Description
Deliciously chewy and soft vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies made with only 7 simple ingredients. These cookies come together easily in one bowl, require no chilling, and are perfect for a cozy treat during pumpkin season.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup (170g) vegan butter, melted and cooled
- ¾ cup (170g) pumpkin puree, canned or homemade (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup (285g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 ⅓ cups (290g) all-purpose plain flour, or gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (see notes for homemade blend)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt (if using unsalted vegan butter)
Add-Ins
- 1 cup (170g) vegan chocolate chips and/or chopped dairy-free chocolate, plus extra for topping if desired
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Dry the Pumpkin Puree: Spread the pumpkin puree onto paper towels placed on a plate. Lightly blot or press with additional paper towels to absorb excess moisture until you have about ½ cup (115g) of slightly dried pumpkin puree. This step helps create chewy cookies.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the packed brown sugar, cooled melted vegan butter, dried pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract until well combined and smooth.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. Use a wooden spoon to mix until just combined and the dough comes together. The dough should be soft but not warm; if too soft, chill for at least 15 minutes.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips: Gently fold the vegan chocolate chips or chopped chocolate into the dough evenly.
- Shape Cookies: Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie (or use a heaped mini cookie scoop) and roll into balls. Place them on the prepared baking sheets spaced about 2 inches (5cm) apart. Flatten each ball slightly and optionally press extra chocolate chips on top.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 13-15 minutes until the edges are golden brown and look cooked, while the centers remain soft. The cookies will puff up while baking but will deflate as they cool.
- Cool and Store: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Melted vegan butter should be cooled before mixing to avoid melting the chocolate chips and overly oily dough.
- If short on time, you can use ½ cup (115g) pumpkin puree without blotting, but cookies will be slightly cakier.
- These cookies work well with King Arthur’s Measure for Measure all-purpose flour or gluten-free blends like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- Homemade pumpkin pie spice: 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon cloves. Adjust spices if you’re missing any by increasing the others.
