Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cookies- made with whole grain oat flour and almond meal, these cookies are nutritious enough for breakfast while still being delicious enough for dessert. They’re finished off with a simple vanilla maple glaze that makes them the ultimate fall treat! (gluten-free)
I feel like pumpkin cookies don’t get the attention they deserve. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread and pumpkin muffins usually steal the show, but there’s something to be said for a good pumpkin cookie.
I was reminded of this during our last trip to Half Moon Bay in the fall. We stopped off at Moonside Bakery for lunch and the pumpkin cookie blew me away. Since then I’ve been dying to go back for their annual Art & Pumpkin Festival. They have all kinds of pumpkin treats, wine, beer, art and a competition for the world’s largest pumpkin. Which apparently the Swiss currently hold the record for. Typical.
Anyway, as soon as I tasted those pumpkin cookies I knew I had to recreate a similar version for the blog. The goal was to make them soft (as most pumpkin cookies are) but with enough texture that the edges were still slightly crisp and chewy.
I used a combination of whole grain oat flour, almond flour, and coconut sugar to make them gluten-free and refined sugar-free. But then I went and topped them with a vanilla maple glaze made from organic powdered sugar, so there’s that.
If you want to avoid the glaze, I would recommend adding some dried fruit and nuts or substituting organic brown sugar to make them a little sweeter. The coconut sugar gives me them a subtle sweetness that might be not be noticeable enough for the average tastebud.
That said, I personally prefer them with raisins, pecans and the icing. Because, in my opinion, a little sugar here and there doesn’t hurt as long as it’s in moderation. Fall only happens once per year, right?
That’s my excuse and I’m sticking with it. ;)
Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Yield: 12 cookies
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 12
Total Time: 22

Ingredients:
For the Cookies
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter or solid virgin coconut oil
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar (or organic brown sugar)
- 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Icing
- 1 cup organic powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F then line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl using a hand mixer) combine the butter (or solid coconut oil), coconut sugar (or brown sugar) and vanilla extract. Beat on high for about 30 seconds, or until well-combined. Add the pumpkin puree and continue to beat for another 30 seconds.
With the mixer on low, add the cinnamon, ginger, oat flour, almond flour, baking soda and salt. Mix for 30 more seconds, until a dough forms. If you want to add raisins, nuts, or chocolate chips, feel free to stir them in now.
Scoop out heaping tablespoons of the dough at a time and roll into separate balls. If the dough is sticking to your hands, lightly dampen them with water as needed. Gently press each ball with your hand to slightly flatten. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-13 minutes, until light golden brown on the bottom. Set aside and allow to cool.
If icing them, combine all of the ingredients in small bowl then stir together until smooth. Transfer to a plastic baggy and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Cut a small piece of the tip of the corner of the bag then use it to pipe the icing on to each cookie. You can serve them immediately or refrigerate to set the icing before eating.
Click Here for Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts are for one cookie with icing
Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by rating the recipe, leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. I love hearing your feedback!
A cold front came through our area and it finally feels like fall, so I’m officially on the pumpkin bandwagon! These are so pretty and I think the glaze is totally necessary.
These were so yummy!
Mine did come out a bit drier than I hoped. Any tips? I ended up making them more-so into thumbprint size because of the size of my cookie scoop.
Thank you so much for the review, Alisha! It’s most likely due to the brand of pumpkin puree that you used. I have this issue with almost all of my pumpkin recipes because apparently my go-to brand (Farmers Market) is much more watery (similar to homemade pumpkin puree) compared to other common brands. You might try adding 1-2 tablespoons of water or milk to see if that helps!
I am slightly obsessed with how perfectly crackled the tops of these cookies are!! These sound deeelicious Sarah! And with that maple glaze…
Can you believe I’ve never made pumpkin cookies?! These beauties look and sound absolutely fabulous. I love the flour combo, the coconut sugar, the everything! Sign me up for a batch with pecans and raisins PLUS that tasty glaze, please and thank you! I’ll aim to make them over the weekend and will let ya know when I do!
I’ve never been to the pumpkin festival in Half Moon Bay but I’d love to! And pumpkin cookies are so delicious but I rarely make them. I love this healthier version and I always have Bob’s almond flour on hand. These are happening soon!
I LOVE these, Sarah and I agree… the glaze is a must! The crackle on top is cookie perfection and the spices have me all heart eyes!! I feel like this time of year is pumpkin everything and I love it!! It’s part of fall’s charm! Delicious work my dear! xo
I’m really excited to try this recipe. To double the batch quantity do I double the quantity on everything?
(a newbie to vegan baking ;)
Monica.
Hi Monica,
I haven’t tried doubling the recipe but I think it would work the same. I hope you enjoy them!
I have to say that 12 cookies is not nearly enough for the effort. I will be trying it doubled (or more!) and without almond as my mom is allergic to those, too. I’ll let you know my modifications and how they turn out!
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What a great loaded cookie! Love the addition of vegan butter in your recipe . I bet they’re amazing!
These cookies look great and the recipient seems very easy, it says that is gluten free,but, oat has gluten, are you using some specific kind of oat????
Thanks for your time and the recipe.
Sorry, the recipe seems easy, not the recipient.
Hi Christina! Bob’s Red Mill sells certified gluten-free oat flour. I hope that helps! :)
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Hi! Since I have almost all of these ingredients but the sugar and flour, is it ok to use all purpose flour and white sugar or do I need to modify the quantities?
Hi Taylor! White sugar would be fine and you could use AP in place of the oat flour but the almond meal adds moisture and fat to the recipe so it can’t be interchanged with AP. I’m sorry! It might be worth searching for a different recipe that uses AP instead.
I see there is no egg; how well do these stick together? Are they crumbly?
Hi Vanessa! They are not crumbly at all. They hold together very well and should come out just like the picture, if made correctly. Let me know if you give them a try!
Pretty good I put a little more sugar gave it a shell lol
These are absolutely delicious. I opted for coconut oil rather than my vegan margarine. I did not have oat or almond flour, so I just swapped those out for a total of 2 cups of organic, GF long grain brown rice flour. I also did not have a mixer on hand so I mixed the ingredients with a big mixing spoon. I could not get a dough to form at first, so I ended up adding in about 3 tablespoons of unsweetened original applesauce. The dough then formed effortlessly, and the cookies came out incredible after 12 minutes. A minute or two after sitting out of the oven, I added on the glaze. I wish I was able to post a picture!
I’m so happy they turned out well with so many modifications! Thank yo for sharing that with us, Sara!
These cookies look really delicious. Perfect for autumn. I was wondering if it’s possible to use almond meal cause almond flour might give a fluffier texture than meal. I thought it would be faster to use almond meal than flour cause I have to make it rather than buying. So would it make a difference or it’s ok cause I’m planning to bake these goods today.
Thank you very much for your time.
Hi Sara! You can use almond meal but it will change the texture of the cookies. They will be a bit gritty since the skin of the almond doesn’t have the same buttery texture as the inside. You can give them a try but I can’t guarantee they will be as good. You can also make your own almond flour if you buy blanched almonds. :)
Hello Sarah. I baked the cookies just now with half flour/ meal (cause this was what I had in hand). I’ll make the almond flour at home next time. Thank you for the recipe … The cookies smelled amazing, although they didn’t crack at all as yours. I think it was because of the almond meal. What do you think? Thank you again.
Yes, that could certainly be why. Another factor could be the pumpkin puree. I’ve had variable feedback on my pumpkin baking recipes and it seems that some purees are less watery than others. The brand I buy (Farmers Market brand) tends to be on the watery side so that adds more moisture. It’s hard to say which one is the culprit but I know almond flour will definitely give you better results. Hopefully that helps next time!
Oh happy day! These are so yummy. I doubled the recipe and it came out beautifully. I used brown sugar and made the oat flour in my food processor. They baked perfectly at 350* for 15 minutes. The frosting in thin ribbons adds the perfect amount of sweetener but they are pretty good even without. So nice to find an easy recipe that works!
Thank you, Annette! I’m so happy you enjoyed them. I appreciate you taking the time to let me know how they turned out! :)
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These were absolutely delicious! Because I didn’t have any pumpkin on hand I substituted butternut squash puree, and they still turned out fabulously!
love love love love these vegan cookies they are so good ……..
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Hi, thanks so much for creating this recipe! These are the first cookies I have ever made for myself!!! I chose this recipe because of the amount of spice in it! The ginger is yum! I used real pumpkin that had been deeply cooked and made 1/2 the glaze. I needed to cook mine for a lot longer, like 8 -10 minutes more. Dunno what that was about. They are fantastic. Flavor is exactly what I hoped for!
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Ever since September 1st I’ve been on a pumpkin roll! (Your pumpkin muffins- hello, heaven!) Do you think I can sub pumpkin pie spice in place of the ginger? My husband doesn’t like the overpowering taste of ginger (I know, he might be crazy lol). Thank you for all of your amazing recipes!!
Yes you can! You could use 2 teaspoons of that in place of the cinnamon and the ginger. :)
Ohhhh my goodness! Just whipped these up after dinner and they are ridiculously fluffy and delicious! Thank you so much! I ended up using 1.5tsp pumpkin pie spice and 1/2tsp cinnamon. Best pumpkin cookie I have ever made!
Ps- I can’t wait for the cold weather so I can make your wild rice soup! It’s still 100° here in California
Do you have any nut free gluten free cookies coming for the holidays?
I have these that are nut-free and gluten-free: https://www.makingthymeforhealth.com/vegan-gluten-free-gingerbread-men/ :)
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I loved making these cookies! They turned out just like the picture and they tasted amazing! Super easy to make and I recommend this recipe to anyone who has a sweet tooth and wants to be healthy.
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These were delicious! I added half the amount of brown sugar and that was perfect for me. Next time I will double the recipe.
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