Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Name: Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients: 2/3 cup pureed pumpkin; 2 tablespoons avocado oil or vegetable oil; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 2 teaspoons vanilla; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/8 teaspoon dried ground ginger; 1 cup chocolate chips (be sure to use vegan chips to keep it vegan!)

Jump To Recipe by Liz Thomson September 13, 2019 This post may contain affiliate links.

These vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are a healthy twist on a classic favorite! They’re soft and cakey, with just the right amount of sweetness. This is the pefect fall dessert!

I’m not someone who goes crazy over pumpkin but I love pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! I wanted to create a recipe that would be a little healthier than a regular cookie and I’m so happy with how these turned out!

I thought I’d keep these cookies vegan so more of you can enjoy them. They don’t require any sort of egg substitute and they have a lovely, fluffy texture. These almost remind me of muffin tops! If you like soft, fluffy cookies, these are for you!

vegan pumpkin cookies on a cutting board

Tips for perfect vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

If you want to keep these vegan, make sure your chocolate chips are vegan. Enjoy Life is a brand that makes a great dairy-free chips!
Be careful not to over bake these cookies. These are a softer, chewier cookie, vs. a crispy, crunchy edge. The texture is similar to a muffin top.
Use canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. Canned pumpkin is simply cooked and pureed pumpkin, whereas pumpkin pie filling has lots of added sugar.

Vegan Pumpkin Cookie Ingredients

Pumpkin– Be sure to use 100% pureed pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugar.
Avocado oil or vegetable oil– Be sure to use a neutral flavored oil, rather than olive oil, which has a savory flavor.
Sugar– Granulated sugar works best. I have not tested this recipe with sugar alternatives.
Vanilla– Be sure to use real vanilla extract!
Flour– All purpose flour makes these cookies soft and fluffy. See below for a gluten-free option.
Baking soda & baking powder– Using both baking soda and baking powder adds lift to the cookies. You can read more about the chemical reactions here!
Salt– A little salt enhances the sweetness
Cinnamon & ginger– These are essential for the pumpkin pie type of flavor! You can substitute pumpkin pie spice, if necessary.
Chocolate chips– Be sure to use dairy-free chocolate chips to keep this recipe vegan.

How to Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies

If you want to make these cookies gluten-free, I recommend using Bob’s Red Mill’s 1 to 1 gluten-free flour blend. A recipe tester tried this substitute and it worked perfectly!

Additional Substitution ideas

Be sure to use a neutral-flavored oil like grapeseed, avocado, or vegetable oil. I don’t recommend substituting olive oil, as it will impart a savory taste.
You can use brown sugar or white sugar in these cookies. Brown sugar will impart a hint of caramel flavor, but both are delicious! (I’ve tested both because you never know when you’ll run out of one!)
If you wanted to cut down on the sugar, you could replace half of the chocolate chips with chopped pecans.