Irresistible Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies: Your New Favorite Fall Treat

Embrace the cozy flavors of autumn with these truly irresistible vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Imagine sinking your teeth into a perfectly soft, wonderfully chewy cookie, bursting with the warm, comforting essence of pumpkin and generously studded with rich, gooey chocolate chips. These aren’t just any fall cookies; they’re the ultimate indulgence, crafted to bring a smile to your face with every bite. What makes them even better? They come together effortlessly in just one bowl, requiring no electric mixer, making cleanup a breeze. The secret to their incredible texture and plant-based magic lies in the humble pumpkin puree, which acts as a fantastic binder and an exceptional egg replacement, ensuring these cookies are moist, tender, and utterly delicious without any animal products.

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Why You’ll Fall in Love with These Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

There are countless reasons why these vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are about to become a staple in your fall baking repertoire. From their delightful texture to their vibrant flavor profile, every aspect is designed for pure enjoyment. Here’s a closer look at what makes them so special:

• Unbelievably Soft and Gooey: These aren’t your average crisp cookies. Each bite offers a luxuriously soft and chewy experience, with melting pockets of chocolate creating that irresistible gooey texture we all crave. They truly melt in your mouth, providing a comforting warmth ideal for chilly autumn days.
• Authentic Pumpkin Perfection: We don’t skimp on flavor here! These cookies are brimming with rich pumpkin puree and a generous blend of aromatic pumpkin spices. The result is an authentic, deep pumpkin flavor that perfectly captures the essence of the season, without being overly sweet or artificial.
• Delightful Crunch and Flavor Boost: To elevate the experience, a sprinkle of lightly toasted nuts (like walnuts or pecans) adds a wonderful textural contrast and a subtle nutty depth. A final touch of flaky sea salt on top not only enhances the chocolate and pumpkin notes but also provides a delicate crunch and a beautiful visual appeal, making these cookies as pretty as they are delicious.
• Effortlessly Easy & One-Bowl Wonder: Say goodbye to complicated recipes and excessive cleanup! This incredibly simple recipe comes together in a single bowl, requiring only a whisk and a few basic ingredients. No fancy equipment or arduous steps, just straightforward baking that gets warm, freshly baked cookies into your hands in no time. Perfect for busy weeknights or impromptu baking sessions.

Understanding the Signature Soft Cookie Texture

The texture of these vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies is a defining characteristic, setting them apart from many other cookie recipes. They are intentionally crafted to be super soft and incredibly moist, with an abundance of gooey, melted chocolate chips distributed throughout. This isn’t a crisp or crunchy cookie; instead, it offers a tender, cake-like chewiness that is utterly comforting.

The substantial amount of pumpkin puree in the dough is the primary contributor to this ultra-softness and moisture. Pumpkin is naturally rich in water content and acts as a humectant, locking in moisture during baking. This prevents the cookies from drying out and developing a crispy edge, instead promoting a wonderfully soft interior and a slightly yielding exterior. If you prefer a cookie that’s tender and deeply satisfying, rather than brittle, you’ll adore this recipe’s signature texture.

Pumpkin Puree: A Vegan Baking Marvel and Perfect Egg Replacement

Pumpkin puree isn’t just for flavor; it’s a truly remarkable ingredient in vegan baking, especially when it comes to replacing eggs. Its unique properties make it an ideal substitute, contributing not only to the delicious pumpkin taste but also to the overall structure and moisture of your baked goods. In this cookie recipe, pumpkin puree excels as both an emulsifier and a binder, playing a dual role in creating the perfect soft and fluffy texture.

When you whisk together the oil, sugar, and pumpkin puree, a fascinating transformation occurs. Just like eggs would, the pumpkin puree helps to emulsify these ingredients, creating a thicker, more stable mixture. This emulsion is crucial for distributing fats and liquids evenly throughout the dough, which translates to a consistent, tender crumb in the final cookie. Beyond its emulsifying capabilities, pumpkin puree also provides significant moisture, which is key to preventing dry, crumbly cookies and instead yields a wonderfully soft and plush interior.

Its natural sweetness and creamy consistency also mean that less sugar and fat might be needed compared to traditional recipes, contributing to a slightly healthier profile without sacrificing indulgence. Pumpkin puree’s versatility extends beyond cookies; it’s a fantastic addition to many vegan desserts, adding moisture, binding power, and a delightful flavor to everything from cakes and muffins to frostings, enhancing their creaminess and texture.

Chocolate Chips vs. Chopped Chocolate: A Delicious Dilemma for Your Cookies

When it comes to adding chocolate to these delectable vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, you have two excellent choices, each offering a slightly different textural experience. The best option truly comes down to your personal preference for how you like your chocolate to melt and spread within a cookie.

Chocolate Chips: These are the classic choice for a reason. Designed to hold their shape relatively well during baking, chocolate chips provide distinct, consistent pockets of melted chocolate throughout the cookie. They offer a uniform distribution of chocolatey goodness, ensuring a pleasant bite with every morsel. If you appreciate defined morsels of chocolate that maintain some structure even when warm, chocolate chips are an excellent option.

Chopped Chocolate: My personal preference leans towards a high-quality bar of chopped dark chocolate. When a good quality chocolate bar is roughly chopped, it creates irregular shards and chunks. During baking, these pieces melt more expansively, forming luscious, gooey pools and streaks of intensely melted chocolate throughout the cookie. This creates a more “puddle-like” effect, offering a truly decadent and often more intense chocolate experience. While they might make the cookies a little messier to eat due to the generous melt, the reward in flavor and texture is well worth it for many chocolate lovers. You can opt for vegan dark chocolate or semi-sweet varieties, depending on your desired level of sweetness and cocoa intensity.

Make-Ahead Tips and Storage for Maximum Enjoyment

One of the many appealing aspects of these vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies is their convenience, both in preparation and storage. You don’t need to plan far in advance for baking, as the dough comes together so quickly and doesn’t require any chilling time. This means warm, fresh cookies can be ready in under an hour!

Freshly Baked Storage: Once baked, these soft pumpkin cookies are best enjoyed warm. However, they store exceptionally well. Place cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, where they will remain fresh and delicious for up to 3 days. For the absolute best texture and to revive that wonderful gooey chocolate, I highly recommend briefly heating them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or in a preheated oven (150°C/300°F) for a few minutes before eating. This gentle rewarming will soften the cookie and melt the chocolate, making them taste as if they just came out of the oven.

Freezing Baked Cookies: For longer storage, these cookies freeze beautifully. Once completely cooled, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then, transfer the frozen cookies to an airtight freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. They will keep well for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, simply take out the desired number of cookies and warm them slightly in the microwave or oven until they are soft and the chocolate is melted, recapturing that freshly baked magic.

Freezing Cookie Dough: For ultimate convenience, you can also prepare the dough ahead of time and freeze it. Scoop the cookie dough into balls as instructed, then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm (about 1-2 hours). Once frozen, transfer the dough balls to an airtight freezer-safe bag. You can store them in the freezer for up to 2 months. When a cookie craving strikes, simply place the frozen dough balls on a baking sheet and bake as directed, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time (typically 10-12 minutes) until golden brown and set at the edges.

Essential Ingredients for Perfect Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Crafting these delicious vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies requires a few key ingredients, each playing a vital role in achieving their signature flavor and texture. While the full list with precise measurements is available in the recipe card below, understanding the purpose of each component will help ensure your baking success.

• Pumpkin Puree: This is the star ingredient! It provides all the lovely pumpkin flavor and is crucial for making these cookies incredibly soft and moist. Always opt for 100% pure pumpkin puree from a can, ensuring it’s thick and consistent. Crucially, do NOT use pumpkin pie filling, as it contains added spices and sweeteners that will alter the recipe’s balance.
• Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is preferred over granulated white sugar here because it contributes to a richer, deeper flavor profile with subtle caramel notes. More importantly, its molasses content adds extra moisture and helps create that desirable chewy texture in the cookies. You can substitute with coconut sugar or regular granulated sugar if necessary, but the flavor and texture will be slightly different.
• Vegetable Oil: As an egg-free and dairy-free recipe, a neutral-tasting vegetable oil is essential for adding richness, moisture, and helping to bind the ingredients. I personally use grapeseed oil for its light flavor, but any neutral oil like canola oil, light olive oil, or refined coconut oil (which has had its coconut flavor removed) will work beautifully. Avoid virgin coconut oil unless you desire a strong coconut undertone.
• Pumpkin Spice: This blend of warm spices is what truly gives these cookies their quintessential fall flavor, reminiscent of pumpkin pie. You can easily purchase a pre-mixed pumpkin spice blend from the grocery store, or if you prefer, you can make your own spice mix using cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
• Baking Soda and Baking Powder: These are our leavening agents, working in tandem to give the cookies their delightful lift and soft, fluffy interior. They react with the pumpkin puree and other ingredients to create air pockets, contributing to the airy yet chewy texture.
• All-Purpose Flour: The structural backbone of our cookies. For the most accurate and consistent results, I highly recommend weighing your flour using a kitchen scale. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by first stirring the flour in its bag to aerate it, then gently spooning it into a measuring cup. Level off the excess with the flat edge of a knife, without packing the flour into the cup. For a gluten-free version, a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend can be used as a direct substitute.
• Chocolate Chips: Crucial for those gooey, melted pockets of chocolate. Ensure you use vegan chocolate chips, readily available in most supermarkets, or opt for a bar of high-quality vegan dark chocolate chopped into chunks for a more dramatic melt.
• Walnuts: These add a lovely crunch and a nutty depth of flavor that complements the pumpkin and chocolate beautifully. Feel free to use your favorite chopped nuts, such as almonds, pecans, or even macadamia nuts. For enhanced flavor, lightly toast them in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 180°C (350°F) before adding them to the dough. If you have a nut allergy or prefer a nut-free cookie, you can use pumpkin seeds for a similar textural element or simply omit them altogether.
• Flaky Sea Salt: This optional but highly recommended topping provides a wonderful contrast to the sweetness of the cookie and chocolate. A sprinkle of flaky salt on top enhances all the flavors and adds a gourmet touch, balancing the overall taste profile.

Simple Step-by-Step Instructions

Creating these delightful vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies is a straightforward and enjoyable process. Follow these easy steps to achieve perfectly soft, flavorful, and gooey cookies every time.

Step 1 – Prepare Your Oven and Baking Sheet: Begin by preheating your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a large baking tray with parchment paper. This prevents sticking and makes for easy cleanup.

Step 2 – Whisk the Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the vegetable oil, packed brown sugar, sea salt, pumpkin puree, and pure vanilla extract. Whisk these ingredients vigorously until the mixture thickens and appears emulsified, similar to a creamy custard. This step is crucial for incorporating air and creating a smooth base for your cookies.

Step 3 – Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Sift the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and pumpkin spice directly into the same bowl with your wet ingredients. Sifting helps to remove lumps and ensures an even distribution of the leavening agents and spices. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula or wooden spoon, mixing just until no dry streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cookies.

Step 4 – Add Chocolate and Nuts: Now it’s time for the delicious additions! Add the chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate) and the lightly toasted walnuts to the dough. Reserve a small handful of chocolate chips for topping the cookies later if desired. Fold them into the dough a few times until they are just incorporated, ensuring not to overmix.

Step 5 – Scoop and Shape Cookies: Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop (or simply rolling the dough by hand), form balls of cookie dough. Place them onto the prepared baking sheet, ensuring they are spaced a few inches apart to allow for spreading. If you reserved some, press a few extra chocolate chips onto the top of each dough ball for a visually appealing finish. Gently press down on each cookie dough ball to flatten it slightly; this helps them bake evenly and ensures a nice shape.

Step 6 – Bake and Cool: Bake the cookies for 8-9 minutes. It’s crucial not to overbake them, as this will result in dry cookies; it’s better to slightly underbake them for that perfect soft and gooey texture. The cookies are ready when they have puffed up and the edges appear just set, while the centers still look slightly soft. Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 30 seconds before carefully transferring them with a spatula onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. While still warm, sprinkle them with a pinch of flaky sea salt for an extra touch of flavor and texture.

Step 7 – Enjoy in Batches: Continue baking the remaining cookie dough in batches until all cookies are done. These vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are truly at their best when served warm, allowing the chocolate to be perfectly melted and gooey. Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions About Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

More Delightful Fall Recipes You’ll Love

If you’re savoring the flavors of autumn and looking for more plant-based treats to bake, be sure to explore my collection of best pumpkin desserts. You’ll find a variety of easy and delicious pumpkin recipe ideas perfect for the season!

Did you make this recipe? I would love for you to rate this recipe and hear what you think in the comments below! Share your creation on Instagram and tag @flouringkitchen. Follow me on Pinterestto save and for more recipe ideas.

📖 Recipe

Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mary

These vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are soft, packed full of pumpkin flavor and gooey chocolate chips. They’re the perfect fall cookie. These cookies come together in one bowl without an electric mixer. The pumpkin puree helps bind the cookies together and acts as a perfect egg replacement, ensuring incredible moisture and a wonderfully tender crumb. *Don’t overbake these cookies or they will be dry and lose their signature softness!*

5 from 1 vote

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Shop Ingredients

Prep Time

15
minutes

mins

Cook Time

30
minutes

mins

Total Time

45
minutes

mins

Course
Baking, Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine
American

Servings

12
cookies

Equipment

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  large bowl

Ingredients

 

 

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  ¾ cup vegetable oil or preferred neutral tasting oil

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  1 cup brown sugar packed

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  ¼ teaspoon sea salt

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  ½ cup pumpkin puree

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  1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

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  2 cups all-purpose flour 240g (see notes)

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  ¼ teaspoon baking soda

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  ¼ teaspoon baking powder

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  1 tablespoon pumpkin spice

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  1 cup chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate + more for topping

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  ½ cup walnuts lightly roasted, or favorite nuts

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  ½ teaspoon flaky salt optional

Shop Ingredients on Jupiter

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, combine oil, sugar, salt, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract. Whisk until thickened.
  ¾ cup vegetable oil,
  1 cup brown sugar,
  ¼ teaspoon sea salt,
  ½ cup pumpkin puree,
  1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and pumpkin spice into the same bowl. Fold just until no more dry streaks remain.
  2 cups all-purpose flour,
  ¼ teaspoon baking soda,
  ¼ teaspoon baking powder,
  1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
• Add chocolate (leave a handful for topping), nuts, and fold a few times until incorporated.
  ½ cup walnuts,
  1 cup chocolate chips
• Scoop cookie dough into balls using a 2 tablespoon scoop (or roll them into balls) and place a few onto the baking sheet, spacing them a few inches apart. Top with extra chocolate chips if needed. Press down on the cookie dough ball to flatten slightly.
• Bake for 8-9 minutes (don’t overbake, it’s better to underbake!) or until the cookies puff up and the edges are set. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 30 seconds and use a spatula to carefully transfer them onto a cooling rack to cool. Sprinkle with flaky salt.
  ½ teaspoon flaky salt
• Continue baking the rest of the cookies in batches. The cookies are best served warm.

Notes

Flour Measurement & Gluten-Free Option

For the most accurate baking results, it is highly recommended to weigh your flour using a kitchen scale (240g for 2 cups). If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by first stirring the flour in its bag to aerate it. Then, gently spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level off the excess with the flat edge of a knife, taking care not to pack the flour into the cup. For a gluten-free version of these delicious cookies, simply substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

These cookies are incredibly convenient for making ahead or storing for later enjoyment. Baked cookies will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For the absolute best texture and gooey chocolate experience, gently heat them up briefly in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or in a preheated oven (150°C/300°F) for a few minutes before serving. This revives their warmth and softness.

You can also freeze baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 months. To enjoy, simply warm them slightly in the microwave or oven from frozen until they are soft and taste freshly baked. Alternatively, you can freeze the raw cookie dough balls for future baking.

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