Vegan Pumpkin Cookies with Chocolate Chips
These vegan pumpkin cookies with chocolate chips are soft, cozy, cake-like little rounds spiced with pumpkin pie spice and studded with dark chocolate. They come together in one bowl with pumpkin puree, coconut oil, and coconut sugar, so there are no eggs, no butter, and no dairy anywhere in the recipe. If you want a fast autumn bake that tastes like a pumpkin spice latte in cookie form, this is the one to make.
When I think of autumn, I automatically associate it with yellow leaves, cinnamon, and, of course, pumpkin. If you’re the same as me, then you’ll definitely love these vegan pumpkin cookies! That’s why today I decided to embrace autumn with a wonderful recipe for vegan pumpkin cookies with chocolate chips. I’ve been trying every year to perfect this recipe, and this year I think I’ve finally made it. It’s the most perfect balance, and I feel like I wouldn’t change a thing, so I am finally ready to share this recipe with you!
What goes into these pumpkin cookies
The ingredient list is short and every item earns its place. Pumpkin puree is the heart of the recipe, bringing moisture, color, and that unmistakable autumn flavor. Use plain pumpkin puree, not sweetened pumpkin pie filling, so you stay in control of the sweetness. Coconut oil should be soft (spoonable, not liquid and not rock hard), because that texture is what lets it whisk smoothly with the sugar. Coconut sugar and molasses give these cookies their deep, caramel-brown warmth. Pumpkin pie spice is the flavor engine, and dark chocolate chips add pockets of melty contrast against the spiced, cake-like crumb. If you keep these cookies fully vegan, double-check that your chocolate chips are dairy-free, since some brands slip in milk solids.
How to make them turn out right
This is a one-bowl, no-mixer recipe, so the technique is mostly about order and restraint. Whisk the soft coconut oil and sugar together first until smooth, then stir in the molasses, milk, and pumpkin puree so the wet base is fully combined before any flour goes in. Whisk your dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice) separately so the leavening and spice are evenly distributed, then fold the two together just until a thick batter forms. Mix as little as possible once the flour is in: overworking the batter develops gluten and gives you tough, dense cookies instead of soft ones. Scoop about a tablespoon per cookie so they bake evenly, and pull them when they are set and lightly golden at the edges. Because these are a soft, cake-style cookie, the centers should still look tender, not dry, when they come out.
One honest heads-up on the oven: 200 C is a hot setting for a soft cookie, so watch the first tray closely and use it to calibrate. If the bottoms are browning faster than the tops set, drop the temperature slightly on the next batch. Ovens vary, and the visual cue (set surface, golden edge) matters more than the clock.
Why the pumpkin makes them so soft
Pumpkin puree is doing double duty here. It replaces the fat and binding you would normally get from eggs or extra butter, and because it holds a lot of water, it keeps the crumb moist and gives these cookies their signature tender, almost cakey bite. That same moisture is why they lean soft rather than crisp, and why they are so forgiving to make. The coconut oil adds richness and helps the edges set, while the molasses deepens both the color and the flavor so the cookies taste warmer and more caramelized than the short ingredient list would suggest.
Storing and making them ahead
Because they are soft and moisture-rich, these cookies keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for about three to four days. If your kitchen is warm, or you want them to last longer, move them to the fridge, where they will hold for up to a week. They also freeze nicely: layer them between sheets of parchment in a freezer-safe container and thaw at room temperature when a pumpkin craving hits. I always get impatient when I have to wait for my food to get cooked in the oven, but this is not the case with these cookies, since it’s a really simple and fast recipe. I bet they won’t resist being eaten long enough to need storing at all.
If you love baking your way through the cooler months, these cookies sit happily alongside more of my autumn favorites. Try them next to a batch of vegan thumbprint cookies or these vegan whole grain cookies for a cozy cookie spread, and pour a mug of homemade vegan hot chocolate to go with them. For more seasonal inspiration, browse all my vegan pumpkin recipes.
I shared these with some of my friends and every single one of them was amazed, so I’m hopeful they’ll win you over too. If you bake a batch, please rate the recipe below and leave a comment telling me how your cookies turned out, whether you kept them soft and gooey or baked them a touch longer for crisper edges. Just let me know if you enjoyed this recipe, I am always curious about the feedback of my recipes!
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Vegan Pumpkin Cookies with Chocolate Chips
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut oil soft
- ¾ cups coconut sugar
- 2 Tbsp molasses
- 2 Tbsp almond milk
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 C.
- Line a large baking tray with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the coconut oil, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
- Stir in the molasses, coconut milk and pumpkin puree until incorporated.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and mix well to combine until a thick batter forms.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop about one tablespoon of batter for each cookie on the prepared baking tray.
- Bake until set and golden.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The recipe uses coconut oil, coconut sugar, molasses, almond milk, and pumpkin puree, with no eggs, butter, or dairy. The only thing to double-check is your chocolate chips, since some dark chocolate brands include milk solids. Choose certified dairy-free chips to keep the cookies fully vegan.
Yes, homemade pumpkin puree works well. Roast or steam the pumpkin until very soft, blend it smooth, and drain off excess liquid so it is thick like canned puree. Watery puree can throw off the batter consistency and make the cookies spread or turn gummy. Whatever you use, make sure it is plain pumpkin, not sweetened pumpkin pie filling.
That soft, cake-like texture is normal for pumpkin cookies. Pumpkin puree holds a lot of moisture and acts like a binder, which keeps the crumb tender rather than chewy. If you prefer a firmer cookie, bake them a little longer until the edges are more golden, but expect a soft center.
Brown sugar is the closest one-to-one swap, since it brings the same caramel notes and a bit of molasses character. Regular granulated sugar works too, though the cookies will taste slightly less deep and warm. Keep the amount the same as the coconut sugar called for in the recipe.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for three to four days, or up to a week in the fridge. They also freeze well: layer them between parchment in a freezer-safe container and thaw at room temperature before serving. Their pumpkin content keeps them soft for days.
You can try a good one-to-one gluten-free flour blend in place of the regular flour. Blends that contain xanthan gum give the best structure for a soft cookie like this one. The texture may be slightly different, so bake a small test batch first to check spread and doneness.
Just in time for autumn, thank you!