Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Cookies with Chocolate Chips

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.

Indulge in light, fluffy Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Cookies with chocolate chips and cozy pumpkin spices. This easy homemade recipe is refined sugar-free and perfect for pumpkin season.

When the air turns crisp and the leaves begin to change, pumpkin recipes seem to punctuate the start of the fall and winter months. These egg-free and dairy-free pumpkin chocolate chip cookies do just that and more. 

Each bite of these healthy cookies captures the essence of the season with wholesome ingredients. Made with oat flour, pumpkin puree, and maple syrup this recipe is truly a guilt-free treat. 

They're not just a dessert or snack; they double up as a healthful breakfast option.

Who wouldn't love a warm soft pumpkin cookie to start the day? It's like having pumpkin bread condensed into a perfectly-sized pumpkin cookie. The texture is light, fluffy, and moist. 

And if these cookies have won you over, you will also love our vegan chocolate chip cookies that also happen to be gluten-free.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Directions with Pictures
• Top Tips
• Ways to Customize
• Storage
• More Gluten-Free Vegan Desserts
• 📖 Recipe

Ingredients

Here’s what you will need to make gluten-free, vegan pumpkin cookies:

• Pure Pumpkin Puree - You can use real pumpkin and roast it to scoop out the mash to make your own pumpkin puree or just store-bought canned pumpkin puree.
• ​Pure Maple Syrup - Gives the perfect sweetness to the cookies while keeping the recipe relatively low-sugar with about a teaspoon of maple syrup per cookie.
  • Add up to ¼ cup of coconut or brown sugar for a sweeter cookie.
• Vegan Chocolate Chips - Add to the cookie's sweetness and complements the pumpkin flavor. 
• Flax Egg - Is an excellent egg substitute that helps bind the cookie dough. It is also super easy to make flax eggs.
• Baking Powder - Makes these cookies perfectly fluffy and moist.
• Oat Flour - This gluten-free flour works best in this recipe! You can buy oat flour from the store or easily make it with a blender at home.
  • If making your oat flour, you will need 4 cups of rolled oats to make the 3 cups required for this recipe. (1 cup of rolled oats makes about ¾ cup of oat flour.)
• Cinnamon, Pumpkin Spice, and Sea Salt - Encapsulate the fall flavors and bring out the pumpkin in this cookie.
• Neutral Oil - Any neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil works in this recipe. You can also use applesauce if you are oil-free.

Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.

Directions with Pictures

Here's how to make gluten-free, vegan pumpkin cookies with chocolate chips:

1. Make the cookie dough.

• Make a flax egg in a small bowl by whisking together flaxseed and water. Let this mixture sit for 10 minutes to thicken. 
• In a large bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients.
• Add the remaining wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until thoroughly combined and a wet dough forms. There should be no floury bits at the bottom of the bowl.

2. Allow batter to rest.

• Add the dark chocolate chips and stir again to incorporate the chocolate chips evenly throughout the batter.
• Allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes. The oat flour will absorb moisture and help the pumpkin cookies hold their shape when scooped onto the baking tray.

3. Place on baking sheet.

Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to place even-sized cookie dough balls onto a lined baking sheet.

4. Bake pumpkin cookies.

• Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until they spring back when pressed lightly. 
• Transfer to a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes before enjoying!

Top Tips

For the best vegan pumpkin cookies, follow these tips:

• Using a 1.5 to 2-tablespoon cookie scoop will give you evenly portioned cookies and give them a nice rounded dome. 
• If the dough becomes too sticky while scooping the cookies, place the cookie scoop in a glass of water every few cookies. You can also spray the scooper with oil beforehand. 
• These gluten-free cookies have a cake-like texture and will be the same shape as when you put them in the oven. You can place them close together on the cookie sheet since they don’t spread.

Ways to Customize

There are so many ways that you can customize vegan pumpkin cookies. Here are a few ideas:

• Make pumpkin sugar cookies - If you’re looking for a sweeter pumpkin cookie, add up to ¼ cup of coconut sugar or brown sugar. 
• Make frosted cookies - Top with vegan cream cheese frosting for a decadent treat. You could also leave out the chocolate chips if you do this.
• Make double chocolate pumpkin cookies - Reduce the oat flour by ½ cup and replace it with cocoa powder for an extra chocolatey and soft pumpkin cookie.

Storage

Store vegan, gluten-free pumpkin cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week. They always taste best and are their fluffiest the first couple of days, though!

If stored in the fridge, they will become slightly firmer but will still taste great! They will last a bit longer in the refrigerator as well.

More Gluten-Free Vegan Desserts

Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a rating and tell us how you liked it!

📖 Recipe