Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are one of the best fall desserts! They are super soft, gooey, thick, and made with real pumpkin purée. The easy one-bowl recipe is sweetened with brown sugar, loaded with chocolate chips, and contains warm fall spices. It’s a seasonal twist on a classic cookie recipe that everyone loves!

While the fall season is only just beginning, I couldn’t wait a single minute longer to get this pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe to you. I know this fall dessert is guaranteed to become a seasonal favorite in your household. You’ll want to make them again and again – so run, don’t walk, to the kitchen and get ready to bake!

These pumpkin cookies are a seasonal twist on my classic Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies. They have all the components of a truly mouthwatering cookie: a moist and gooey center, crispy exterior, and lots of chocolate chips. What sets them apart from all the rest, though? They are flavored with real pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie spice. Each bite contains a delicious hint of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger!

Although this is not your average cookie recipe, they are surprisingly EASY to make. There is no chilling needed, allowing them to be ready in 30 minutes or less from start to finish. You just need one bowl to create the cookie dough, which makes the clean-up process effortless.

These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are:

• Vegan, dairy-free, and can be gluten-free
• Moist and gooey inside, yet crispy and chewy outside
• Perfectly sweet & packed with warm fall flavors
• A no chill cookie dough recipe
• Perfect for holidays, like Halloween and Thanksgiving

Ingredients for pumpkin cookies

• Flour – Like all cookie recipes, all-purpose flour provides structure. If you follow a gluten-free diet, I suggest using a GF flour blend that contains xanthan gum. Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour is a great choice.
• Pumpkin – Be sure to use pumpkin purée (from a can) instead of pumpkin pie filling.
• Vegan butter – I’m a firm believer that the best cookies are made with butter! Since this is a vegan dessert, we’ll use dairy-free butter. I love the Earth Balance tub butter (not buttery sticks).
• Sugar – A combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar create a chewy texture and sweet flavor.
• Chocolate chips – Add an entire cup (or more) of chocolate chips for delicious pockets of melted chocolate in each bite.
• Baking soda – This leavener helps the cookies rise while baking in the oven.
• Pumpkin pie spice – This fall spice blend typically contains cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice. If you cannot find any in a grocery store, you can easily make your own at home.
• Cinnamon – Pumpkin pie spice already contains cinnamon, but I really enjoy adding extra.
• Vanilla – Vanilla extract improves the sweet flavor and complements the warm autumn spices.
• Salt – A dash of salt balances all of the other ingredients. I also recommend sprinkling flaky sea salt on top!

How to make vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

For the full ingredient measurements and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to view the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Begin by adding vegan butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to a large bowl. Using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer, cream the ingredients together for 1-2 minutes. Then, add pumpkin purée and vanilla extract. Cream together once more until evenly combined.

Next, add all-purpose flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt to the bowl. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until evenly combined. Then, add the chocolate chips and mix together.

After, scoop the vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookie dough into balls. Transfer them to a baking sheet and bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes. (Scroll down to read my baking tips for perfect cookies!)

Finally, remove the cookies from the oven while they appear slightly underbaked. Bang the baking sheet against the countertop several times, then let the cookies continue to rest on the baking sheet until cooled. Enjoy!

Tips for making the best vegan pumpkin cookies

Under-bake the cookies – Keep an eye on your cookies near the end of the baking time. You should remove them from the oven while they still appear slightly underbaked. The cookies will be puffy and gooey when you take them out of the oven, but they will naturally firm up and de-puff while cooling. This is the best way to achieve a soft and chewy texture.

Bang the pan after baking – After you remove the cookies from the oven, aggressively bang the bottom of the baking sheet against the countertop 4-5 times. This will help the cookies de-puff and become chewier.

Use vegan butter from a tub – For the best results, I recommend using vegan butter from a tub instead of buttery sticks. I use the Earth Balance brand.

Bake on the middle rack – For even baking, bake one the cookies one tray at a time on the middle rack in your oven.

Add flaky sea salt on top – I personally love sprinkling flaky sea salt over the top of my freshly-baked cookies. It improves the flavor and gives them a professional “bakery style” appearance!

Let the cookies cool – I know, it’s tough. Your kitchen smells heavenly and you’re tempted to devour the cookies immediately. However, letting these pumpkin cookies cool down is a key step to enjoying the best flavor and texture. As they cool, they’ll slowly become chewy instead of cakey.

How to store these fall cookies

Store any leftover pumpkin cookies in a sealed container at room temperature. Be sure they are cooled completely before transferring them to the container. Freshly baked cookies are best on day 1 and day 2, but they’ll keep for up to 5 days.

If you would like to store them longterm, place a piece of parchment paper in between each cookie. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Alternatively, you can make the pre-baked cookie dough ahead of time and store it in the freezer for later.

If you try these Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Instagram and YouTube!

Print

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use, trust, and love!