These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are everything I want on a fall day. They're soft, puffy, deliciously spiced, and full of gooey chocolate goodness.

vegan / gluten free / fall

I was originally planning to post these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies in October, but we finished them early, they turned out great, and I just couldn’t wait. Fall or not, these cookies are SO good! Oats, pumpkin, cinnamon, spices, and chocolate baked into big soft pillowy cookies – what’s not to love? These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are vegan & gluten free, and they will be so perfect for lunch boxes because they’re nut-free(!) as well.

I know so many of you have asked how to make these carrot cookies without nuts. That recipe really needs the almond butter to bind them but THIS recipe holds together beautifully because pumpkin puree is a terrific binder. It’s also easier than grating carrots, which means that you’ll make these so much more often, but I’m warning you – they’ll disappear even faster.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients

Soft, puffy, and totally delicious, these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are secretly healthy! Here’s what makes them SO good (and good for you, too!):

• Flaxseed subs in for the egg in these vegan pumpkin cookies. It also adds a boost of fiber and omega 3-s.
• Oat flour makes them wonderfully puffy and soft.
• Whole rolled oats give them a delicious oatmeal cookie texture and flavor.
• Cinnamon and nutmeg add the perfect notes of pumpkin spice.
• Pumpkin puree is the real star here. Aside from adding essential pumpkin flavor, it acts as a binder and packs in plenty of Vitamin A.
• Cane sugar sweetens them up.
• Coconut oil adds richness.
• Vanilla extract deepens their flavor.
• And chocolate chips make them irresistibly gooey and chocolatey.

Yum!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sure, these cookies are light and fluffy and full of pumpkin flavor, but one of the best parts about them is that they’re easy to make! Here’s what you need to do:

Make a flax egg by stirring together flaxseed and water, and set it aside to thicken.

Then, combine the dry ingredients.

And whisk together the wet ingredients, flax egg included!

Stir together the wet & dry mixtures, and fold in the chocolate chips.

Drop dollops of the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake until they’re lightly brown and your kitchen smells like pumpkin spice. 🙂

Finally, let the cookies cool on the baking sheet (the hard part!), and then enjoy them with a coffee, tea, or cold glass of milk.

These pumpkin cookies are on the cake-y side and resemble a yummy muffin top. Like these Blueberry Breakfast Cookies, you could eat one for breakfast, or enjoy one as a semi-guilt-free midday snack or dessert. They also freeze extremely well. If you do freeze them, thaw them at room temp for an hour (or so), or pop them in the microwave for 8-10 seconds. I love thawing one to enjoy with an afternoon cup of tea.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Variations

Want to change it up? Here are some ideas:

• If you’re not a fan of chocolate, skip the chocolate chips and replace them with walnuts, pecans, or dried cherries.
• Want chocolate + nuts or chocolate + cherries? Then go half and half on the chocolate chips and another mix-in.
• Play with the spices. I love cinnamon and nutmeg here, but cardamom, allspice, and/or ginger would also be good. Or, feel free to use pumpkin pie spice if you keep it on hand!
• Use another kind of squash! This recipe calls for canned pumpkin puree, but baked and mashed kabocha, butternut, or buttercup squash would be great here too. See this post for step-by-step instructions on how to make your own pumpkin puree. (And fun fact: canned pumpkin usually contains a mix of squash varieties anyway!)

More Favorite Cookie Recipes

If you love these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, try one of these yummy cookie recipes next:

• Carrot Cake Cookies
• Chewy Molasses Cookies
• Vegan Sugar Cookies
• Thumbprint Cookies
• Almond Butter Cookies
• Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
• No Bake Cookies
• Or any of these 17 Easy Cookie Recipes!

4.6 from 35 reviews

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

  PrintPrep time 10 minsCook time 16 minsTotal time 26 mins These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are deliciously soft and cakey - they're more similar to these Carrot Breakfast Cookies or a yummy muffin top than to a classic flat & crisp/chewy cookie. A perfect fall treat!Author: Jeanine DonofrioRecipe type: Snack, dessertServes: 12 to 15 large cookiesIngredients

• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal
• 2½ tablespoons warm water
• 2 cups oat flour
• 1 cup gluten free whole rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¾ cup canned pumpkin puree
• ¾ cup cane sugar
• ½ cup melted warm coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips* (see note)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine the flaxseed and water. Stir and set aside to thicken.

Make the oat flour: use a food processor or a blender to process 2¼ cups rolled oats into a fine flour and measure out 2 cups.

In a large bowl, combine the oat flour, whole rolled oats, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, sugar, coconut oil and vanilla. Add the thickened flaxseed mixture and stir to incorporate.

Add the pumpkin mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir to combine. Fold in the chocolate chips. Use a large cookie scoop to drop dollops of the cookie dough onto the baking sheet.

Bake for 16 to 19 minutes or until the tops have browned (don't under-bake). Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before cooling completely on a wire rack. When cookies are completely cool, they can be stored in an airtight container or frozen.

Notes*Be sure to look for vegan chocolate chips if you need this recipe to be vegan. I like the Sunspire and Enjoy Life brands.

I use Bob's Red Mill's Certified Gluten Free Rolled Oats.

3.4.3177
 

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