Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
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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.
More vegan pumpkin desserts
- Gooey Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
- Pumpkin Mug Cake (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
- No-Bake Pumpkin Energy Balls
- Pumpkin Pie Fudge
More vegan cookie recipes
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Trail Mix Cookies
- Easy Vegan Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Monster Cookies
- Vegan Snickerdoodle Cookies
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
Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 10 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are one of the BEST fall desserts! The easy recipe is made with pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and loaded with chocolate chips. These fall cookies are soft, chewy, gooey, and great for cozy baking. Enjoy them during the autumn season or for Halloween and Thanksgiving! #pumpkin #pumpkinspice #chocolatechipcookies #vegancookies #pumpkindessert #falldesserts #fallbaking
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, slightly softened
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (or GF all-purpose flour)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add vegan butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to a large bowl. Using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together (about 1-2 minutes). Add pumpkin purée and vanilla extract. Cream together once more to combine.
- Add all-purpose flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt to the bowl. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet batter, mixing until evenly combined. Then, add the chocolate chips and mix together.
- Scoop the pumpkin chocolate chip cookie dough into balls and transfer to the baking sheet. (See notes for baking tips.)
- Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes on the middle rack of your oven. Remove cookies from the oven while they still appear slightly underbaked. Then, bang the baking sheet against the counter 4-5 times. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet while cooling down. They will firm up, de-puff, and become chewier while cooling. Enjoy!
Notes
- Baking tips: I recommend baking 10 large cookies. Scoop the cookie dough into 10 balls, then bake 5 cookies (one tray at a time) on the middle rack in your oven.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 38g
- Fat: 15g
- Carbohydrates: 59g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
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Not sure what I have done wrong followed all the instructions.. they taste delicious but more cakey then cookie and def not the same colour as yours. I’m cooking next batch atm and have spread Down slightly think thar will work better
Hi Ashleigh! I am so sorry these didn’t bake to your expectations. I would love to help you identify what went wrong! These cookies are soft-baked, thick, and fluffy. If they were too cakey for your liking, too much flour was likely used. Did you make sure to weigh the flour or, at the very least, gently spoon it into the measuring cup (instead of packing it)? If you scoop/pack the flour, it will create cookies that are far too cakey.
This is an absolutely PERFECT cookie recipe.
Thank you so much, Elle! I’m so glad you enjoyed these vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies 🙂
Hey 🙂
Sounds and looks super nice, I want to give it a try soon! 🙂
If I wanted to make many smaller cookies, what would be your suggestion concering the baking time? Also I consider changing all.purpose flour to oat flour and whole wheat four (1:1). What do you think about that? 🙂
Thank you in advance! 🙂
Hi, Zsófia! Thank you so much 🙂 I suggest baking the cookies for 7-8 minutes if they are going to be smaller. Keep an eye on the cookies while they bake after about 7-8 minutes to determine whether they need a bit more time. In regard to the flour, I have not tried this recipe with oat flour and whole wheat flour. I’m sure it will still create delicious cookies though! The texture just won’t be the exact same as all-purpose flour. Happy baking! 🙂
Hi Kaylie! I’m excited to try your recipe for Thanksgiving this year and would like to know more about making it ahead of time. Would I freeze it already scooped into balls? And do I need to let it thaw from being frozen before baking? Thank you!
Hey, Rita! I recommend preparing the cookie dough in a bowl ahead of time and leaving it in the refrigerator (with cling wrap covering it). It can sit in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Once you are ready to bake, let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before scooping and rolling into balls. Happy baking, and happy early Thanksgiving! 🙂