These Vegan Pumpkin Cookies are soft, chewy, and full of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Made with pumpkin puree, a flax egg, and gluten-free flour, they’re an easy, egg-free, dairy-free fall dessert. Chill the dough before baking for easier-to-shape cookies.
If you can keep these from disappearing, good luck, as I must hide them from the family or I have to make additional batches.
VEGAN PUMPKIN COOKIES RECIPE
You don’t need chocolate chips or a premade pumpkin spice blend to make these vegan pumpkin cookies. Pumpkin puree gives them moisture, while brown sugar and warm spices bring the fall flavor. The dough needs an hour in the refrigerator before you roll and bake it, so plan for that chilling time.
These are the plain pumpkin-spice cookies. If you want chocolate in every bite, try my Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies instead.
INGREDIENTS IN VEGAN PUMPKIN COOKIES
Pumpkin puree: Make sure you get 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. You can also make homemade pumpkin puree at home!
Flax egg: You only need 2 simple ingredients to make this great vegan egg replacement: flaxseed and water! I love this recipe because you can prep it the day before for easy vegan baking.
Gluten-free all-purpose flour: Use a gluten-free flour blend suited to baking. Check its ingredients before adding xanthan gum; some blends already contain it. I like to keep my vegan cookies gluten-free when I can! If you're not on a gluten-free diet, you can use regular all-purpose flour instead.
Xanthan gum: Add only if your gluten-free flour blend does not already contain xanthan gum.
Vegan butter: Melt your vegan butter, not just soften it. You can use a microwave or the stovetop, but keep an eye on it!
Brown sugar: I love the extra nutty richness brown sugar brings to cookies. You can also use dark brown sugar for a deeper taste.
Caster sugar: Simply put, caster sugar is a super fine granulated sugar. In a pinch, you can also use regular granulated sugar for a slightly different texture.
Salt: Cookies need salt to balance the yummy sweetness. A little goes a long way, but don't skip it! You can also add a little flaky sea salt before serving.
Cinnamon: Freshly grated or store-bought ground cinnamon work well in this pumpkin cookie recipe. It's the perfect sweet and savory spice!
Nutmeg: I don't always love nutmeg, but it goes perfectly with pumpkin. If you're out, use a dash of pumpkin pie spice!
Ginger: This savory spice is great for desserts, too. It adds a depth of flavor you can't get otherwise.
Baking soda: If you want fluffy cookies, you need baking soda! This gives my vegan cookies a little extra rise when they bake.
Vanilla extract: If you love baked goods, you love vanilla extract. A little goes a long way here, but it’s important for the best homemade cookies.
If you have any questions about these Vegan Pumpkin Cookies, please leave a comment below, and I will get back to you ASAP!
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN PUMPKIN COOKIES
- First, preheat your oven and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Then, add the melted butter, brown sugar, and caster sugar to a large mixing bowl. Beat with a wooden spoon until fluffy. If you use an electric mixer, the cookies will be dense.
- Next, add the canned pumpkin puree, flax egg, and vanilla extract to the bowl. Mix it all up.
- In another bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, salt, xanthan gum (if needed), baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Now, sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix gently.
- Once the dough is made, chill it in the fridge to make it easier to handle. Need it fast? Freeze it in half the time!
- Next, roll the dough into balls and place on the baking sheets. Leave room for spreading!
- Finally, bake until the vegan pumpkin cookies are golden brown on top. Let them set for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely—if you can wait that long!
These steps correspond to the photos above. For ingredient amounts, see the recipe card below.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH VEGAN PUMPKIN COOKIES
You'll love this apple butter in the Instant Pot all year long! It's a great way to use fresh apples for breakfast, snacks, or desserts.
This air fryer pumpkin French toast is the perfect addition to your busy weekday morning or your lazy Saturday brunch. It's a fall favorite in my house!
This simple yet delicious Vegan Apple Crisp is the perfect holiday dessert! The crunchy oat topping and sweet cooked apple filling go great on every table.
Want to make pumpkin ice cream cookies? Check out some of these Cuisinart ice cream recipes to make some homemade ice cream and make yummy ice cream sandwiches.
VEGAN PUMPKIN COOKIES FAQ
Are these pumpkin cookies gluten-free?
Yes. This recipe uses gluten-free all-purpose flour. Check whether your flour blend already contains xanthan gum before adding the optional amount in the recipe card.
Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree?
No. Use 100% pumpkin puree, sometimes labeled canned pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling contains added ingredients and is not the puree this recipe calls for.
Why does the cookie dough need to chill?
Chilling makes the dough easier to handle and roll into balls. Refrigerate it for one hour, or use the recipe’s quicker option of 20 to 30 minutes in the freezer.
Can I use granulated sugar instead of caster sugar?
Yes. The recipe card allows regular granulated sugar in place of caster sugar, though the texture may differ slightly.
Can I freeze vegan pumpkin cookies?
Yes. Roll the unbaked dough into balls and freeze them on a lined baking sheet. Once firm, transfer them to a freezer-safe container for up to three months. You can also freeze baked cookies in a freezer-safe container and thaw them before serving.
MORE YUMMY VEGAN DESSERT RECIPES
This vegan banana pudding combines sweet homemade pudding, freshly sliced bananas, crumbled vanilla cookies, and vegan whipped cream. Minimal ingredients come together quickly to create a comforting vegan dessert.
Air-fried cookies are quick and easy. It takes less than 30 minutes to make these chocolatey cookies in the air fryer.
No late-night dessert is better than chocolate mug cakes. You can seriously make this moist cake in the microwave!
MORE VEGAN PUMPKIN RECIPES
There are so many choices when it comes to gluten-free flours. We typically use a gluten-free all-purpose flour. We have found that Bob's Red Mill (blue bag) Gluten Free Cup for Cup works well with our recipes. It is essential to get the BLUE bag and not the red bag.
Yay! You have made it this far, and I am so glad! If you make this recipe, I'd love for you to give it a quick review and star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook, too!
Don't forget to subscribe to our EMAIL newsletter.
Vegan Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup vegan butter melted
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 flax egg mix 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water, let sit for 15 minutes
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum if needed
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon ginger
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add melted butter, brown sugar, and caster sugar to a mixing bowl. Beat with a wooden spoon to combine.
- Add pumpkin puree, flax egg, and vanilla extract. Mix well.
- In another bowl, whisk together flour, salt, xanthan gum, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
- Sieve flour mixture into wet ingredients, and mix everything together
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour to make it easier to handle. You can also freeze the dough for 20-30 minutes.
- Roll the dough into balls. Place them on lined baking sheets.
- Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until golden brown on top. Let cookies rest on baking sheets for 5 to 10 minutes before moving them to wire racks to cool completely.
These look perfect! the cracking on the top let's me know that they are going to be amazing and chewy! getting some canned pumpkin this week so I can start making all the pumpkin treats!
The kids made these today with their grandma who is visiting for Thanksgiving and they were a hit, you'd never guess they were vegan!
So glad you enjoyed it!