These dairy-free and egg-less chocolate chip cookies are thick, chewy, and loaded with pumpkin, warm fall spices and chocolate chips. They will become your favorite autumn cookie!
These beauties are thick, with a chewy interior and a slightly crisp exterior. The cookies have deep flavor from molasses and pumpkin spice, and are gooey and chocolaty to boot.
If you are looking for fluffy and cakey pumpkin cookies, you are in the wrong place my friend. You won't find any cakey cookies here.
These easy, dairy-free, and egg-less cookies have the best cookie texture, and you don't need any special equipment to make them.
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⭐️ Why These Cookies Are The Best
- Thick, Chewy, and Gooey
- Quick and Easy
- Healthy (Vegan/Plant-based)
- Non-Cakey
- No Special Equipment Needed
🍫 Ingredient Notes
- Dark brown sugar - contains molasses which adds extra flavor to these cookies
- Unsulphured molasses - provides a deeper and more complex flavor and makes our cookies extra chewy.
- Pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix) - provides moisture as well as lots of fiber. Use any leftover puree to make vegan pumpkin risotto or pumpkin cream cheese swirl muffins.
- Baking soda - acts as the leavener in this recipe; we don't want the cookies to become soft and fluffy, so we don't use baking powder.
- Pumpkin pie spice - a mixture of warm fall spices that makes these cookies taste like autumn!
- Vegan chocolate chips (or use your favorite brand if not vegan) - I always use dark chocolate chips (60% or higher), but if you are not a strict vegan, use your preferred chocolate chips.
📝 Variations & Substitutions
- Vegan butter. Substitute any neutral vegetable oil or coconut oil for the vegan butter.
- Make gluten-free: Substitute 1:1 with your favorite all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Molasses. I highly recommend using molasses because of it's deep and complex flavor. However, maple syrup or honey would work in its place.
- Oats. Add ½ cup of old-fashioned oats for a slightly nutty flavor and added fiber.
- Milk. Substitute your favorite plant-based milk.
🔪 How To Make These Cookies
*See recipe card below for printable instructions
Mix your wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together vegan butter, both sugars, and vanilla extract until well combined and mixture looks creamy.
Add molasses, almond/soy milk, and pumpkin puree, and whisk until well combined, about 2 minutes.
Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
Add dry ingredients into wet mixture, and use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to mix thoroughly. Fold in chocolate chips (cookie dough will be very thick).
Refrigerate cookie dough (not required but highly recommended): Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Bake cookies: Using a cookie scoop or large spoon, scoop 1.5 -2 tablespoons of dough onto baking sheet (you might be able to fit 12 cookies on one baking sheet, but I placed 8 cookies on each sheet to spread them evenly). Use your palm to press down on each cookie.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the centers are soft but set. Let cookies rest for 15 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Make sure you are using canned pumpkin (often sold as "100 % pure pumpkin") for this recipe, which only contains pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling is a different ingredient, and contains sweetener and spices.
- Don't overbake your cookies. They might not look done after 10 minutes, but take them out of the oven anyway. They will continue to cook as they cool.
- Refrigerating your dough before baking isn't required, but I highly recommend it. This step helps to concentrate the flavors and creates more texture.
- Try your best (I know it's hard!) to let cookies cool completely before eating them. They firm up as they cool, creating that thick texture.
- Make ahead: Freeze cookie dough to bake your cookies later. Freeze portions on baking sheet first, and then place them in a freezer-safe bag and store in the freezer. Thaw before baking.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature (or in refrigerator) for up to 5 days.
- How to freeze: After completely cooled, store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
Vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are thick, with a chewy interior and a slightly crisp exterior. They're loaded with warm fall spices and chocolate chips, and you don't need any special equipment to make them.
If you don't have pumpkin pie spice on hand, it's easy to make your own homemade version. In a small bowl, mix together 1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, ¾ teaspoon allspice, and ¾ teaspoon cloves. Use it to season your favorite pumpkin dishes!
Vegan chocolate chips are just like traditional chocolate chips, but they don't contain any dairy. They can be used interchangeably for any recipe that calls for chocolate chips or chopped chocolate.
🍪 Related Recipes
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Easy Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegan butter
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon unsulphured molasses
- 1 Tablespoon unsweetened almond or soy milk
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 ½ cups vegan chocolate chips (or use your favorite brand if not vegan)
- flaky sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together vegan butter, both sugars, and vanilla extract until well combined and mixture looks creamy.
- Add molasses, almond/soy milk, and pumpkin puree, and whisk until well combined, about 2 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Add dry ingredients into wet mixture, and use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to mix thoroughly. Fold in chocolate chips (cookie dough will be very thick).
- Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a cookie scoop or large spoon, scoop 1.5 -2 tablespoons of dough onto baking sheet (you might be able to fit 12 cookies on one baking sheet, but I placed 8 cookies on each sheet to spread them evenly). Use your palm to press down on each cookie.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the centers are soft but set. Let cookies rest for 15 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Make sure you are using canned pumpkin (often sold as "100 % pure pumpkin") for this recipe, which only contains pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling is a different ingredient, and contains sweetener and spices.
- Don't overbake your cookies. They might not look done after 10 minutes, but take them out of the oven anyway. They will continue to cook as they cool.
- Refrigerating your dough before baking isn't required, but I highly recommend it. This step helps to concentrate the flavors and creates more texture.
- Make ahead: Freeze cookie dough to bake your cookies later. Freeze portions on baking sheet first, and then place them in a freezer-safe bag and store in the freezer. Thaw before baking.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature (or in refrigerator) for up to 5 days.
- How to freeze: After completely cooled, store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Kristen Wood
We made these with gluten-free all purpose and they turned out amazingly well! Great recipe! 🙂
Gastronotherapy
Yay, that makes me so happy to hear, Kristen! 🙂
Emily Flint
CHocolate chips and pumpkin go together so well. These are my new favorite cookie!
Gastronotherapy
So glad you loved them, Emily! I also love all things pumpkin and chocolate!
Heather Perine
Love pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! One of my faves...and these were easy to make and very tasty 🙂
Gastronotherapy
Thanks for the kudos, Heather!
Tara
Such a fantastic seasonal cookie! That texture looks perfect with the pumpkin and so many wonderful flavors.
Gastronotherapy
Yes, I am all about the chewy texture when it comes to pumpkin cookies; I really dislike cakey cookies!
Nathan
Even though I don't eat vegan, I'm definitely going to be making these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! I love that flavor combination. Thanks for the recipe!
Gastronotherapy
I hope you love the result, Nathan, and I bet you won't be able to tell they are vegan! 🙂
Anjali
We made these today and couldn’t believe how soft and chewy they turned out to be! No one could believe they were vegan!
Gastronotherapy
So glad they were a hit, Anjali! 🙂