These vegan pumpkin cookies are a soft baked hybrid between a cake and a cookie. Topped with a 30-second glaze, they’re the perfect little fall treat!
Just in time for pumpkin spice season, we’re sharing these sort of chewy, sort of cake-y, sort of perfect vegan pumpkin cookies! These are almost like a snickerdoodle in texture, and really great with the pumpkin flavour combined with all the spice.
The cookies aren’t super sweet, so if you like a sweeter dessert, definitely add the glaze. You could also do a vegan cream cheese frosting! These would be delicious as whoopie pies, too, with the icing sandwiched between two cookies.
So if you love pumpkin and pumpkin spice, but can only make so much pie, try these cookies instead and embrace the season.
Ingredients
- Cane sugar
- Vegan butter
- Pumpkin puree
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose (white) flour
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Sea salt
- Powdered sugar
- Non-dairy milk
Method
Preheat the oven and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper. You might be able to get away with just one pan if yours is an extra-large one, but we usually need two.
Beat the vegan butter and sugar in a large bowl (or the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment) and beat on high speed until fluffy and light, a couple of minutes.
If you’re using a stand mixer, switch to the paddle attachment. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla, and mix on low speed until incorporated. It might separate and look curdled, but that’s fine.
Add the flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low speed if using a standing mixer, or stir with a wooden spoon, until fully combined and no streaks of flour remain. The dough should be smooth and slightly softer than normal cookie dough.
Scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet(s), about 2tbsp per cookie, leaving about 5cm (2 inches) space between each to allow for spreading.
Bake the cookies for about 16 minutes, or until golden. Make sure the middles don’t look under baked, that’s a negative here! It seems like a long baking time but that’s due to the cake-like nature of the cookies.
Cool for 5 minutes on the tray before removing to cool fully on a rack. Mix up the glaze, and top the cookies once they’ve cooled completely.
Tips and Notes
This is a fluffy, whoopie pie style of cookie, almost like a cupcake top. The cookies are just very slightly chewy but don’t expect chocolate chip cookie level chewiness! They’re cakey and meant to be.
If you prefer an icing instead of a glaze, try our vegan vanilla buttercream. You could add some cinnamon or other spice to it too.
Pumpkin acts as an egg replacer in this recipe, so you don’t need any extra starches or things like aquafaba. Easy peasy.
There is a slightly longer baking time for these cookies (it’s not a typo) due to their texture. This is not a cookie you want to under bake, so make sure to bake them all the way through, until the centre is set.
Substitutions
You don’t have to make your own puree! At this time of year we love to make it from in-season pumpkins, but canned works just as well and can be used year round. Just make sure you’re buying puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
Don’t love pumpkin pie spice? Then use cinnamon or another spice blend you like. Try chai spice!
If you want a more wholesome cookie, you can either sub ½ cup of the white flour for whole wheat, or go for a larger quantity of whole wheat pastry flour. Up to half should be barely noticeable.
We haven’t tried this with oil instead of vegan butter yet, but it might work due to the extra water content from the pumpkin puree. We’ll update here when it’s been tested!
White sugar can be substituted for cane – use what you have on hand.
More Pumpkin Treats
Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies
Cinderella Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate Cookie Crust
Butterscotch Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Pumpkin Chocolate Marble Loaf with Maple Drizzle
Deep Dish Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Cookies
These vegan pumpkin cookies are a soft baked hybrid between a cake and a cookie. Topped with a 30-second glaze, they're the perfect little fall treat!
Ingredients
Cookies
- ¾ cup (150 g) cane sugar
- 6 tablespoon (85 g) room temperature vegan butter
- ½ cup (125 ml) pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1-¼ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Glaze
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon melted vegan butter
- 1-2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the sugar and butter into the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a large bowl and electric mixer). Mix on high speed until fluffy and lightened in colour, about 2 minutes.
- Switch to the paddle attachment (if using a standing mixer - if not, use the electric mixer on low) and add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed until incorporated.
- Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low speed until a smooth dough forms.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 tablespoon per cookie (a cookie or small ice cream scoop is ideal), leaving about 5cm (2 in.) space between each cookie.
- Bake the cookies for 16-18 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the middle is the same colour throughout the top of the cookie. If it looks under baked in the middle, leave it for another minute or two. If using the convection setting, you can bake multiple trays at one time. Otherwise, bake the cookies in batches.
- Once the cookies are baked, let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before removing and cooling fully on a rack. Add the glaze once the cookies are cooled.
Glaze
- To make the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar, and melted vegan butter in a bowl until smooth. Add the milk one tablespoon at a time, whisking with each addition, until a thick, pourable glaze forms. Drizzle the glaze over the cookies.
Notes
This may make more glaze than you'll need, but rather a bit much than too little! It can be used in any other recipe you need a glaze and lasts several days in the fridge (just bring back to room temperature and give it a whisk if needed).
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 284Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 167mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 1gSugar: 18gProtein: 5g
This is an approximation of the nutrition offered in this recipe, and is created using a nutrition calculator.
This post was originally published in October 2014. It has been updated with new photos, text, and some changes to the recipe as of October 2020.
Maryna says
Amazing!!! Photos are pure beauty!! Really, how do you achive this gloomy dark effect?
Laura Wright // the first mess says
Hi Maryna! I shot these photos right by a bay window on a gloomy dark day at about 4 pm. To be honest, I was worried there wasn’t going to be ENOUGH light :)
Maryna says
No-no! They are just perfect!! I am in love with your photography)
Ksenia @ At the Immigrant's Table says
Come fall, I always have frozen pumpkin or a jar of pumpkin puree on the go. I just finished a jar yesterday, and these look like a great excuse to dig into my frozen stash :) Thanks to the Quebec farmers’ markets, I doubt I’ll run out of pumpkin anytime soon.
Laura Wright // the first mess says
It’s definitely an abundant time of year for squashes and tubers around here too. Thanks Ksenia!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
These sound unreal! Loving that vegan glaze!
Laura Wright // the first mess says
Thanks Katrina!
Tori@Gringalicious.com says
I love your photos and the cookies sound amazing!
Laura Wright // the first mess says
Thanks so much, Tori :)
Ashley says
Guhhh. These photos! The light! This post screams fall. I’m still down with pumpkin spice but usually hang it up right before December…then, molasses!!
Laura Wright // the first mess says
I was afraid I was losing light, girl! Aaaaand now I want a molasses cookie. xo
Ashley says
p.s. Thanks for the milkshake shout! ;)
cynthia says
Totally. Awesome. And I love the light!
Laura Wright // the first mess says
Thanks Cynthia! Definitely inspired by your gorgeous, moody photos with this one ;) xo
liz says
These sound delicious. What flour could be used in place of the two spelt flours? I prefer wheat flour cookies and have a few types on hand (all purpose, whole wheat pastry, etc…)
Thanks!
Laura Wright // the first mess says
Hi Liz, you could replace the light spelt with all purpose and the whole spelt with 100% whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour if you like. I’m confident a half and half mix off all purpose and whole wheat pastry would work too.
-L
Rebecca @ figs and pigs says
Wow what an awesome colour these cookies are your pictures are incredibly beautiful, I’m pleased I found your blog today.
Laura Wright // the first mess says
Thanks for saying hello, Rebecca!
Gemma says
Could these cookies be more beautiful and tempting?! I think NOT! That glaze makes them stand out even more. Btw, thanks for giving us an alternative option to the shortening…since I can’t find non-hydrogenated shortening in Spain. :-(
Amazingly beautiful photos, they give such a wonderful cozy and relaxed vibe! :-)
xo
G.
Laura Wright // the first mess says
Thanks for your lovely comment, Gemma! You might find that the cookies spread out more if you go the oil route, just something to look out for when you’re spacing them :)