Autumn isn’t complete without indulging in these vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. They always turn out delightfully soft and chewy, and are easy to make in 1 bowl. The perfect fall treat!
Looking for a pumpkin cookie without the chocolate chips? Check out my Vegan Pumpkin Cookies instead. They’re super soft and topped with a tangy and sweet frosting.
While fall is the best time of year to bake with pumpkin, you don’t always need to go all out with a Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake or a Vegan Pumpkin Roll. Instead, keep it simple with these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. They’re perfectly soft, easy to make in 1 bowl, and are a great fit for fancy and casual get-togethers!
They’re a fun play on my Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies but made with the comforting addition of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. And despite the added moisture in the dough, they never turn out cakey. Instead, the cookies have crisp edges and a gooey, chewy middle. Yum!
Why you should try these chewy, never cakey pumpkin cookies ASAP:
- No fancy ingredients necessary. All you need are a handful of the usual baking staples, plus a few fall favorites (like pumpkin puree and warm spices).
- A casual fall dessert. Make a fresh batch of pumpkin cookies to enjoy throughout fall and winter. Pack them up for a trip to the pumpkin patch or serve them for dessert at Thanksgiving and Christmas. They’re even freezer-friendly, meaning you can freeze the extras and enjoy a cookie whenever a craving comes on.
- Soft, chewy, and beautifully spiced. These cookies are never cakey, only chewy, soft, and slightly crisp on the outside. A mix of cinnamon and pumpkin spices (nutmeg, cloves, allspice, etc.) add layers of warmth throughout each bite, giving these cookies that distinct comforting fall feel.
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Vegan butter – My favorite vegan butter for baking is ​​Miyoko’s. I have, however, tried countless vegan butter brands (and even my own homemade butter) and each one works great! Coconut oil could also be used as a substitute. Go ahead and use what’s available to you.
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar – Both of these sugars will sweeten the cookies while contributing to their deep, caramel-like flavors. Feel free to substitute one or the other with another granulated sugar, like cane sugar or coconut sugar.
- Pumpkin puree – Make sure you buy pure pumpkin puree and not canned pumpkin pie filling. Organic pumpkin puree is best when you want to flavor the cookies with a true pumpkin flavor and vibrant orange color. Otherwise, I recommend reading up on the best canned pumpkin before you start baking. Using a quality brand is the best way to make irresistible pumpkin desserts!
- Vanilla extract
- All purpose flour – I always have the best results when I make these cookies with all purpose flour. If you need them to be gluten free, try using a gluten free flour blend, like King Arthur and Better Batter. Almond flour won’t work as a substitute.
- Cornstarch – To help the cookies turn out extra soft and chewy. You can use tapioca starch or arrowroot instead, or leave it out entirely.
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon – You need both ground cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice for balance.
- Pumpkin pie spice – Pumpkin spice is an easy blend of warm spices usually made from cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and ginger (here are the exact measurements of each). If you don’t want to make it yourself, buy a pre-mixed blend instead.Â
- Vegan chocolate chips – My favorite vegan chocolate chips are from Trader Joe’s and Enjoy Life. Be sure to always check the ingredients on the packaging – you never know when a brand could be accidentally vegan!
How to make vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
Beat the vegan butter and sugars together in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. After about 2 minutes, the mixture should look light, fluffy, and creamy. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla, then mix until they’re just combined.
Next, add the flour. Sprinkle the cornstarch, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice over top before gently mixing on low speed. Only mix until the dry ingredients are just incorporated into the wet.
Finish by folding the chocolate chips in with the batter.
Cover the bowl of cookie dough with plastic and place it in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour. Don’t skip this or else the cookies will not be chewy.
When they’re done chilling, use a cookie scoop to form small cookie dough balls. Roll each one in your hands to smooth out the edges, then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently flatten them with your hands to help them spread in the oven.
Bake the pumpkin cookies until they’re lightly golden and crisp around the edges. Let them cool on the pan for a few minutes, then on a wire rack. Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
- Can they be made gluten free? Yes, you can substitute the all purpose flour with a gluten free blend to make gluten free pumpkin cookies. Almond flour will not work in this recipe. It’s better off in my Almond Flour Cookies.
- How long do they last? The cookies will stay fresh for up to 1 week when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Keep them in the fridge if you’d like them to last longer.
- Are they freezer-friendly? Yes! They can be frozen for up to 3 months, helping you stay prepared for the holiday season.
Want more vegan cookie recipes?
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Lofthouse Cookies
- Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, melted
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips, plus some extra for the tops
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or other large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the vegan butter and sugar together until creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla and mix until combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Stop the mixer and add the flour. Sprinkle the cornstarch, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice on top of the flour. Turn the mixer on low speed and mix until just combined. Scrape the bottom and sides to make sure everything is well combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips to incorporate.
- Cover the bowl and chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour. If you skip this step, the cookies won't be very chewy. So chill if you can!
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- With a cookie scoop or spoon, scoop the dough and place on the prepared cookie sheets. Flatten the cookies with your hands, as they won't spread very much as they bake. Place a few more chocolate chips on top of each cookie, if desired.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes until lightly golden on the edges. They will look soft and a little puffy but will get chewy as they cool. Do not over bake. Let them cool for 5 minutes on the pan before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Notes
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The cookies will stay good in a covered container for up to a week and they freeze well.
I’m wondering if you could use this pumpkin cookie recipe in place of a sugar cookie in order to decorate with icing. I’m a novice baker, so excuse me.
I don’t know if they’d be too soft I supposed the biggest challenge would be cookie cutters with this sort of dough.
Any suggestions for what I’m trying to accomplish?
I don’t really think this particular recipe would work well for rolling and cutting, like you would sugar cookies. I would probably make my Vegan Sugar Cookies, and add 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice mix to the dough. Adding actual pumpkin makes the dough quite soft and I don’t know how that would work for sugar cookies.
Hi! I made these recently and the batter itself was very fluffy, and I couldn’t get them into the thick balls of dough that are shown in the picture. When I baked them they turned out quite flat, and they fall apart. I am wondering if I did something wrong/ any suggestions? The taste is amazing!
I’m not sure why your dough would be fluffy; are you sure all the amounts of ingredients were measured correctly? It sounds like the batter was very wet for some reason. Did you chill the dough?
Nora, you did it again!!! 🤩
Outstanding recipe! Made it twice prior to making it for my daughter preschool’s Thanksgiving Feast last week. Kids absolutely loved it and in my personal opinion: those cookies taste even better after couple of days..if there are any left!
These cookies are soo good! Thank you!
I’m really glad you loved them! Thanks for your wonderful feedback!
So delicious!!! Not crumbly at all, yet melt in your mouth goodness! The grandkids loved them.
Hi Connie. I’m glad you love the cookies, and that you grandchildren do as well! That’s always fun! Thank you for sharing your great feedback!
These cookies are amazing! Thank you for this delicious recipe, will definitely be a repeat!!
You are welcome, Miranda! I’m happy that you love them! Thank you for your fantastic feedback!
Mine turned out really flat.  I am not sure what I did wrong (yes, I chilled). I will probably try once more, because my kids said they tasted good and I want to figure out how to get them like your pictures.  🙂
Hi Jamie. This can happen when too much liquid is in the cookie dough (was it really soft or sticky?), the oven was too hot, or the butter just wasn’t cold enough. Next time, you could try forming the cookie dough balls and placing them in the freezer before baking or try lowering the oven temp to 325ºF. And if your dough seems too wet, feel free to add a little more flour to help bulk it up. Hope this helps!
Can I refrigerate dough overnight? Gluten free and gluten flour? Thx
These can be made using a gluten free flour blend. I suggest King Arthur or Better Batter. The dough should be fine in th refrigerator overnight.
I only had time to chill the batter for 20 minutes before baking, but they turned out great. Scrumptious cookies with a great mix of pumpkin and chocolate. I served them to friends who loved them too!Â
Hi Kayci. How wonderful the cookies turned out great for you! I’m so happy everyone loved them! Thank you for taking time to share your positive feedback!
The recipe says melted butter, but the steps mention creaming the butter and sugar which is usually the decription for softened (not melted) butter. Can you confirm if butter should be melted?
Hi there! The butter should be melted, that is correct. I don’t see anywhere that I say to cream the butter and sugar together. I do say to beat them together which is correct. Hope that helps clarify!
Thanks for your reply! I used the melted butter and my cookies were flat, but delicious. The dough was frozen for several hours. I’ll try some of your suggestions to others of forming the dough and freezing the cookie tray and lowering the temp. The dough didn’t seem too wet.
They were still very tasty and easy to make.
I used softened, room temperature butter and the cookies still turned out great.
Hi! I don’t know if I should make these or your other pumpkin cookies. The other ones have much more pumpkin puree so does that mean they have more pumpkin flavor?
Hi Amy. I do think the pumpkin cookies have more pumpkin flavor. Both are delicious!
These look perfect! Can’t wait to make them!
Could these be made the night before and baked in the morning so I can bring fresh cookies to class?
I can’t wait for you to try them, Kate! Yes, you can prepare the dough and leave it (covered) overnight in the fridge and bake the next day.
OK so I made these yesterday and refrigerated them overnight and baked this morning and brought in to my class-the students LOVED them! So many of them asked for the recipe I just sent them all the link to this recipe. One student who is vegan was really surprised that he could eat them and is excited to find your blog! Thanks for being a great resource for super easy recipes!
That is so awesome, Kate! How fun you made these for your class! Thanks for sharing my recipe with your class! I appreciate you taking time to get back to me about how the cookies turned out! Wishing you a wonderful fall season!
No, thank you! These cookies really made my day! Your site is the first place I go for vegan recipes because they are so easy and you tend not to use unusual ingredients. Happy autumn!