These pumpkin cookies with chocolate chips are soft and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. They are vegan and so are naturally egg and dairy free. Flavored with pumpkin pie spices, coconut butter, and chocolate chips, you won’t miss the egg or dairy in this moist seasonal cookie.
The first time I made these cookies my daughter took a big bite and exclaimed, “Oh these are just like Grandma used to make!” And she was right – they were just like Grandma’s – but truth be told, I don’t think Grandma ever “made” them, but rather, purchased them from the local bakery! But yes, they are that good:)
To Make These Vegan Pumpkin Cookies You Will Need:
I’ve included some Amazon (affiliate) links for some hard-to-find items.
- organic white and brown sugars
- all-purpose flour
- cornstarch
- baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, salt
- (affiliate link) agar agar
- Medjool dates
- plant milk (I used cashew milk)
- lemon juice, vanilla
- (affiliate link) tahini paste
- (affiliate link) coconut butter (not oil)
- (affiliate link) vegan chocolate chips
Looking for some more delicious vegan cookies and desserts? Try my Vegan Banana Cookies, Duncan Hines Brownie Hack, or Apple Pumpkin Bundt Cake. All so good! Check out this post with all the vegan pumpkin recipes – both sweet and savory – from Veggie Fun Kitchen!
Pro Tips and Suggestions for Making Vegan Pumpkin Cookies with Chocolate Chips That Rival Grandma’s!
Please read through the tips and suggestions portion. There are some items and techniques that are unique to vegan baking. I’ve included (affiliate) links that I think might be helpful to you.
- First things first – start soaking those pitted Medjool dates in hot water. As long as they aren’t rock hard, a thirty-minute soak should do. Make sure you drain the water before blending with the plant milk in a high-speed blender.
- Medjool dates are often used to add sweetness to whole-food recipes. For this recipe, we use them primarily for a caramel-like flavor. Read more about cooking with Medjool dates here including some recipes that use Medjool dates.
- (Affiliate link) Coconut butter is NOT the same thing as coconut oil! Coconut butter is more of a whole food. If you can’t find coconut butter, it would be best to sub with vegan margarine rather than coconut oil – but the cookies might turn out too flat. It’s good to source some coconut butter and keep it in your pantry. You can also find it in many grocery stores – either next to the coconut oil, near the nut butters, or in the healthy food section.
- When you first open your coconut butter, it might have separated. Stir the oil in. There is no need to refrigerate.
- (Affiliate link) Agar Agar Powder. I have never seen this at the grocery store. It is used as a binder in vegan cooking and as a gelatin replacement. If you choose not to use it, the flavor will be the same but the cookies are not guaranteed to hold together as well.
Pro Tip:
Professional bakers and bloggers do this to make their cookies look “pretty” and Pinterest perfect. Even though the cookie has chocolate chips in it, the chips will not really show but will be lost in the batter. After dropping the cookies on the parchment paper or silicone mat, press a few chocolate chips onto the top of the cookie. You can see here one that has been finished that way, and one that hasn’t.
- This recipe will make about 24 cookies, 12 on the cookie sheet at a time. Use either a silicone baking matt or parchment paper. BUT give the mat or paper a little spritz of cooking spray because there is not a lot of fat in this recipe and the cookies might stick.
- The cookies won’t spread or change shape during baking. Just good to know.
Things I found helpful in making this Vegan Pumpkin Cookie recipe (affiliate links):
The Recipe For Vegan Pumpkin Cookies with Cholate Chips:
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Vegan Pumpkin Cookies with Chocolate Chips
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1/2 cup organic brown sugar
- 1/2 cup organic white sugar
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon agar agar *see note
Wet Ingredients
- 6 medjool dates pitted and soaked
- 1½ cup pumpkin solid pack
- ½ cup plant milk I used cashew milk
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 Tablespoon tahini paste
- ½ cup coconut butter
- ¾ cup chocolate chips vegan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Pit and soak the dates in hot water for 30 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine together dry ingredients and set aside.
- Put pitted, soaked and drained dates in a high speed blender along with plant milk of choice. Blend for about three minutes on high speed until dates have been fully processed and incorporated into the liquid.
- Pour date/milk mixture into a mixing bowl with the coconut butter, pumpkin, lemon, vanilla, and tahini. With an electric mixer, mix together for about 2 minutes or until mixed, light and fluffy.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and with a mixer, fully incorporate. You might need to finish mixing by hand with a large spoon. Do not over mix the batter or it will become tough.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Cooking twelve cookies at a time, drop the dough onto a lightly greased silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned. Allow to cool before removing from cooking mat.
Notes
- (affiliate link) agar agar is useful to help bind the cookie together and helps make it soft. I have only found on Amazon (affiliate link above). When I haven't had it in my pantry, I've still made the cookie. It will taste the same but might not hold together quite as well.
- You may cook your own pumpkin if you desire. I use canned pumpkin. Make sure you use what is called "solid pack" or "pumpkin puree" and NOT pumpkin pie mix. You'll have a little pumpkin left over in the can. Sorry- freeze it and add to smoothies!
- Make sure to drain the water from the soaked and pitted Medjool dates. Otherwise, your batter will be way too wet.
- Once on the cookie sheet, your cookies are not going to spread or change shape. Just an FYI...
Nutrition
