These soft and gooey vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are simply the BEST healthy cookie to enjoy in the fall! Filled with pumpkin purée, warming spices and covered with chocolate chips, they make for thick and filling snacking cookies that are super nutritious too.
If you love all things pumpkin, then I'm glad you are here! And even if you are not a huge fan of cooking with pumpkin purée, I assure you will still love these amazing fall cookies!
Pumpkin purée has a subtle flavor that pairs well with spices and chocolate, plus it turns baked goods to a nice orange autumn color. I love how it also keeps these cookies soft, fluffy and tender by adding extra moisture to the batter.
These cookies are also packed with oats, sweetened with bananas and maple syrup and studded with chocolate chips. They are great enjoyed with a cold glass of cashew chocolate milk and perfect for on-the-go healthy snacks. Plus, they are completely nut-free, which makes them school-safe and a fun sweet treat to add to your kid's lunch boxes. A must-try this fall!
Vegan pumpkin oatmeal cookies
I feel like when I load my cookie recipes with rolled oats, then it gives the green light to enjoy them for breakfast. It's like oatmeal-in-the-shape-of-a-cookie. And I'm always up for cookies at breakfast. Who's not.
So here you go, one more breakfast friendly healthy cookie to add on your breakfast meal-prep list! Oats add so much texture and make cookies heartier and more filling, which is a great way to start the day. I'll often make big batches of cinnamon oatmeal cookies or chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, then freeze and simply grab-and-go.
Ingredients you'll need
I love how these cookies are made using mostly pantry ingredients.
- Rolled oats: use old-fashioned oats instead of quick cooking for best texture. I used the rolled oats from Bob's Red Mill.
- Pumpkin purée: adds a nice flavor plus a lot of moisture to create an amazing texture.
- Flour: I used the white whole wheat flour from King Arthur, but all-purpose flour would work too.
- Ground flax: acts as a binder.
- Maple syrup: for sweetness, but the maple flavor also pairs well with the spices.
- Baking powder: leveling agent.
- Banana: they help sweeten the cookies naturally, plus creates a gooey texture.
- Coconut oil: use a refined coconut oil to avoid any coconut flavor if possible.
- Pumpkin spice mix: or use a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and ground ginger.
- Chocolate chips: dark chocolate chips are best to make these cookies, look for a dairy-free brand too. I used these vegan dark chocolate chips from the brand 365. Mini chocolate chips would work well too.
What kind of pumpkin purée to use
Using canned pumpkin purée definitively makes this recipe super easy and convenient. I used the organic pumpkin purée from the brand 365, but any brand will work. Just make sure NOT to use a can of pumpkin pie filling as it is loaded with sugar! So look at the ingredients and check for pumpkin being the only ingredient. You want REAL plain pumpkin purée!
You can also make your own pumpkin purée! Learn how to make your own pumpkin purée in this article from Jessica in the kitchen.
What to do with the leftover pumpkin purée from the can?
You won't need to use the whole can of pumpkin purée, so what should you do with the leftovers?
First of all, this recipe makes for only 8 large fluffy cookies. You can easily double the recipe to use up more of your can and freeze the extra cookies for later.
But what I also do is I use the extra when making overnight oats! Follow these pumpkin spices overnight oats instructions and enjoy a jar of fall flavors in the morning!
You can also use the remaining purée in all sorts of baking, such as pumpkin brownies and pumpkin pie or even use it when making creamy pasta dishes!
Step-by-Step instructions
Before preparing the batter, get ready by lining a baking sheet with parchment paper and pre-heat the oven to 350º.
Step 1- Make the flax egg
Simply whisk to combine the flax with the water in a small bowl and set aside for a few minutes until ready to use. The mixture will thicken slightly and act as a binder, similar to an egg.
Step 2 - Combine the dry
In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats with the flour, baking powder and spices.
Step 3 - Combine the wet
In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin purée, maple syrup, mashed banana, melted coconut oil and flax egg. Stir well until combined.
Step 4 - Combine
Simply pour the wet over the dry and stir until well combined. Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure there are no dry pockets anymore.
Step 4- Finish up and bake
Transfer the batter into 8 cookies on the prepared baking sheet. You can use a medium size ice cream scoop. Then, gently press on the cookies so they get uniformly flat, while still remaining thick. Use your fingers to shape them in nice discs too if you want. Alternatively, you could also not press them and leave them in dome shape, it makes for gooey-ier and softer cookies!
Then, cover the cookies with chocolate chips. You can incorporate the chocolate into the batter if you want before shaping the cookies, but for these cookies I prefer to leave the chocolate on top. It looks nice and appetizing that way! Gently press on the chips just so they stick to the batter.
Bake for 12-14 minutes (Bake for 12-13 minutes for flat cookies or 14 minutes for dome cookies).
The cookies might appear slightly undone and super soft when just out of the oven, but let them cool down for a few minutes before enjoying, they will finish up cooking during that time.
Watch how to make them
Baking tips
- Make sure you don't over bake them or they will get dry. Allow them to look soft right after baking, so they stay gooey even after cooled down.
- Coconut oil is solid at room temperature and helps create cookies that are soft and tender. Don't swap for any other kind of oil.
- I love maple syrup in this recipe as the maple flavor pairs well with the spices. But, feel free to swap for other kind of sweetener as long as they are liquid, like agave nectar or brown rice syrup. Don't use granulated sugar, they might end up being too dry.
- The batter is super sticky! If you have one, use an ice cream scoop to transfer the batter on the baking sheet.
Variations and serving suggestions
I'm sure you came over here for the chocolate chips, right?
But, if you are not that much into chocolate, then feel free to top the raw cookies with chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans or a mixture of coconut sugar with cinnamon.
You could integrate the chocolate chips or nuts into the batter directly, but I think that topping the cookies with them add a good crunch and a fun dimension.
Also, you could bake the cookies without any toppings and simply drizzle melted chocolate over when done.
To serve, sprinkle with some sea salt if desired to enhance their sweetness. I also love to warm them up only a few seconds in the microwave: they become softer and the chocolate melts just a little bit, yum!
How to make these vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies completely gluten-free
I haven't tried it, but the gluten-free flour 1:1 from Bob's Red Mill usually works well in baking. Also, be sure to use certified gluten-free oats.
Storage tips
You can keep these cookies at room temperature for about 24 hours. After this, transfer to the fridge so they stay fresh longer (up to 4 days). Once they have cooled down, be sure to always keep them in an air-tight container so they don't dry out.
Can I freeze them?
These cookies freeze very well! Be sure to first let them completely cool down, then transfer to a freezer container or bag and keep in the freezer for up to 3-4 months. Try to separate them with parchment paper so they don't stick together, which makes it easier to grab one at the time.
To defrost, let them warm up at room temperature, they thaw pretty quickly. You can also use the microwave to speed up the process (only a few seconds or they will become hard).
Other vegan cookies you might like
- Vegan lemon shortbread cookies
- Oatmeal cinnamon cookies
- Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies
- Sweet potato breakfast cookies
I hope you enjoy this vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe as much as we do! If you try them, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how they were. Your feedback is so helpful!
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Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chips Cookies with Banana
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ground flax seeds + 2 tbsp water
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup flour - white whole wheat or all-purpose
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp pumpkin spice mix - or ½ tsp cinnamon + ¼ tsp ground ginger + ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ cup plain pumpkin purée - canned or homemade, not pumpkin pie filling!
- ½ cup banana - mashed
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut oil - refined, melted
- chocolate chips or nuts, for topping - to taste, about ⅓ cup
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Start by combining the flax seed with water in a small bowl. Whisk, then set aside.
- Combine the oats, flour, baking powder and pumpkin spice mix in a large bowl.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flax seed mixture, pumpkin purée, mashed banana, maple syrup and melted coconut oil. Whisk well to incorporate the oil within the mixture.
- Pour the wet mixture over the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until combined. I like to use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure there are no dry pockets anymore.
- Divide the dough in between 8 cookies and transfer to the prepared baking sheet, then gently flatten them while keeping them thick. Top with chocolate chips and bake for 12-14 minutes. The cookies might seem a little undercooked and very soft when just taken out of the oven, but let them cool down for a few minutes and they'll finish up cooking. Avoid over baking!
Video
Notes
- Store the cookies in an air-tight container in the fridge (warm up for a few seconds before enjoying!), can also be frozen.
- Make sure you don't over bake them or they will get dry. Allow them to look soft right after baking, so they stay gooey even after cooled down.
- I love maple syrup in this recipe as the maple flavor pairs well with the spices. But, feel free to swap for other kind of sweetener as long as they are liquid, like agave nectar or brown rice syrup. Don't use granulated sugar, they might end up being too dry.
- The batter is super sticky! If you have one, use an ice cream scoop to transfer the batter on the baking sheet.
Pin it for later!
I made these cookies yesterday and they are delicious. They have stayed moist and are just so tasty. And I don't feel guilty eating them with all the healthy ingredients !