Iced Vegan Pumpkin Cookies

These soft vegan pumpkin cookies are the perfect fall dessert!

These are the vegan pumpkin cookies that I find myself making almost every weekend once fall rolls around. Not only are these vegan cookies perfectly soft in that melt-in-your-mouth way, but they’re also loaded with pumpkin spice spices, which makes them deliciously addictive and perfect for fall weather. I mean, you can eat these pumpkin cookies any time of year, but they feel especially special during fall. I’m pretty positive that these vegan cookies will be on your fall baking rotation, too!

How do you make these cookies?

These vegan pumpkin cookies are very easy to make, so they’re perfect for beginner bakers who are looking for a tasty new fall treat. The only hard part is waiting for the cookies to cool so you can frost them with the pumpkin frosting… but it’s well worth the wait!

You’ll start by creaming together the vegan butter and sugars. Add a bit of non-dairy milk, pumpkin puree, and vanilla. Mix again (don’t worry if it still looks clumpy at this point). Next, add the dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms.

Scoop out the dough by the tablespoon, and place on a baking sheet. Gently flatten the cookies into a disk scape (I recommend wetting your fingertips so the dough doesn’t stick). Bake for about 12 minutes, and then cool the cookies completely. Top each cookie with a dollop of the pumpkin icing and sprinkle each cookie with a bit of cinnamon. Yum!

How do you make the vegan pumpkin frosting?

To make the vegan pumpkin icing, start by creaming the butter. Next, add the pumpkin puree and vanilla. Add about 1 1/2 c powdered sugar and whip again until the frosting is light and soft.

Any other tips?

Both the pumpkin cookie and the pumpkin frosting recipes call for pureed pumpkin. You can source this from a can, but make sure it is 100% pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling typically contains added ingredients, like water, which will not work for this recipe.

Recipe

Active Time: 20 mins / Cook Time: 12 mins / Yield: about 10 cookies

INGREDIENTS

Cookies

• 4 tbsp vegan butter, softened

• 1/4 c brown sugar

• 2 tbsp white sugar

• 1/4 c non-dairy milk

• 2 tbsp pumpkin puree

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 3/4 c flour

• 1/4 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

• 1 tsp cinnamon + pinches of nutmeg, allspice, ginger

• pinch of salt

Frosting

• 4 tbsp vegan butter, softened

• 1 tbsp pumpkin puree

• 1/2 tsp vanilla

• 1 1/2 c powdered sugar

• 1-2 tbsp non-dairy milk (optional)

• extra cinnamon, for sprinkling

Directions

Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and both sugars together on low speed for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.

3. Add the non-dairy milk, pumpkin puree, and vanilla, and mix again. It may be clumpy and not come together at this point. That’s ok.

4. Add in the dry ingredients and spices. Mix until just combined.

5. Scoop 1 1/2 tbsp mounds of cookie dough and place on a baking sheet, leaving about 1” between each cookie.

6. Wet your fingertips, and gently flatten each cookie into a disc.

7. Bake cookies for about 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Frosting

1. While the cookies are cooling, prepare the frosting. Start by whipping the softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.

2. Add the pumpkin puree, vanilla, salt, and mix again.

3. Add the powdered sugar, and whip the frosting again until fluffy. You may want to add a few more tablespoons of powdered sugar if the frosting is too thin, or add a splash of non-dairy milk if it gets too thick.

4. Spread a dollop of the frosting on each cooled cookie, and add a sprinkle of cinnamon on top to serve.