Irresistibly Delicious & Easy Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
As the leaves begin to turn and the air grows crisp, there’s no better way to embrace the autumn season than with the comforting aroma of freshly baked pumpkin cookies. This October, join the pumpkin spice craze with our incredibly delicious and remarkably easy recipe for Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. These cookies are a delightful plant-based twist on a classic fall favorite, offering a perfect blend of rich pumpkin flavor, warm spices, and melty chocolate chips, all without any dairy or eggs. They’re ideal for sharing with loved ones, bringing to a fall gathering, or simply enjoying with a warm cup of coffee or tea on a cozy evening. Get ready to fall in love with these soft, thick, and perfectly spiced treats that prove vegan baking can be just as indulgent and satisfying!
What truly sets these cookies apart is the innovative use of “plant butter” combined with the unique properties of full-fat coconut milk. These two star ingredients work in harmony to create a cookie that is exceptionally light, satisfyingly thick, and beautifully round, delivering a texture that’s both cakey and incredibly moist. While they possess a wonderful cake-like quality that’s characteristic of many pumpkin cookies, they are distinctly less dense than some traditional recipes. For those who prefer an even less cakey, slightly chewier cookie, we’ve included a crucial tip: take a few extra moments to drain the pumpkin puree on a paper towel. This simple step can significantly enhance the final texture, giving you a cookie that strikes the perfect balance between soft and delightfully chewy.
The Magic of Plant Butter in Vegan Cookies
Our new favorite ingredient, “plant butter,” is a game-changer for vegan baking, and it truly shines in these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Unlike some older vegan butter alternatives that could sometimes fall short in flavor or texture, today’s plant butters are incredibly sophisticated. They are specifically formulated to mimic the richness, creaminess, and baking performance of traditional dairy butter. When incorporated into cookie dough, plant butter contributes to a wonderfully tender crumb and helps achieve that golden-brown exterior and satisfying chew that we all crave in a perfect cookie.
Using plant butter ensures that our cookies are not only dairy-free but also packed with flavor. It emulsifies beautifully with other ingredients, creating a smooth and pliable dough that’s easy to work with. Furthermore, its melting properties are very similar to dairy butter, meaning your cookies will spread just right and bake evenly. For best results, use a high-quality vegan plant butter that is solid at cool room temperature. If you have trouble finding plant butter, or prefer an alternative, a high-quality vegan shortening, such as Nutiva, can also be a suitable substitute, offering a similar fat content and helping to achieve a tender texture.
Coconut Milk: The Secret to Light & Thick Vegan Pumpkin Cookies
The addition of full-fat canned coconut milk is another secret weapon in this recipe, playing a vital role in achieving the cookies’ light, thick, and beautifully rounded shape. Just a small amount of this rich, creamy ingredient adds a subtle richness and helps create an ideal moisture balance in the dough. Unlike water or other plant milks, the higher fat content in full-fat coconut milk contributes to the tender structure and prevents the cookies from becoming dry or crumbly. It ensures they bake up soft and pillowy, with a satisfying heft.
Given the relatively small amount required for this recipe, it’s an excellent choice if you have leftover full-fat canned coconut milk from another culinary adventure. Or, perhaps this recipe can inspire you to find other delicious ways to use coconut milk! My personal strategy for managing an opened can of coconut milk is to pour it into an airtight plastic container, give it a good stir to re-emulsify the cream with the liquid, and then store it in the refrigerator. It usually stays fresh for about a week, allowing me to use it in various recipes like smoothies, curries, or even as a creamy base for soups. Different brands may have varying shelf lives once opened, so always check for any signs of spoilage. Its versatility makes it a fantastic staple to keep in your pantry for both sweet and savory vegan dishes.
Achieving the Perfect Texture: The Importance of Draining Pumpkin Puree
Many pumpkin cookie recipes can lean towards a very cakey, almost muffin-like texture, which some people love. However, if you’re aiming for a cookie that’s soft and moist but also has a pleasant chew, paying attention to your pumpkin puree is crucial. Canned pumpkin puree, while convenient, often contains a significant amount of excess moisture. This extra liquid can lead to a dough that’s too wet, resulting in cookies that spread too much, become overly cakey, and sometimes lack that desirable chewy edge.
The simple yet effective trick to avoid this is to drain your pumpkin puree. By reducing the water content, you concentrate the pumpkin flavor and create a firmer dough that holds its shape better during baking. This results in a thicker, less cakey cookie with a denser, more satisfying crumb. To drain, simply spoon a generous half cup of canned pumpkin onto a small stack of paper towels. Gently press down on the pumpkin with the back of a spoon to absorb the excess water. You’ll be surprised how much liquid comes out! This quick step takes only a minute or two but makes a significant difference in the final texture of your Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Baking Tips for Flawless Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Crafting the perfect batch of vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies is simple with a few helpful pointers:
- Measure Accurately: Especially when it comes to flour, using a kitchen scale for precise measurements (like the 160 grams for flour and 80 grams for pumpkin mentioned in the recipe) can make a huge difference in texture. Over-measuring flour is a common culprit for dry or tough cookies.
- Don’t Overmix: Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet, mix just until combined. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, leading to tougher cookies. A few streaks of flour are fine; they’ll disappear during baking.
- Chill the Dough (Optional but Recommended): While this recipe allows for immediate baking, chilling the dough for at least 30 minutes, or even overnight, can deepen the flavors and prevent spreading, resulting in thicker, chewier cookies. If chilling, allow the dough to sit at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping if it’s too firm.
- Even Scoops: Using a cookie scoop ensures all your cookies are the same size, promoting even baking and a consistent appearance.
- Don’t Overbake: Vegan cookies can sometimes look underbaked when they are actually perfectly done. The edges should be lightly golden, and the centers should appear set. They will continue to set as they cool on the baking sheet. Overbaking will result in dry cookies.
- Storage: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, you can freeze baked cookies for up to 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
I’ve already enjoyed several batches of these delightful cookies, and they’ve quickly become a personal favorite. So far, they’ve received enthusiastic approval from Todd, and I’m eager for you to experience their magic too. If you give these Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies a try, please let me know what you think! Your feedback is always appreciated.
Update: If you’re specifically looking for a fantastic pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe and do not require them to be vegan, these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies with Oil come highly recommended. They offer a different flavor profile and texture, as they are made with oil rather than butter, providing another excellent option for your autumn baking endeavors.
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- Fudgy, Chewy, Cakey Brownies
- Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Anna
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 2 T. all-purpose flour (160 grams, spooned and leveled for accuracy)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed (110 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or your favorite blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves)
- 7 ½ tablespoons vegan plant butter, cool room temperature OR shortening such as Nutiva (100 grams, ensures a rich, tender crumb)
- ⅓ cup canned pumpkin, measure after draining on a paper towel** (80 grams, for optimal texture)
- 1 tablespoon cold, well-shaken and stirred full fat coconut milk (20 grams, crucial for light and thick cookies)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips (vegan-friendly options preferred)
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 C). Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper for easy removal and cleanup.
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In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk vigorously until all ingredients are very well blended and there are no lumps. Add the dark brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice, mixing again thoroughly until evenly incorporated. Set this dry mixture aside.
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In a separate large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed or a heavy-duty rubber scraper for hand mixing, beat or mash the cool room temperature plant butter until it becomes creamy and smooth. Next, add the drained pumpkin puree, the cold and well-shaken full-fat coconut milk, and the vanilla extract. Stir with the mixer or by hand just until these ingredients are fully blended; avoid over-whipping.
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Gradually add the reserved dry flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Mix on low speed or by hand until a fairly soft but scoopable dough forms. Be careful not to overmix. Finally, gently fold in the dark chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough. Using a medium cookie scoop (approximately 1.5-2 tablespoons), scoop out 14 rounds of dough, placing them on a clean surface or plate. You can either bake all the dough rounds immediately or, for enhanced flavor and texture, place them on a plastic wrap-lined plate, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
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Arrange the dough rounds on your prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 ½ inches apart to allow for proper spreading. Bake in the preheated oven at 350 degrees F for approximately 12-14 minutes. The cookies are ready when the edges are lightly golden and the centers appear set. They may still look soft in the middle, but they will firm up as they cool. Let the cookies cool slightly on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy your homemade vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!
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