Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Cookies with Chocolate Chips

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. 

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 pumpkin protein balls!

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.

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.

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!

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.