These vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are the best fall cookies ever. Soft, chewy, loaded with chocolate chips, and perfectly spiced! The addition of brown butter elevates these cookies even more. So, I’m confident that you’ll love these vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!
We can all agree that pumpkin is an essential ingredient in any fall baking, and these vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are not alone. So, I wanted to combine my love for a good old chocolate chip cookie with all things spice and everything nice. And by everything nice, I mean brown butter; you can’t go wrong with adding some brown butter. Not to toot my own horn, but this vegan pumpkin cookie is good.
\What more could you ask for? These cookies are soft, chewy, perfectly spiced, and incredibly delicious! They’re perfect paired with a delicious glass of iced pumpkin cream chai latte or a sweet treat after a savory dish like pumpkin sage pasta!
✨ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- These vegan pumpkin cookies are soft and chewy! You won't find dry, cakey cookies here. They're chewy with slightly crispy edges and loaded with chocolate chips.
- It is perfectly spiced and pumpkin-y. You only need a little bit of pumpkin and a little bit of spice to get those cozy vibes.
- This is the perfect fall cookie to make all season long. It's perfect to serve with a nice hot cup of coffee or at a Thanksgiving dinner.
✏️ Ingredient Notes
- Vegan brown butter - This is my favorite ingredient of all time. It has a great, toasty, nutty flavor that pairs beautifully with chocolate and pumpkin. Luckily, I already have a recipe for vegan brown butter on the blog!
- Pumpkin puree - The best brand I’ve used for any pumpkin recipe is Libby’s Pumpkin Puree. However, please do not mistake this for pumpkin pie filling; they are different. The ingredients should only be pure pumpkin.
- Spices - For this pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe, I used only two spices: cinnamon and nutmeg. I believe this gives enough of that spice flavor that we all look for.
- Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips - Semi-sweet chocolate gives these cookies a nice balance of sweetness. My favorite brand to use is Guittard Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. They make the best chocolate for baking, and they are dairy-free! But you can use any vegan chocolate chips you prefer.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
📝 Substitutions & Variations
- Don’t want to use individual spices? You can use premade pumpkin spice!
- For those who want extra flavor and texture, add pecans! Especially if you use the pecan version of my brown butter recipe, it’ll enhance that flavor even more.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
🍴 How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Top Tip: Use a food scale to weigh out the ingredients. That way, you'll only need one or two bowls, and you won't have to wash a bunch of measuring cups!
Step 1: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
Step 2: Then, blot the pumpkin puree between a couple of paper towels or strain through a cheesecloth to remove the excess moisture and water. Set aside.
Step 3: Whisk together softened vegan brown butter and dairy-free milk in another bowl until well combined.
Step 4: Then add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, blotted pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth and homogenous.
Step 5: Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until no pockets of dry flour are left.
Step 6: Then, fold in the chocolate chips. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the cookie dough for 1 hour or overnight.
Step 7: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350° F and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Then, Scoop the cookies with a medium-sized cookie scoop onto the prepared baking pans. Space the cookie dough about 2 inches apart.
Step 8: Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the edges are golden. Do not overbake. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Serve and enjoy!
⭐ Expert Tips
- Measure your flour correctly. My recipes are 100% tested in grams. Incorrectly measured flour is a common reason baked goods fail. I always recommend using a scale for accuracy when baking. It dramatically improves your chance for success and lessens room for error.
- Drain/blot your pumpkin. It is the secret method to baking with pumpkin. Pumpkin puree has a lot of added water, which can affect the outcome of your bakes. So, doing this gives you a less cakey texture, especially in these cookies. Wring out the pumpkin puree by using a nut milk bag or cheesecloth.
- Chill your dough! First, letting your cookie dough rest gives the flour time to hydrate. When the flour is hydrated, it helps contain the cookie spread so that you have a nice set edge and a soft, chewy center. Additionally, allowing your cookie dough to chill gives it a better flavor profile. So, the longer it has time to rest, the better the flavor.
💭 Common Questions
First, be sure that you are measuring by weight. If you are measuring my cups, you could be adding too much flour without knowing. I highly recommend using a digital kitchen scale for the most accurate results.
Next, check that you have blotted most of the moisture out of the pumpkin puree. If you don't, this can result in a more cakey texture.
Yes! Once you make the pumpkin cookie dough, you can transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 1-2 days, or scoop out pre-portioned cookie dough balls and store them in a freezer-safe bag.
I have yet to try making these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies gluten-free. However, I have tried it with my espresso chocolate chip cookie recipe using 1:1 gluten-free baking flour. I believe it should work, but if you've tried using this recipe, please let me know how it goes!
🥣 Storage & Reheating
- Room temperature
Store these cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week. You can add a slice of bread to the container to keep the cookies soft for longer! - Freezing Instructions
Store pre-rolled cookie dough balls or baked cookies wrapped tightly in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️ rating and comment below! Tag @flouredframe on Instagram & Facebook!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Paper towel or cheesecloth
- Small saucepan
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Whisk
- Silicone spatula
- Medium-size cookie scoop
- Parchment Paper or Silpat mat
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Bowl cover or plastic wrap
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 100 grams Granulated sugar
- 150 grams Light brown sugar (lightly packed)
- 200 grams Vegan brown butter (sub for regular softened vegan butter)
- 75 grams Dairy-free milk (warmed, I used soy)
- 150 grams Pumpkin puree (measured before blotting)
- 2 teaspoons Pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon Ground cinnamon (substitute for pumpkin pie spice)
- ¼ teaspoon Ground nutmeg
- 250 grams All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 180 grams Dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Blot the pumpkin puree between a couple of paper towels or strain through a cheesecloth to remove the excess moisture and water. Set aside.
- Whisk together softened vegan brown butter and dairy-free milk in another bowl until well combined.
- Then add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, blotted pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth and homogenous.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until no pockets of dry flour are left.
- Then, fold in the chocolate chips. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the cookie dough for 1 hour or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350° F and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the cookies with a medium-sized cookie scoop onto the prepared baking pans. Space the cookie dough about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the edges are golden. Do not overbake. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Measure your flour properly. My recipes are 100% tested in grams. Incorrectly measured flour is a common reason baked goods fail. I always recommend using a scale for accuracy when baking. It dramatically improves your chance for success and lessens room for error.
- Can I make these cookies ahead of time? Yes! Once you make the pumpkin cookie dough, you can transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 1-2 days, or scoop out pre-portioned cookie dough balls and store them in a freezer-safe bag.
- Can I make this gluten-free? I have yet to try making these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies gluten-free. However, I have tried it with my espresso chocolate chip cookie recipe using 1:1 gluten-free baking flour. I believe it should work, but if you've tried using this recipe, please let me know how it goes!
- Chill your dough! First, letting your cookie dough rest gives the flour time to hydrate. When the flour is hydrated, it helps contain the cookie spread so that you have a nice set edge and a soft, chewy center. Additionally, allowing your cookie dough to chill gives it a better flavor profile. So, the longer it has time to rest, the better the flavor.
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