Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

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These are the best Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies ever. They’re soft and gooey, loaded with pumpkin flavor. Just 1 bowl and less than 30 minutes to make these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

Half of a cookie close up of Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies sitting on parchment paper on a wire cooling rack on a marble surface.

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Why you will love this recipe
Ingredients
Variations
How to Make these Vegan Pumpkin Cookies
Expert Tips
Recipe FAQs
More Vegan Cookies!
Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Why you will love this recipe

Gooey: These vegan chocolate chip pumpkin cookies are soft and gooey and full of pumpkin flavor.
One bowl: You only need 1 bowl to make these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Of course some measuring cups also, but no need to melt the butter in a separate bowl or mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. You can literally dump it all in the same bowl. If you're using a scale you can simply just put the big bowl on the scale and clear it after each ingredient.
Customizable: Keep reading below for more details but these cookies can be plain pumpkin cookies (no spices or chocolate) or chipless pumpkin spice cookies (spices and no chocolate) as well as the delicious pumpkin chocolate chip cookies the recipe lists.

If you love cookies check out my Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies, Vegan Snickerdoodle Cookies, Vegan Apple Cider Cookies, Vegan Ginger Cookies, Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies, Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Edible Cookie Dough or my Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies I know you will love them all! Or for some more pumpkin flavor check out my Vegan Pumpkin Bread and my Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies.

Ingredients

Let’s take a look at the ingredients to make these Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. Check the recipe card for the full list and quantities.

Molasses: Added for more depth of flavor and to act as an acid for the baking soda.
Pumpkin pie spices: This is optional, and quite frankly a personal choice for most people. If you love pumpkin spice then use the spices, if you don’t then just omit them entirely and enjoy a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie with no pie spice!
Chocolate chips: Again personal choice, feel free to keep them or omit them, chipless pumpkin cookies are just as delicious and soft.
Pumpkin purée: Be sure to use plain pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling. This adds flavor, moisture and replaces the egg in these vegan chocolate chip pumpkin cookies.

Variations

Make the chipless- Yes that’s right these are delicious chocolate chipless cookies aka: pumpkin cookies! They’re soft and gooey and just amazing, even better if you add a ½ teaspoon of pumpkin spice to them!
Gluten free: I have not personally tried it but I usually have success with King Arthur 1:1 all purpose gluten free baking flour so I would try that if you are wanting to experiment, but I do expect a slightly different texture as the base will be rice flour and not as glutinous as white flour.
Pumpkin spice: Yes I have pumpkin spice flavors added in these vegan pumpkin cookies but it’s not required, you can omit them and have a delicious pumpkin chocolate chip cookie or go chipless like I mentioned above and have a plain pumpkin cookie, all options are delicious.

How to Make these Vegan Pumpkin Cookies

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 370° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Prep the canned pumpkin purée, measure and place pumpkin purée in a paper towel and squeeze out the excess liquid if any. Set aside.

Clear glass bowl with the wet ingredients not mixed up yet, sitting on a marble surface.

Step 2: In a large mixing bowl add the butter and microwave in 10 second intervals until melted. Add in the sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin, vanilla and molasses and whisk together.

Wet ingredients mixed up.

Clear glass bowl with the dry ingredients added to the wet ingredients, sitting on a marble surface.

Step 3: Add the flour, salt, baking soda and spices and use a rubber spatula to fold everything together.

Clear glass bowl with the dough all mixed up, sitting on a marble surface.

Flour mixed into dough.

Clear glass bowl with the dough all mixed up and chocolate chips being folded into the dough, sitting on a marble surface.

Step 4: Fold in the chocolate chips. Place in fridge for 30 minutes.

Clear glass bowl with the cookie dough all mixed in it, sitting on a marble surface.

Step 5: Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Cookie dough balls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet waiting to be baked.

Step 6: Remove from fridge and use a 1 ounce cookie scoop and scoop the cookie dough out on to the lined baking sheet, about 6-8 per sheet depending on the size of your baking sheet.

Freshly baked cookies.

Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies sitting on parchment paper on a wire cooling rack on a marble surface.

Expert Tips

Pumpkin moisture: The moisture in the pumpkin will affect the cookie composition. When you look at the canned pumpkin if it looks watery and has lots of moisture you will need to squeeze out the extra moisture. Mine was a nice puree texture so I did not need to do this but if yours is watery use a cheese cloth or a few paper towels layered on top each other, place the measured out pumpkin in the cloth and give a gentle squeeze.
Measuring the butter: If you do not have a full stick of butter with measuring lines on it, I use the "dry cup method" for measuring the butter, scoop the butter into a dry measuring cup and level it off with the back of a butter knife. I also recommend using a kitchen scale if you have one. Butter gets measured before melting it.
Measuring sugar: To measure white sugar use a dry measuring cup, scoop it into the bag and level it off using the back of a butter knife. If you have a kitchen scale this it would be more accurate to use that.
Measuring brown sugar: To measure brown sugar use a dry measuring cup, scoop it into the cup and pack it firmly. If you have a kitchen scale it would be more accurate to use that.
Measuring flour: To measure all purpose white flour, a kitchen scale is the best and most accurate way to measure, but if you don’t have one using the dry cup method is the next best. To measure flour spoon the flour into the measuring cup and use a butter knife to level it off gently. Avoid packing the flour this will result in way too much flour being used. Please note that most “gram” conversions are based on white all purpose flour, not all flours weigh the same so please make sure that if you are substituting a different flour such as oat, gluten free or any others that the best way to measure would be using the dry cup method.
Storing: Placing baked goods in a sealed container is usually the best way, if it’s a cookie you can also add a piece of plain white bread to help the cookies stay soft and moist. The cookies will absorb the moisture from the bread so that’s why it’s important that the bread is plain white so the cookies don’t take on the flavor of the bread.

Recipe FAQs

What does pumpkin replace in cookies?

The egg is usually what the pumpkin replaces in vegan cookie recipes.

Can pumpkin replace an egg in baking?

Usually yes. It’s not 100% because of course you will have some recipes that need the egg but for the most part I have had good success substituting pumpkin or even applesauce in place of eggs.

Is it safe to eat pumpkin cookie dough?

Technically no. If it’s vegan you may be asking why not? The answer is because the flour needs to be heat treated in order for it to truly be safe. So unless it says “edible” most likely the flour is not heat treated and it’s not really safe.

Should pumpkin cookies be refrigerated?

If they are frosted yes. If they do not have frosting they can be stored in a sealed container on the counter for 4-7 days.