These Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are so fudgy, moist, gluten-free, dairy-free and oil-free. They are just 8 ingredients and take just a few minutes to prepare.
VEGAN PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
What do you do when it’s Fall and you are craving classic Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies? Give them pumpkin, lots of pumpkin pie spice, almond butter and chocolate chips, of course! There isn’t really much more to say is there? I love baking with pumpkin. Whether it’s the Best Vegan Pumpkin Bread, this Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Frosting, these Vegan Pumpkin Cherry Muffins or I’m inhaling this Best Ever Vegan Pumpkin Pie!Best
These vegan pumpkin cookies are so easy to make. Bonus that they are vegan, gluten-free and oil-free cookies!
Additionally, they are only 8 ingredients and takes 10 minutes prep? These cookies are loaded with pumpkin spice, more than your average pumpkin cookies. I don’t like bland cookies, give me those spices!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
(Only 8 main ingredients needed. Full details and measurements on the recipe card below.)
First, you’ll need to gather these 8 ingredients (+salt):
- oat flour
- roasted almond butter
- maple syrup
- pumpkin puree
- pumpkin spice blend
- baking soda
- vanilla extract
- chocolate chips
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Step 1: To a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, syrup, almond butter and extract and stir well until completely smooth.
Step 2: To a medium bowl, add the oat flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt and whisk well. Add the dry to the wet.
Step 3: Add the chocolate chips and stir until a thick batter forms. Try not to eat all of that batter now!
Step 4: Drop 2 tablespoons worth of dough onto the pan spaced about 2 inches apart. Using damp fingertips, press each cookie down to 1/4 inch thick. Form round shapes along the edges. The cookies will bake up how well you form the shapes. Press extra chocolate chips on top.
Step 5: Bake for 10-13 minutes until puffy and golden brown edges.
SUCCESS BAKING TIPS
- To ensure your cookies turn out like mine in the photos, make sure to follow each step.
- Use a scale for accuracy. Greatly decreases the chances for inaccurate measuring.
- Use a superfine oat flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill) so that the batter consistency is correct. If your oat flour isn’t superfine, the batter will be overly wet.
- Make sure to use plain pumpkin puree, not a pumpkin pie mix, which is sweetened!
- Since these are not made with any oils or butter, the batter does not spread on its own while baking, so you must press down each cookie mound prior to baking. See photo and directions for how to do this properly.
- I use roasted almond butter because I love the flavor it adds to these cookies. If you are allergic, you can try using sunbutter. Just keep in mind that sunbutter is a much stronger flavor so unless you love sunbutter, be prepared for the end result to taste different. Also, there is baking soda in this recipe which reacts with sunbutter and may turn the cookies a tint of green .
- Store the cooled cookies in a sealed container or dish, to keep them moist. These will start to dry out in a day or two because of the oat flour and no oil being used. But a quick pop in the microwave will bring them back to heaven, though!
MORE VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE COOKIE RECIPES
- Crispy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cashew Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies rated BEST chocolate chip cookies by readers!
- Pecan Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies….not gluten-free, but you can always try an all-purpose gluten-free blend like King Arthur flour.
- Dark Chocolate Molasses Cookies
- Vegan Gluten-free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Lemon Cookies
- Coconut Butter Gingersnaps
Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (Oil-free!)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (60g) pumpkin puree (I used canned, make sure it is plain pumpkin and not pumpkin pie)
- 1/2 cup (160g) pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup (128g) roasted creamy almond butter (See NOTES for sub)
- 2 teaspoons (10g) vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups (160g) superfine oat flour
- 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (I use my homemade blend, see NOTES)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup (120g) mini dairy-free chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life brand)
NOTE
- Always use a scale for accuracy following MY gram weights listed. You never need cups, just the scale and bowl and make sure to zero out in between each ingredient.
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- To a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, syrup, almond butter and vanilla and stir well until completely smooth. Set aside.
- To a medium bowl, add the oat flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt and whisk well. Add the dry to the wet ingredients, with the chocolate chips, and stir until it all comes together into a sticky, wet and cohesive batter.
- Use a cookie scooper to drop about 2 tablespoons worth of batter onto the pan, spacing each cookie about 2 inches apart. Now, the batter will be too sticky to press down with parchment paper or your fingers. So, you will need to dip your fingertips in water repeatedly to press down each cookie to about 1/4 inch thick. Doing this in a circular patting motion helps flatten them evenly. Keep fingertips moist to form a round shape along the edges of each cookie. Please refer to photo.
- Place extra chocolate chips on top if desired. Bake for 10-13 minutes, until puffed up and the edges are turning golden brown. I went for 12 minutes.
- Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before removing with a spatula (not your hand) to a cooling rack. They will firm and crisp up as they cool. Store in a sealed cookie box or dish. They will soften by the next day but are still delicious.
Notes
- PUMPKIN SPICE: I use my homemade blend because the flavor is incredible, but store-bought is also fine. If you don't want to make the whole batch of my homemade blend, then combine the following well with a fork and add just 4 teaspoons to the recipe: 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (I use roasted ginger so it is very strong), 1/4 teaspoon allspice, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves.
- OAT FLOUR: A superfine oat flour will yield the best texture and form the batter correctly. I like to use Bob's Red Mill oat flour for baking.
- NUT-FREE: For nut-free, you can sub the almond butter for sunbutter. Just keep in mind, sunbutter has a stronger flavor profile and will be detectable in the end flavor.
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While I would totally eat an ice cream sandwich in November, these little cookies deserve the take 2! I want the little cookie on top of the stack, the chewy chunky one 🙂 Love the easy ingredient list too!
Haha, thank you Natalie! I would never say no to an ice cream sandwich either, lol! But, that post just needed to be redone as simple cookies, much easier and honestly, I’m all about easy!
you’ve totally nailed this recipe! these cookies look so perfect and pillowy! pinned 🙂
Aww so sweet of you Rachel! Thank you! It’s an old recipe from last year, but these totally needed a new post as a much simpler method than how I originally wrote it!
And I just unthawed pumpkin for soup! Guess I’ll just have to be sure 1/2 cup stays out for these great looking cookies!
Perrrfect!!
Aww thank you Angela! I have zero control when it comes to cookies. I made them Saturday and we already polished them all off.
These cookies are a wonderful combination of the holiday season. The pumpkin/chocolate flavors work perfectly together w just a touch of almond. So chewy with a slight crunchy outside. Absolutely wonderful.
I’m so happy they were such a hit Estee! I saw your pics on Facebook, thank you so much for making them and I’m so glad you all loved them, especially your son!
The cookies just came out of the oven and they are divine! Hubby rates them a 5 out of 5 stars. Good thing I made a double batch. They also look like they would freeze well for the holidays but that will require another batch. LOL.
I’m so, so happy you both loved these Peggy! Thank you so much for making them so fast! Wow, 5 out of 5! YES!
I can NEVER say no to cookies, these look insane…and with the holidays approaching, and my annual cookie exchange I do with my big group of mom friends, I’m starting my own cookie trials, so there are going to be a lot of cookies in the near future. I think I need to add these to my list. I mean, once you’re living on cookies what’s one more right?!
Haha thanks friend! Heck yeah-living on cookies is a good thing!! I have just one more cookie recipe set to go out, a Christmas one, but I’m sure another one might pop up, haha!
Of course! Because cookies pop up at any time!
I’m typing this while under a pile of blankets (I’m freezing) so the thought of an ice cream sandwich doesn’t appeal to me, BUT these cookies look amazing!!! I love that you used almond butter – I bet that flavor combination is wonderful. That close up shot of that little balancing act on the glass of milk…you’re killing me. I might not be able to eat these, but I’ll definitely be making them for Willow! She was just asking for pumpkin cookies today. It’s probably a good thing I can’t eat these because they wouldn’t last a day!
Haha, oh I WISH it was freezing here, still hot! So ridiculous because it’s November, but that’s Texas! Yes, ice cream sandwiches didn’t really get much attention on the blog, but these already are getting made the same day posting and excitement, just as I suspected, lol! They are just too simple to make and the ice cream sandwiches were easy, but just extra steps.
Thank you so much! So glad you love that shot! It was such a pain getting it to balance, haha!
Woah! These look amazing Brandi! I’m such a cookie addict, I neeeed to make these! They look so moist and delicious. Yum! Love the pumpkin flavour too! <3
Haha, I’m a cookie addict too Harriet, which is why I can’t make them too often, no self control with cookies! Thank you!
Wow these look incredible. I am going to buy the needed ingredients and make these as soon as possible. Yummy can’t wait to try them. I have no doubt they are delicious. I just have such a crazy schedule I rarely have time to make stuff. Maybe I can make them on Thanksgiving. Once I make them I am going to do a post on Instagram about them. I am still hoping to see you post the recipe for your gluten free version of your Roasted Pecan Butter Chocolate Chip cookies on your blog. I have been dreaming about those ever since I saw them posted on your Instagram. But I still do plan to make your Oat Free Vegan Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies and substituting pecan butter for the almond butter, that you suggested as an alternative. However I still would love to see the actual recipe for those. I might make both these cookies and the other on thanksgiving. I want to make a whole bunch of them and bring them into work for everybody and not tell them that they are vegan until after they love them. Hahaha
Thank you so much Michele!! They are perfectly gooey and chocolatey and rich in pumpkin spice, so good!
Thank you so much Anu!!
Hi Brandi, I just made these but I had leftover sweet potato so I used that instead of pumpkin. I thought they were interchangeable but apparently not ? They must have a lot less water than pumpkin as the batter was very thick and heavy and I’ve just taken them out of the oven now and they look exactly the same as when I put them in! I’ll have to try them with pumpkin next time. I would make them now but my food processor is broken and I’m out of almond butter so I can’t make more now.
Ps We enjoyed your Cocoa Chili for Halloween and I made a double batch of the the Smoky Zucchini fritters on Sunday so I could send home some with my daughter’s boyfriend and the protein balls last night and my girls love them! Thank you for all the great recipes! ?
Hi Beverley! Oh yes, pumpkin is much more watery than sweet potato. The batter shouldn’t be very thick and heavy. Also, is your almond butter super thick? That could have also made the cookie batter too thick. I just noted in the recipe, but I use my homemade roasted almond butter, which is very runny and my batter was soft and produced the flatter cookies you see in the picture and then after chilling the dough, it produced the more chunky (less spread out) cookies. Definitely try them with canned pumpkin puree next time and make sure your almond butter is really smooth/liquidy almost. You can always press down the batter next time if it’s too thick. Most cookie recipes call for doing that, but I’m too lazy and just like to create a cookie dough that you just plop down on the pan, and let it do it’s baking thing, lol!
Anyways, definitely try it with pumpkin instead!
Yay, so happy to hear you all loved the Cocoa Chili and the Smoky Zucchini Fritters, that is so wonderful to hear, thank you so much!
I just devoured two cookies and I can confidently say that each bite brought me one step closer to reaching true enlightenment. It’s a great recipe!
Haha! I loved this feedback Miles, thank you so much! Glad it brought that kind of reaction out 🙂
Yummy! I love pumpkin cookies! So great to curl up with a blanket, some pumpkin cookies, and a mug of tea during November!
Thanks Karissa!
Pumpkin and chocolate together….how can I say no?! They look so good!
Right?!
7 ingredients with 10 minutes of prep? I’m so in!
These look so amazing Brandi, I don’t think I could stop at one or two cookies 😀 chocolate and pumpkin combos are my weakness.
Thank you Lucie, I certainly didn’t stop at 2 either, haha!
Wow this is just so amazingly delicious.. what a visual treat.. looks fabulously awesome cookies
Thank you!
I am a terrible baker, but you’ve inspired me with these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. I love the flavor combination and I have an opened can of pumpkin puree that needs a home! Straight to my belly! 🙂
Thank you Danielle! Well, my recipes are perfect for any novice! I create them to where anybody can make them. You don’t even need a mixer for nearly all my baked goods recipes, just a bowl and spoon/whisk. Super easy!
Yum, these look so good, Brandi! I just posted a pumpkin spice cookie on the blog, I’m just not ready to move on to gingerbread and peppermint quite yet.
Thanks for this incredible cookie recipe. My husband and I ate these in two days! He is waiting for another batch to be made next week. Don’t mind if I do ☺
Haha, so awesome to hear Simona! So glad you and hubby loved these so much! Thank you for the feedback!
They look so cute with all those melty chocolate chips on there <3 And funny — my husband and I can never agree on cookie textures, chunky or crispy, etc. It's always good to have options 🙂
Ahhh yes, then you can make them both ways 🙂 I like them both ways, but for this recipe in particular, the chunky ones are slightly better because they are more fudgy, and cookies should always be fudgy in the center in my book!
I’ve been a complete almond butter addict lately so these cookies are just screaming my name! Beautiful pictures as always 🙂 Pinning!
So sweet of you, thank you Vanessa for the compliment on the pics! I think I should probably go to Almond Butter Addicts or something, because it’s one of my most loved and used ingredients for baking, haha! It gives so much more flavor than oil and half the fat, win-win! 😉
Great looking cookies and I just so happen to have made almond butter last week and I have some leftover pumpkin in the fridge….
…Guess what I’m doing tomorrow!
Perfect timing!
There is a little flaw in this recipe…they are overly addictive! I made them bite size using a small ice cream scooper. They were gone in no time! Super flavorful and delicious! Once again, thank you, Brandi! You are THE queen of desserts! ❤️
Awww thank you so much Lana! I LOVE creating desserts, it is true passion of mine, so I think that is why it is so easy for me to create them so often…almost too often, haha! SO glad you love these so much…can’t be easy cookies that you can make in 10 minutes, huh?!
So so sweet of you, thank you so much Florian! That last pic is my favorite too because you can see how gooey the inside is, haha!
WOAHH!! With melted chocolate in it!! These look like a dream come true. I wonder if one can get actually addicted to cookies? I’m sure your cookies are dangerous! 😀
these cookies are definitely NOT last season, ha! 😉 they sound SO good… ice cream or not. Mmm.
These look absolutely delicious, Brandi! I love pumpkin cookies and then you also added chocolate chips!! Yummy! 🙂
As you know, I currently can’t have oats, but I made these for Willow and my family….everyone LOVED them!! Willow licked the mixing bowl clean and then stood in front of the oven watching them bake. Took A LOT of patience on her part to let them cool, but I’m guessing it was worth the wait because she devoured two really fast. We opted for the small and chunky AND added a few extra chocolate chips on top (if anyone gives me the green light for additional chocolate, you know I’ll do it). I’m hoping to kick this darn oat sensitivity to the curb soon so I can make these again and eat them!!
I just made these and I’m sad to report mine did not turn out like the pictures. What did I do wrong? I did double the recipe, because it’s a habit of mine to double every recipe since I have 5 children. Mine cookies turned out a dark brown color and mostly taste like almond butter and not pumpkin. 🙁 It’s because I double the recipe, isn’t it? Or maybe I used the wrong Almond butter?
So hard to say Annie, without knowing what almond butter you used or if an ingredient was off. I’ve had numerous people make these, many readers above have commented and on Instagram and all with amazing success and looked just like mine in the photos. Did you by chance use a flavored almond butter or dark roasted? These shouldn’t be dark brown at all, but a light brown. I make them often and they are a light brown color and they taste like a richly spiced pumpkin cookie with almond butter fudginess. Without being there, my only guess could possibly be the type of nut butter you used and it sounds like you may have used too much, because although these of course will have a taste of almond butter in them, since it’s a main ingredient, it is not overpowering at all. Also, if they are dark brown, maybe you overbaked them? Did you forget the oat flour?? That helps balance out the almond butter flavor too.
I’m thinking since you doubled the recipe, maybe your forgot to double the oat flour too, because that is what lightens the color and balances out the almond butter.
These were so good! I made them for my family for Thanksgiving and they were a HUGE hit! Typically my family steers clear of all things healthy and vegan, but they loved them so much that we went through 2 batches in just 3 days! I subbed peanut butter in for the almond butter and they tasted delish. The texture was just the right amount of creamy on the inside but still crisp on the outside. Will definitely be making again – thanks for the recipe Brandi! 🙂
Wonderful Megan! I’m so so happy to hear that and I apologize for just seeing this feedback! I’m thrilled to hear that peanut butter worked well in place of the almond butter, thank you so much for taking the time to make them and leave feedback!
These look lovely Brandi. I was wanting to make them since i saw you post them on instagram, and I’m finally putting it on our list this week before we get into all the xmas baking!!
Thank you Anjali! Let me know when you do! They’ve been super popular with readers, so I hope you love them too!
I made these cookies and seriously they are one of the best cookies I ever had. They are so delicious I can’t express this enough. I made one batch with Almond butter for friends and family and one batch with pecan butter because I can’t eat almonds so the pecan butter batch was so I could eat them. Everyone loved the cookies and demanded I give them the recipe. The cookies had such an awesome moist and chewy texture. And the pumpkin pies spice was the perfect flavor enhancement and went so well with chocolate. Oh yum I could eat these everyday. They were serious perfection.
Awww thank you so much for such incredible feedback Christina and sharing your amazing photo on Instagram! I’m so happy to hear you loved these so much and that the pecan butter worked well as well. I totally need to try that since pecan butter is my favorite!! Thanks so much for making them!
Just made these cookies… Amazing!!!!! Even my non-vegan parents loved them. Also made your rice, black bean and avocado bowl and my parents loved that as well! Seriously I have tried sooo many of your recipes and loved every single one. You’re a genius and I can always count on your recipes coming out great. Thank you!!!
Wow, Lindsay! You just made my day! Thank you so much for such heartfelt feedback, it really means so much to me! I’m always happy to hear when everybody loves a recipe, thank you so much for the kind words. Merry Christmas!
I just made these tonight to celebrate the 1st day of Fall. I have made these cookies for years with butter and eggs. lol I didn’t even miss the butter and eggs. I was curious how you were going to keep these bound together. ( almond butter)
I know you have many tricks up your sleeves lol I loved them. I can’t wait to drink hot dandelion tea with them.
Thank you so much Tonia, I’m so happy you loved these! I agree, you don’t even miss the butter or eggs if the recipe is done right!
These cookies are delicious! I did not have almond butter so I subbed it with peanut butter but they were still amazing. The different flavors come together so nicely. This recipe is a keeper. ?
Thank you so much Heather for the awesome review!!
These turned out great. I was concerned because they seemed a little grainy textured after they came out of the oven, but after a few hours in an airtight container the texture became brownie-like with a nice flavor. Lots of compliments from non-vegan coworkers.
Hi Becky! So glad these were such a hit with you and your coworkers! That is awesome! I’ve never had them be grainy though, that is odd…did you use a superfine oat flour? That would be the only reason that could make them grainy or a non smooth almond butter because the listed ingredient yield a smooth cookie 🙂
I am not a pumpkin flavor lover… wonder if I could use butternut squash puree instead?
Made this tonight with crunchy almond butter and almond flour and they are quite tasty! Maybe a bit too much pumpkin pie spice and overly sweet but I am sure they won’t be around long. do you think I would have to change anything else if I used less maple syrup?
thanks
Hi Carla! The reason they tasted too strong and too sweet is because you changed the recipe by using almond flour instead of oat flour. Oat flour is MUCH more absorbent and drier than almond flour, which absorbs flavors better and balances. So, using almond flour, because of the flavor and moisture content, it will need less sweetener and spices versus something made with all oat flour. If you make the recipe as is with oat flour, I think you will notice quite a difference and how balanced the flavors and sweetness are. Hope that helps!
Just made these for my Omni 21 yo son who requested pumpkin cookies.
I had no oat flour so subbed brown rice flour & they are delicious!
Yay Tina! So glad they were such a hit, thank you so much for the review and rating!
Could I use coconut butter instead?
Sorry I’m just seeing this, no I would not use coconut butter here, it would completely change the result of the cookie texture. The almond butter is what gives a fudgy texture and structure.
You had my attention at “Pumpkin”. I made these as soon as I saw your recipe in my email inbox.
I had all of the ingredients on hand and time to spare today. The only one modification. I made was that I reduced the sweetener by half as I don’t like overly sweet desserts. This recipe is very forgiving and the result was delicious.
My hot Texas home smelled like a cool Fall day of pumpkin and spices. I love the simplicity of ingredients and very specific directions you provide in all of your recipes. I have made so many of your recipes I lost count!
Made these today – heaven! Exactly what I needed: sweet, chocolatey, rich, & wholesome ?. Thanks for another great recipe!!
Yay! So glad you loved them!