These vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are a delightful autumn treat, perfect for cozy gatherings or solo snacking. With the warmth of cinnamon, chocolate and pumpkin flavors, they capture the essence of fall in every bite!
These are simple to make and create soft, chewy cookies that are sure to impress. Get out your pumpkin puree and enjoy!
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Ingredients for Pumpkin Chocolate Cookies
This recipe uses basic baking ingredients and pantry staples to create delicious cookies. You’ll need:
- Vegan margarine: Margarine adds richness and moisture to the cookies, creating a soft, tender crumb. I haven’t tested this recipe with vegan butter or any other type of fat, so can’t say how well those substitutions would work.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar not only sweetens the cookies but also provides moisture and a delightful hint of caramel flavor.
- White sugar: This adds extra sweetness and softness to the cookie. When whipped into the margarine, it also helps incorporate air, making for a fluffy texture.
- Canned pumpkin puree: Pumpkin puree is the star ingredient, imparting its unique earthy flavor. Make sure to purchase plain pumpkin puree and not a pumpkin pie filling.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract enhances the overall flavor profile, giving these cookies a warm, inviting aroma.
- All-purpose flour: Flour provides the needed structure for the cookies, bulking up your cookie batter while keeping them tender.
- Baking powder: Baking powder gives the cookies a slight lift, making them soft fluffy.
- Baking soda: This helps the cookies spread evenly while baking.
- Salt: Don’t skip the salt as it enhances other flavors and balances the sweetness in your cookies.
- Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon infuses the cookies with classic autumn spice goodness. You can add additional fall-inspired spices and/or use pumpkin pie spice for a more aromatic blend.
- Vegan chocolate chips: Vegan chocolate chips provide an added layer of satisfaction, adding pockets of gooey, chocolaty delight to every bite. Semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips both work well.
How to Make This Pumpkin Cookie Recipe
These cookies are simple to make, and you can prepare the dough in advance if needed.
Step 1: Mix Liquid Ingredients
In a large bowl, add vegan margarine, brown sugar and white sugar. Using an electric hand mixer, cream these ingredients together.
This means they need to be whipped until they are fluffy and light in color which takes a few minutes. Scrape down the edges of the bowl at least twice while doing this to ensure even mixing.
Then add vanilla extract and pumpkin puree. Whip these through until well incorporated. Your pumpkin and margarine mixture may not look fully mixed (small flecks of white margarine and orange pumpkin) and this is okay.
Step 2: Add Dry Ingredients
Grab a large sieve and sift in all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon.
Using the lowest speed setting on your hand mixer, whip these dry ingredients through. Stop mixing just as soon as the flour is fully incorporated (no visible clumps of flour anywhere).
Gently fold in your chocolate chips until they’re evenly distributed.
Step 3: Chill Cookie Dough
Cover your mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes (up to one day).
Step 4: Shape Cookies, Bake and Serve
When you’re ready to bake the cookies, start by preheating an oven to 350°F (175°C).
Prepare a baking sheet by covering it with parchment paper for easy clean up, then scoop your cookie dough into 2-tablespoon-sized cookies (in the video I make smaller cookies that are about 1 ½ tablespoons in size).
Roll each scoop of cookie dough into a ball, then lightly flatten them, shaping them into cookies.
Bake for 10-11 minutes, until the bottom your cookies are lightly golden brown. They’ll be very soft when coming out of the oven.
Let these cookies sit for a minute or two on your baking sheet before carefully transferring to a wire cooling rack.
Serve immediately or let them cool to room temperature before eating.
Pumpkin Cookie Variations
While you don’t want to change the base of this recipe, here are a few fun variations to try if you want to keep things interesting:
- Nutty delight: Add up to ½ cup of chopped nuts of your choice. Walnuts, pecans or sliced almonds are great choices.
- Spiced to perfection: Instead of just cinnamon, you can use a pumpkin-pie spice or try adding a pinch of nutmeg, cloves, or allspice for a more complex flavor profile.
- Pumpkin seed crunch: Add a few pumpkin seeds to the top of each cookie before baking for an added crunch.
- Sandwich cookies: For extra indulgence, create sandwich cookies by spreading pumpkin butter, apple butter or any type of vegan frosting between two cookies!
If you're a cookie lover then you might also be interested in some of my other cookie recipes, like this peanut butter chocolate chip cookie or my soft and chewy classic chocolate chip cookies!
How to Store Leftovers
Cool leftover cookies to room temperature on your wire cooling rack, then transfer them to an airtight container. These can be stored on your kitchen counter for a couple days. For longer storage, transfer to the fridge for up to a week.
You can also freeze this pumpkin chocolate chip cookie in any freezer-safe container for a few months.
If you make this recipe, please rate and comment below to help others benefit from your experience!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Measuring cups (or kitchen scale)
- Measuring spoons
- Sieve (to sift ingredients)
Ingredients
Liquid Ingredients
- ½ cup vegan margarine (115 grams)
- ¾ cup brown sugar (210 grams)
- ¼ cup white sugar (60 grams)
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree (165 grams)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (300 grams)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips (200 grams)
Instructions
Step 1: Mix Liquid Ingredients
- Add vegan margarine, brown sugar and white sugar to a large mixing bowl.½ cup vegan margarine, ¾ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup white sugar
- Using an electric hand mixer, cream the margarine and sugars until the mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape down the edges of your bowl once or twice while mixing.
- Add vanilla extract and pumpkin puree to the bowl. Whip these ingredients through until well incorporated.2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ½ cup + 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
Step 2: Add Dry Ingredients
- Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into the mixing bowl.2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Whip these ingredients through using your electric hand mixer on a lower speed. Stop mixing as soon as the flour is fully incorporated.
- Fold in chocolate chips until they’re evenly mixed through your cookie dough.1 cup vegan chocolate chips
Step 3: Chill Cookie Dough
- Cover your mixing bowl with plastic wrap (or a lid) and refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes (up to one day).
Step 4: Shape Cookies, Bake and Serve
- When the dough is chilled, preheat an oven to 350 °F (175 °C).
- Roll your cookie dough into small, 2-tablespoon-sized balls and flatten slightly on a baking tray (I cover my baking tray with parchment for easy cleaning).
- Bake the cookies for 10-11 minutes. They should be lightly browned on the bottom when done.
- Once out of your oven, let the cookies sit for a minute or two on the baking tray (they will be very soft right out of the oven) before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
- You can serve the cookies immediately or let them cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container for storage.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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About Nicole Stevens
Nicole is a vegan Registered Dietitian (RD) and founder of Lettuce Veg Out.
She helps people thrive on a vegan diet with balanced recipes and easy-to-understand nutrition science.
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