Vegan Pumpkin Cookies

Name: Vegan Pumpkin Cookies
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1/3 cup almond butter; ½ cup brown sugar; 1 cup pumpkin; 1⅔ cups oat flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp cinnamon; 1 pumpkin pie spice; 1 cup Cashews (soaked overnight or boiled 15 minutes); 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice; 3-4 tablespoons Maple Syrup; 1-2 tablespoons Almond Milk; 1 teaspoon Vanilla; 1 cup Powdered Sugar; 1-2 tablespoons Non-dairy milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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These super soft vegan pumpkin cookies are simple to make, perfect for fall, and melt in your mouth delicious!

Originally Published: September 16th, 2018

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Bite shot of vegan pumpkin cookie piled on top of two other cookies, all cookies are frosted.

If you’re a fan of pumpkin recipes, then you’ll love my vegan pumpkin pancakes, vegan pumpkin bread, vegan pumpkin donuts too!

Why Make These Pumpkin Cookies

They’re not only vegan, but also ‘mostly’ whole food plant-based (they do use some sugar, but don’t use any type of butter, not even plant-based butter)
Super easy to make
There are two options for icing/frosting to choose from (a cashew cream frosting, or a simple icing)
They’re gluten-free (just be sure to buy gluten-free oats or oat flour)

Ingredients

Almond Butter: Almond butter is used in place of butter in regular pumpkin cookies, it also adds a bit of nutty flavor and richness to these cookies.

Brown Sugar: Brown sugar makes the cookies sweet and also helps add moisture to the cookies, which is part of why they’re so soft!

Pumpkin Puree: Pumpkin is a main ingredient in pumpkin cookies and can not be replaced. It adds flavor, moisture, and texture to the cookies.

Oat Flour: Oat flour gives these cookies their structure, just as regular flour does in regular cookies. Using oat flour is a bit healthier though, and also gluten-free (for the most part).

It’s also a whole grain and you can make it yourself at home with old fashioned oats and a high speed blender or food processor.

Baking Powder: Baking powder is required in this recipe to help the cookies rise slightly and become slightly fluffy.

Baking Soda: Baking soda is used for the same reasons as baking powder.

Cinnamon: Cinnamon brings warmth and depth to these pumpkin cookies, and to be completely honest, I absolutely love cinnamon and will use any excuse I can to add it to my food!

Pumpkin Pie Spice: Pumpkin pie spice is a blend of other spices that make it easier to achieve the same flavors, but with one spice instead of many. If need be, check the substitution section below for suggestions on how to replace this if you don’t have it.

Substitutions for these Eggless Pumpkin Cookies

Plant-Based Butter: I’ve tried very hard to make this recipe as healthy as possible, but I do understand that not everyone has the same goals. If you wish to replace the almond butter with plant-based butter (to add more richness and buttery flavor to the cookies), then go right ahead.

You would substitute butter in for almond butter in a 1:1 ratio.

White Sugar: If you don’t have brown sugar and only have white, that is fine. Replace the brown sugar with white sugar in a 1:1 ratio.

Maple Syrup: I have not tested this recipe with maple syrup and am unsure if you can replace the sugar in a 1:1 ratio with it. I would start by using half maple syrup and half brown sugar.

All Purpose Flour: If you don’t have oat flour, or oats, and prefer a more ‘normal’ cookie, just wanting it to be vegan, not necessarily healthy, then feel free to use all purpose flour in place of the oat flour in a 1:1 ratio.

Other Spices: Feel free to add other spices in, or replace the pumpkin pie spice with other spices if you don’t have it. Other spices that would go well in these cookies are: nutmeg, ginger, and possibly cloves.

How to Make Simple Vegan Pumpkin Cookies

*Note that these instructions, along with the full amount of ingredients, can be printed out below on the recipe card.

Step one: Preheat the oven to 350℉.

Step two: Cream together the almond butter and sugar.

Step three: Stir in the pumpkin puree.

Step four: Add in the rest of the cookie ingredients and mix well.

4 photo collage for the process for making vegan pumpkin cookies, from creaming together the sugar, pumpkin puree, and almond butter, to scooping the dough to be baked on the cookie sheet.

Step five: Use a cookie scoop, or about 2 tablespoons, and place on the baking sheet.

Step six: Use the back of a wet spoon and slightly flatten the cookie dough, then bake for 10 minutes.

Step seven: While baking the cookies, make the icing or frosting.

Make the simple icing by mixing together 1 tablespoon soy milk, the vanilla, and powdered sugar. Add 1 more teaspoon of soy milk at a time until you get your desired icing consistency.

OR…

Make the cashew frosting by adding all of the frosting ingredients to a food processor and processing until smooth and spreadable.

Process photos for making cashew cream frosting for vegan pumpkin cookies.

Step eight: Allow the cookies to cool, ice/frost them, and enjoy!

2 photo collage of vegan pumpkin cookies, first is of them on the baking sheet fresh out of the oven. The second photo shows them frosted on a cooling rack.

Expert Tips

Be sure to use a cookie scoop, if possible, when making these cookies, it helps with making them come out round when baked.

These cookies also don’t rise or spread very much while making, so feel free to only space them an inch or so apart before baking. But, you’ll also want to press them down slightly with a spoon to slightly flatten them before baking.

How to Serve

These soft vegan pumpkin cookies are best served with some type of frosting or icing.

The cashew cream frosting below pairs well with these cookies, but can be an acquired taste, so it may be best to make both frostings and then let each person choose which they’d prefer.

Hand taking 1 freshly frosted, freshly baked, vegan pumpkin cookie for a cooling rack.

How to Store

Room Temperature: These pumpkin cookies are best stored at room temperature for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container.

Fridge: These cookies can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for slightly longer than room temperature.

Freezer: These cookies freeze well for about a month, just be sure to freeze them before frosting or icing them.

FAQ’s

Do pumpkin cookies freeze well?

Yes! Pumpkin cookies do freeze well, however it is recommended to not ice the cookies before freezing.

Do I need to refrigerate the cookie dough before baking?

No, this step is not necessary!

How can I prevent these cookies from turning stale or dry?

To keep these cookies soft be sure to keep them in an airtight container, they stay well at room temperature up to 3 days.

Do I have to use almond butter in this recipe?

This recipe has only been tested with almond butter, but in theory another neutral flavored nut or seed butter should work, such as sunbutter or cashew butter.

Do I have to flatten the cookie dough before baking these cookies?

These cookies will not flatten by themselves, they will stay just about the same shape after baking as they are before. So if you want these to look like regular pumpkin cookies, then you will need to flatten them before baking. Trying to flatten them after baking may result in the cookie cracking.