My Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are perfectly sweet and seasonally spiced. Soft and chewy on the inside and crunchy on the outside, this sweet treat is perfect for your fall celebrations and holidays get-togethers!
We’re celebrating pumpkin season with these delightfully soft and chewy Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Seasonally spiced and perfectly sweet, these pumpkin cookies make a great fall dessert, snack or mid-afternoon treat. They are a great option for when you need to make something quick and easy to take to a holiday celebration or you have friends or family coming to visit at short notice and want to make the house smell amazing!
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This recipe was so worth the countless test batches I had to go through. Finally, I found the best method for perfect, soft, scrumptious, and chewy pumpkin cookies!
Enjoy them with a glass of dairy-free milk, vegan hot chocolate or a pumpkin spice latte for a comforting treat. They are freezer-friendly too, so you can prepare a batch way ahead of time and throw them in the oven when you feel a craving coming on.
What ingredients do you need and why
Here's what you'll be needing to make these vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies:
For detailed measurements and instructions, scroll to my printable recipe card at the bottom of the page or click the "jump to recipe" button at the top of the page.
- Pumpkin puree - Delicious, seasonal, and also acts as an egg replacement. Just don’t use pumpkin pie filling or else the cookies will be way over-sweetened/seasoned.
- Pumpkin spice - For that seasonal fall flavour! You can buy pumpkin spice online or make your own from spices you probably already have in your pantry. I have included a recipe for homemade pumpkin spice just below. You can also just use some cinnamon instead. Details are in the recipe.
- Ground flaxseed - The secret ingredient that will bind everything together and give these cookies the perfect cookie texture. Don't try using anything else. I tested this recipe every which way and flax really is the best option.
- Vegan butter - For buttery flavour and essential for the cookies to spread just perfectly.
- Sugar - Bear in mind that if you change the sugar used it will affect how the cookies spread and also their texture. White granulated or cane sugar works best for this recipe.
- All-purpose flour - I find this is the best option to work with in this recipe both flavour and texture-wise.
- Dairy-free chocolate chips - I have been loving the Enjoy Life Mega Chunks for this recipe. They make the cookies feel so decadent because they are so big and chunky, but you can use any other dairy-free chocolate chip brand you like.
How to make vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
Ok, so you've got your ingredients rounded up. Let's see how it’s done:
Start with the pumpkin - We need to blot it to soak the excess moisture ou. This is really important and stops the cookies from becoming "cake-y". Just spread the pumpkin in a thinnish layer between paper towels or a clean, lint-free dish towel (it will likely stain so use an old one) and let it soak for a few minutes, then scrape it off with a spoon.
Make the cookie dough - Cream the vegan butter and sugar together. Add the ground flax, pumpkin spice, vanilla, pumpkin, flour, salt and baking soda to the bowl and mix together. Lastly, fold in the chocolate chips to finish.
Shape the cookies - No chilling is required for this vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe so you can bake them immediately. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out balls of dough and place them 3 inches apart onto the prepared baking tray.
Bake the cookies - Cook for 7 minutes, then lift the tray 4 inches above the oven shelf and let it fall back down (this knocks the air out of the cookies). Continue baking for another 6 or 7 minutes until they’re starting to turn golden brown around the edges. Once they’re out of the oven, give the tray a sharp tap to remove any air before leaving the cookies to cool. The tap really helps the texture!
How to make your own pumpkin spice
Make your own pumpkin spice mix by combining:
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Add to a jar, seal it and give it a shake to mix everything together.
It’s a great spice to keep around for more pumpkin recipes, like my Vegan Pumpkin Pie or Double Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins.
Success tips
My tips for making your vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies the best they can be:
- Removing the excess liquid from the pumpkin puree is SO important before making the dough. It’s a surefire way to prevent the dough from becoming too wet and the baked cookies from being cake-y.
- The ground flaxseed is crucial for the texture of the cookies, so don’t replace it with anything else.
- I strongly encourage you to weigh the ingredients rather than using measuring cups. If the ingredients are measured exactly, the cookies turn out perfect. Even the smallest change will affect how the cookies turn out.
- Use a cookie or lever ice cream scoop to get evenly sized balls of dough. When they are different sizes your cookies will bake at different speeds. Smaller ones could potentially overbake or burn, while larger ones won't be cooked enough.
- Trust me: the tray dropping/tapping trick really works! You may feel crazy while you’re doing it, but it’s for the sake of the best cookies ever! I got the cookie banging idea from The New York Times although my technique is simplified a bit.
- Do you like your cookies on the crunchier side? Just bake them for an additional 2 or 3 minutes.
Ways you can adapt this recipe
- The pumpkin can be replaced with sweet potato puree or butternut squash puree. Make sure to follow the same process of removing the excess liquid as instructed in the directions.
- Leave the chocolate chips out or replace them with chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts.
- If you don't have pumpkin spice you can make your own blend or just use ½ teaspoon of cinnamon instead.
- Add some finely grated orange zest to the cookie dough. It works really well with the pumpkin, spice and chocolate flavours.
- Try sprinkling some flakey sea salt over the cookies before or after baking. You can't beat Maldon Sea Salt Flakes!
- This recipe can easily be scaled up or down to make more or less cookies.
Storing and freezing
After the cookies have been baked and cooled completely, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They can also be frozen.
If you want to freeze the cookie dough, scoop the balls of dough and place them onto a lined baking tray. Place the whole tray in the freezer until the dough is hard, then transfer to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. They will keep for up to 2 months.
When it’s time to bake, remove the dough from the freezer, lay it out on a lined baking tray, and cook as per the instructions but add on an extra minute or two.
Hungry for more?
It’s never a bad time for cookies! Make sure you try out all of these recipes:
- Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Molasses Cookies
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies with rosemary and cranberries
- Healthy Pumpkin Cookies
- Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
- Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
Subscribe to my email list for a fabulous FREE eCookbook featuring my top 10 recipes. Being on the list means you will be first to see my new recipes and you’ll be kept in the loop on all things new and exciting too. Also be sure to check out my cookbook Vegan Comfort Cooking for even more recipes!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 135 grams / ½ cup + 2 tablespoons vegan butter , slightly softened
- 100 grams / ½ cup sugar , cane or granulated white
- 125 grams / 1 cup all purpose flour , (plain flour in the UK)
- 17 grams / 3 tablespoons ground flax seed , (don't use anything else. It's crucial for the texture)
- 80 grams / ⅓ cup pumpkin puree , not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice , (see recipe notes for alternative)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda , (bicarbonate of soda in the UK)
- 135 grams / ¾ cup dairy-free chocolate chips
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
I highly recommend weighing the ingredients with a digital scale for best results.
- Preheat oven to 350° F (176 °C) and place one of the oven shelves in the top half of the oven, about ¾ up from the bottom of the oven.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set the tray aside making sure it is away from the warm oven while you make the cookie dough.
- Take some kitchen paper or a clean lint-free dish towel (that you don't mind getting stained), and spoon the pumpkin puree onto one side of it. Spread it out quite thin with a spoon then fold the paper towel or dish towel over the top. Press down on it a bit to encourage the liquid from it to absorb then set aside and leave it for a few minutes. This step is important to remove excess moisture from the pumpkin puree.
- To a mixing bowl add the softened butter and sugar. Mix together with a spatula until combined.
- Add the flour, ground flax, pumpkin spice, vanilla, salt and baking soda to the bowl.
- With a metal spoon, scrape the pumpkin puree off the kitchen paper and into the mixing bowl. Mix everything together, making sure it's nice and smooth with no visible lumps of pumpkin or butter. Don't overmix.
- Add the chocolate chips and stir them through so they are evenly dispersed.
- No chilling of the dough is required so you can bake right away. Using a lever ice cream scoop or a cookie scoop to scoop out the dough onto the prepared baking tray so they are at least 3 inches apart. My scoop holds 3 tablespoons of cookie dough. If yours is significantly different your cookies could take more or less time to cook so adjust accordingly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 7 minutes then lift the tray (using oven gloves) a good 4 inches above the oven shelf then let it fall back onto the shelf. This will knock the air out of the cookies and improve the texture. Bake for another 6 to 7 minutes until just starting to get a golden hint around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and give the tray a really sharp tap on either the oven shelf, the stovetop or a cutting board, then allow the cookies to cool on the tray.
NOTES
Success Tips
- Removing the excess liquid from the pumpkin puree is SO important before making the dough. It’s a surefire way to prevent the dough from becoming too wet and the baked cookies from being cake-y.
- The ground flaxseed is crucial for the texture of the cookies, so don’t replace it with anything else.
- I strongly encourage you to weigh the ingredients rather than using measuring cups. If the ingredients are measured exactly, the cookies turn out perfect. Even the smallest change will affect how the cookies turn out.
- Use a cookie or lever ice cream scoop to get evenly sized balls of dough. When they are different sizes your cookies will bake at different speeds. Smaller ones could potentially overbake or burn, while larger ones won't be cooked enough.
- Trust me: the tray dropping/tapping trick really works! You may feel crazy while you’re doing it, but it’s for the sake of the best cookies ever!
- Do you like your cookies on the crunchier side? Just bake them for an additional 2 or 3 minutes.
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Or just use ½ a teaspoon of cinnamon instead.
Storage and freezing - After the cookies have been baked and cooled completely, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They can also be frozen. If you want to freeze the cookie dough, scoop the balls of dough and place them onto a lined baking tray. Place the whole tray in the freezer until the dough is hard, then transfer to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. They will keep for up to 2 months. When it’s time to bake, remove the dough from the freezer, lay it out on a lined baking tray, and cook as per the instructions but add on an extra minute or two.
NUTRITION
Nutritional information is provided for convenience & as a courtesy. The data is a computer generated estimate so should be used as a guide only.
Frequently Asked Questions
I haven’t tested a gluten-free version of these cookies. A comparable 1for 1 gluten-free flour blend could potentially work in replacement of the all purpose flour. Just note that the texture will be very different.
The cookies will stay thick and domed in shape if you use oil. They won't spread and become flat. They also won't have quite as good a texture.
Jill says
I am not a lover of sweet spices so I left it out altogether, they were still great!