has to be absolutely spot-on for cookies to turn out perfectly and cups are not an accurate measure. If you absolutely have to use cups, aerate the flour with a fork, then spoon it gently into the cup without compacting it or shaking down, then level the top with a knife. Do not scoop the flour up into the cup or you will end up using WAY more than intended.

Let's make vegan pumpkin cookies! Here's a step by step guide. If you're a visual learner check out my recipe video.

The first step is to blot the pumpkin puree. This is really important and stops the cookies from becoming "cakey". All you need is some kitchen paper or a clean dish towel. Spread it on then fold the excess paper/towel over the top and press gently. Set it aside for a few minutes to soak up the moisture, then scrape the pumpkin off with a spoon.

Next we cream the butter and sugar together.

Add the pumpkin and everything else to it to make a gorgeous looking orange cookie dough!

Then we scoop and bake. Don't forget to bang the baking tray hard on the oven shelf halfway through the cooking time as per my instructions. Trust me...This trick really works to create amazing texture. I got the idea from The New York Times, although my technique is simplified a bit.

You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make sure it's well covered so there is no chance of it drying out. It will get quite hard so allow it to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before scooping and baking. You can also freeze the baked cookies or unbaked cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls straight from the freezer. Just add on an extra minute or two to the baking time.

Recipe FAQs

More Sweet Pumpkin Recipes

If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it by leaving a comment and rating below! And be sure to join my mailing list for more deliciousness!