It’s a classic fall cookie. These sweet and spicy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are flavored with autumnal spices and filled dark chocolate chunks in every bite. It’s a sweet treat everyone will enjoy.
One of my favorite things about fall is baking.
When the weather turns colder, the days shorter, and the nights longer, there is nothing cozier than the smell of seasonal baked goods in baking in the oven. And these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies will do just the trick.
They will make your whole house smell delightfully autumnal.
These vegan pumpkin cookies are good! With the subtly sweet pumpkin, chewy rolled oats, and chocolate chips, it’s the perfect marriage of chocolate and pumpkin rolled into a soft and spicy cookie.
You’ll love making this easy pumpkin cookie recipe all fall long!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Not only is this cookie recipe delicious, but it is super simple to master. These cookies are made with just a handful of ingredients (that you likely already have) and can be done in under 30 minutes!
Here is everything you need.
Ingredient Notes
- Coconut Oil – I like coconut oil because it is non-hydrogenated and fairly neutral flavored. You can also use avocado, canola, or vegetable oil. For an oil-free cookie, swap it out for equal amounts applesauce.
- Brown & White Sugar – You can use sugar substitutes if you prefer. Check out my guide to vegan sugars and healthy sugar alternatives.
- Pumpkin Puree – Make sure to use canned pumpkin and NOT pumpkin pie filling.
- All-Purpose Flour – I have also made these cookies with 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Baking Blend with great success. You may need to reduce the amount of the liquid in the recipe. Start but cutting back on the oil by 50%.
- Rolled Oats – I recommend extra-thick old fashioned oats. You want oats that will keep their shape so that you can have that perfect crunchy texture. You could also use regular rolled oats but avoid quick oats.
- Chocolate chips – Feel free to substitute cacao nibs for a healthier alternative. You can also replace them with raisins, seeds, or omit the chocolate chips altogether.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step One – Make the batter
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, white and brown sugar, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract. In another bowl, use a fork or dry whisk to combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.
Make sure the dry ingredients are well combined before adding them to the wet ingredients. Mix the dry and wet ingredients until it forms a uniform batter.
Fold in the chocolate chips using a wooden spoon or another sturdy spoon.
Step Two – Bake the cookies
Use a large spoon or ice cream scoop to drop the dough onto the baking sheets. You want to use about 2 tablespoons worth of dough.
When the balls are all on the sheets, press down on the centers so they form a flat, round cookie shape.
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Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges become golden brown. Remove the cookies from the oven and wait about 10 minutes to transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
Serve the cookies warm from the oven.
Serving And Storing
Serving – Cookies are always best straight from the oven. Just give them about 10 minutes to cool on the tray and another few minutes on the cooling racks. You can eat them when they are still slightly warm and fresh with a glass of your favorite dairy free milk or on their own.
Storing – To store the cookies, allow them to cool completely. Place them in an airtight container and make sure you seal it tightly. They should store nicely for about 5 to 7 days.
Tips and Tricks
- Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Placing these between the baking sheet and your cookies will not only prevent sticking, but it will also encourage the cookies to bake faster on the outside giving you that soft and chewy middle.
- Use a middle rack to bake the cookies. Cookies can burn easily on the bottom rack of an oven. Make sure you place them on a middle or higher rack in your oven.
- Bake for less time. I always recommend taking your cookies out when they are slightly underdone. Cookies will continue to bake on the baking sheet as they cool. You can tell cookies are done when they are slightly brown and flattened but still have a bit of wobble.
- Remove from oven and let the cookies cool at least 5 minutes on the cookie tray before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. This is the final touch in creating that perfect chewy texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. You can omit them if you prefer to. They just taste great with some extra chocolate flavor.
Yes! You can add your favorite nuts to this recipe. I recommend almonds or walnuts. Both pair well with pumpkin cookies.
Yes! Replace the oil with equal amounts applesauce for an oil-free cookie.
These cookies are great as a make-ahead dessert or snack. If you only want to make only a few at a time, you can store the remaining dough in the freezer.
To do this, roll all the dough into balls. Place them on a baking sheet in the freezer to freeze all the way through. Once frozen, transfer your cookie dough into a large ziplock bag and return to the freezer. You can store the cookies this way for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to bake, remove from freezer and bake. Note: they may need a few extra minutes in the oven if they are chilled.
More Vegan Cookie Recipes
- Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
- Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
- Salted Chocolate Rosemary Cookies
- Ultra-Chewy Vegan Chocolate Cookies
More Vegan Pumpkin Recipes
- Vegan Pumpkin Bread with Brown Sugar Glaze
- Vegan Pumpkin Donuts with Spiced Glaze
- Homemade Maple Pumpkin Butter
- Classic Vegan Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin puree
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together coconut oil, white and brown sugar, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Mix until well combined. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until it comes together in a uniform batter. Fold in the chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.
- Drop cookie dough onto the baking sheets, about 2 tablespoons in size. You can also use a small cookie scoop. Press the cookies down slightly and bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges golden. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes on theing tray before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Placing these between the baking sheet and your cookies will not only prevent sticking, but it will also encourage the cookies to bake faster on the outside giving you that soft and chewy middle.
- Use a middle rack to bake the cookies. Cookies can burn easily on the bottom rack of an oven. Make sure you place them on a middle or higher rack in your oven.
- Bake for less time. I always recommend taking your cookies out when they are slightly underdone. Cookies will continue to bake on the baking sheet as they cool. You can tell cookies are done when they are slightly brown and flattened but still have a bit of wobble.
- Remove from oven and let the cookies cool at least 5 minutes on the cookie tray before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. This is the final touch in creating that perfect chewy texture.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Bethany says
Had a bumper pumpkin crop this year (partially due to mislabeling my saved seeds from the year prior) but cooked up two pumpkins this morning and found this yummy recipe to try. I did use a stick of vegan butter instead of the coconut oil and my cookies turned out lovely. I also sprinkled tops with some sugar and flattened them slightly with a fork. They are definitely more cake like cookies. Also recommend using mini chocolate chips for best chocolate distribution. Thanks for this recipe!
Ferrari St. Paul says
Turned out amazing! They’re fluffy kind of like muffin tops lol. I didn’t have chocolate chips, so I subbed dried cranberries and raw pumpkin seeds, also I used 3tsp of pumpkin pie spice instead of all the individual spices, maybe could’ve added a bit more or extra cinnamon, but they’re really good! Yay Fall!