These vegan pumpkin cookies are easy and delicious–perfect for fall parties, potlucks, or game nights at home.
Nothing makes my mouth water like some good pumpkin cookies…especially if they’re vegan. AND, it turns out that I’m not alone. One of my favorite things about pumpkin cookies is that they are quick and easy to make, and almost everyone loves them. These awesome vegan pumpkin cookies are perfect for parties, potlucks, church functions, and even game night at home with the kids. Are you ready? Let’s get started!
How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Cookies
Before you do anything else, you’ll need to assemble your ingredients:
- pureed pumpkin (from a can)
- vegan butter
- oil (Any neutral oil works, but I used melted coconut oil.)
- cane juice crystals (or vegan granulated sugar)
- brown sugar
- vanilla flavor
- almond milk
- whole wheat flour
- all-purpose flour
- cornstarch
- aluminum-free baking powder
- cinnamon
- salt
And before we move on, let’s talk about about aluminum-free baking powder. Most baking powders contain aluminum, which not only isn’t very healthy, but also can sometimes cause a slight metallic aftertaste in your food. So, let me introduce you to aluminum-free baking powder. It is found at most grocery stores for a reasonable price (or can be purchased online). BUT, you need to know that aluminum-free baking powder, in general, isn’t as potent as other baking powders. For example, in a recipe that calls for 1 teaspoon of regular baking powder, you’d probably want to use 1 tablespoon of aluminum-free baking powder. Make sense? Great! Let’s bake cookies!
Steps to a Perfect Vegan Pumpkin Cookie
Before you start any of this madness, make sure to get your oven going. Preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Okay, now you’re ready.
- In a large bowl, place pureed pumpkin (from a can), melted vegan butter, melted coconut oil (or other neutral-flavored oil), cane juice crystals, brown sugar, vanilla, and almond milk in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix it all together using a wire whisk or an electric mixer. Your mixture should be completely smooth without any lumps.
- Now, because I’m lazy and don’t want to waste time dirtying (and washing) another bowl, I recommend just dumping your dry ingredients right on top of the wet, but don’t stir it, yet.
- Get a fork, and gently mix just the top baking powder, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt with your flours. This will prevent clumping when you dig in deep and mix all the wet ingredients into the dry.
5. Mix all ingredients with a spoon or electric mixer until well-combined. Your dough should be soft and slightly sticky.
6. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone liners to prevent sticking without using oil. Then, using a cookie scoop (or just a nice round tablespoon) make slightly heaped tablespoon-sized mounds, and place them about 1-2 inches apart on your cookie sheet.
7. Use a spoon to gently push down the top of each dough mound, until they are more flat on top. (If you like tall cookies, you can totally skip this step.)
8. Bake your cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 14-16 minutes, or until they are slightly golden around the edges. Allow them to cool for 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack or plate.
Finally, once the cookies are cooled to room temperature, drizzle some icing on them if you’re into that.
And then, devour! Duh.
How to Store Leftover Cookies
These cookies are best kept in a single layer (not stacked) in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. If you have to stack them, they’ll still taste great, but the icing will get messy. And, because these cookies are very soft, they could stick to each other if stacked. If you don’t mind a cold and firm cookie, these cookies can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 5-7 days.
More Vegan Cookies
Looking for more vegan cookie recipes? Here are some ideas to get you started.
- Vegan Apple Oatmeal Cookies
- Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
- Vegan Chocolate or Carob Chip Cookies
- The Best Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Vegan Orange Almond Glazed Cookies
- Vegan Lemon Cookies
Vegan Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup pureed pumpkin (canned)
- 1/2 cup vegan butter (Earth Balance works well.)
- 1/4 cup oil (I used melted coconut oil, but any neutral oil works fine.)
- 1 1/4 cup evaporated cane juice crystals (or vegan granulated sugar)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar (well-packed)
- 3 tablespoons almond milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour (or whole wheat flour)
- 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tablespoons aluminum-free baking powder Or you can use 1 teaspoon baking soda with 1 teaspoon regular baking powder.
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Icing (Optional)
- 1 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar add extra 1-2 tablespoons as needed
- 2 tablespoons almond milk add extra 1/2 tablespoon as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, vegan butter, oil, cane juice crystals, brown sugar, almond milk, and vanilla. Use a wire whisk or electric mixer to assure all lumps are completely dissolved.
- Place flours, cornstarch, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt on the top of the liquid ingredients, but don't mix.
- Use a fork to gently mix cinnamon, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt with the flour, before using a large spoon or electric mixer to completely combine the liquid ingredients with the dry.
- Drop slightly heaping tablespoons of dough about 1-2 inches apart on a parchment or silicon lined baking sheet.
- Bake cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 14-16 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are just starting to turn golden.
- Don't be tempted to bake all the cookies at once. Most ovens bake most evenly when there is only one baking sheet at a time.
- Allow cookies to cool for 2-3 minutes before transferring them from baking sheet to a cooling rack.
- When cookies have cooled to room temperature, make the icing by combining confectioner's sugar and almond milk in a small bowl. Stir with a fork until smooth.
- Drizzle the icing over your cookies any way you like.
- Enjoy!
Oh my god I just made the dough for these veganized pumpkin gems and it tastes delicious! I can’t wait to get them out of the oven. :D
http://herbonherbs.com
There is NO SUCH THING as too many pumpkin recipes!!!
These look very tasty!
I made these…and they were so YUMMY! Thanks for sharing so many delicious, vegan recipes with us! Love your blog, Lindsay!
http://philosophyandcake.blogspot.com
Oh my gosh those look so buttery and delicious! The fat-sugar-flour ratio tells me all I need to know about this recipe. Bookmarked for the future! :)