Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Soft, pillowy pumpkin cookies bursting with warm autumn spice and a hint of brown sugar sweetness. These dairy-free, egg-free treats are perfect with a mug of cider on a crisp fall afternoon.
- Total time
- 35 mins
- Makes
- 20 cookies
- Oven
- 350°F
- Ingredients
- 11
About these cookies
These pumpkin cookies are soft and cakey, closer to a tiny spiced snack cake than a chewy cookie. Three-quarters of a cup of pumpkin puree keeps the crumb moist. Brown sugar and a splash of maple syrup give a gentle caramel sweetness, and the pumpkin pie spice warms every bite. You only need two bowls, there's no chilling, and a full batch of 20 is ready in about 35 minutes.
Steps
- Tap a step to check it off.
Tips for success
- Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off instead of scooping straight from the bag. Too much flour on top of the moist pumpkin will make the cookies dry and dense.
- Use vegan butter that's soft enough to dent with a finger but not melted. Melted butter won't hold air when you cream it with the sugars, so the cookies come out flat and greasy instead of pillowy.
- Don't worry if the mixture looks split after you add the pumpkin and maple syrup. It comes together once the dry ingredients go in, so mix only until no streaks of flour remain to keep the cookies tender.
- These cookies don't spread much, so gently flatten each mound of dough before baking. Otherwise they bake up as domes.
- Take them out at the low end of the 12 to 14 minutes if the tops spring back when touched. They won't brown much, and baking until they look golden makes them dry.
Swaps
- Pumpkin pie spice: mix 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg and 1/4 tsp ground cloves or allspice. That makes the 2 tsp the recipe needs, and you can adjust the blend to taste.
- Vegan butter: use the same amount of softened refined coconut oil, which has no coconut flavor. The cookies come out a little more tender and less buttery. Coconut oil is unsalted, so add an extra pinch of salt.
- Brown sugar: swap in an equal amount of coconut sugar for a deeper, toffee-like flavor and slightly darker cookies. Some cane sugars are filtered with bone char, so if you stick with regular white or brown sugar, choose ones labeled vegan or organic.
- Maple syrup: agave syrup or vegan brown rice syrup works 1:1. You'll lose the maple flavor, so the spice and pumpkin will stand out more.
Storing
Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, with parchment between the layers because the soft tops can stick together. To freeze, store cooled cookies in a freezer bag for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature. To bring back that fresh-baked softness, warm them at 300°F (150°C) for 3 to 4 minutes.
