Soft Pumpkin Cookies
This soft pumpkin cookies recipe is super easy to make and drizzled with maple cinnamon glaze. They’re so good, they will melt in your mouth!
Why I love this pumpkin cookies recipe
A few years ago, I shared my favorite pumpkin cookies with all of my friends in France, who had never really tried a sweet pumpkin recipe, and they were all pleasantly surprised.
I mean, how could they not be. There’s a reason almost all Americans become pumpkin obsessed on the first day of September every year.
Now that we’re dairy free, those cream cheese frosted cookies are a thing of the past, but don’t worry. I’ve opted for coconut oil and a drizzled maple cinnamon glaze instead, allowing you to taste the flavor of the spiced pumpkin just a little more.
But, if you’re super into frosting, which I know many people are, feel free to drizzle a little extra. The recipe makes enough to do that.
If you like this recipe, you have to try this dairy free pumpkin pie, and this pumpkin pasta with Italian sausage and this roasted garlic pumpkin hummus. And you can’t forget the pumpkin spice latte this time of year!
Searching for more cookie recipes? peanut butter chocolate chip cookies / Italian anise cookies / soft sugar cookies / almond crescent cookies / vegan oatmeal cookies
Ingredients & substitutions
- Coconut oil – I want to clarify that I did not melt the coconut oil. I popped mine into the microwave for about 10 seconds – because my house was pretty cold – to soften it up because I wanted it to be the consistency of softened butter. Do not melt the coconut oil.
- Pumpkin pie spice
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
How to make soft pumpkin cookies
Mise en place. Preheat your oven to 350˚F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and measure out your ingredients.
Make the cookie dough. With an electric mixer, beat the softened coconut oil with sugar, pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until light and fluffy.
Stir in the egg, vanilla and pumpkin puree and mix until everything is combined. Then, add the flour, 1 cup at a time, until all the flour has been incorporated.
Bake the cookies. Scoop dough onto your prepared baking sheets. I like to use a cookie scoop to make sure mine are evenly sized. Pop them into the oven for 12 – 14 minutes.
The tops should be fully set and an inserted toothpick should come out clean (just like you test a cake!). Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Mix the frosting. In mixing bowl, whisk the frosting ingredients together until smooth. When the cookies are completely cool, drizzle or dip them in the glaze, and allow the frosting to set before serving.
FAQS and tips for making the best pumpkin cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon water
- 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat coconut oil with sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking powder and soda at medium speed.
- Beat in egg, vanilla and pumpkin, until combined.
- Add flour in 1 cup increments, continuing to beat at medium speed until all flour has been combined.
- Place tablespoon-sized balls of dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until cookies have fully set (an inserted toothpick should come out clean).
- Allow cookies to cool for a minute before transferring to a cooling rack.
For the glaze:
- In a medium bow, whisk together glaze ingredients until smooth.
- When cookies are fully cooled, drizzle glaze over cookies using a whisk, spoon or pastry bag with small tip.
yes, yes, yes PLEASE!! Pretty and delicious. Nobody will miss the dairy!
Yes! I totally agree!
The recipe for Dairy Free Pumpkin cookies is sooo perfect ?
Every single person that I made it for loved it!And it perfect for cozy Fall and Winter nights!
Thank you soo much for this wonderful recipe
This recipe has been an absolute delight both times I have made it. Also, these cookies freeze beautifully if you individually wrap them in plastic wrap and put them in an air tight container.
I usually add extra pumpkin spice because I love it. 🙂
Excited to try these! Can I use almond flour instead?
I haven’t tried it, but I don’t think it would work. You might be able to substitute 1/2 almond flour though.
Can you substitute Cisco for coconut oil. Gluten is our issue.
I made them for church function, they were fantastic. I don’t normally keep coconut oil on hand.
So you can definitely do that, but it won’t make these cookies gluten free. To make them gluten free, you would need to substitute the flour for a gluten free flour blend. I recommend using a 1:1 gluten free flour blend like King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill.
Could vegan butter or another oil be substituted for the coconut oil?
I made this recipe not realizing that SOLID coconut oil is required, not the liquid coconut oil. The batter is too runny to make balls. But the batter is delicious and I will try it again! I am putting it into the refrigerator and hoping it will firm up enough to make cookies. If not, I’ll try baking it in a pan like brownies. I would suggest that an addition to the recipe is made to clarify the type of coconut oil needed. Thank you!
this comment saved me from making the same mistake! I can definitely see melted oil working for some kind of muffin/cake/brownie situation tho
Can regular vegetable oil be substituted for the coconut oil?
Yes, you definitely can but it may not turn out exactly the same!
These were fantastic!! So soft and chewy with the right amount of pumpkin and sweetness. I’m so happy I found your blog, I’ve been dairy free for about four years now, and I can’t wait to try more!
I tweaked it some but basically left it the same. Made the cookies for the Volunteer fire department and they LOVED them
So delicious! I can’t seem to get them to not come out flat-ish though. I tried refrigerating, tried adding a little more flour, but no luck. Some pics of what the dough should look like or describe the consistency would help! Aside from looks, which really aren’t important to us, this is the best pumpkin spice cookie I’ve made this season!
this recipe is amazing! we make them every year because some in our family can’t have dairy, and our whole family loves them! thank you!
Can you substitute Cisco if dairy free isn’t an issue. My issue is gluten.
These cookies aren’t gluten free. I would recommend looking for a different recipe if that’s what you need.
I made these for my HS students since one person is dairy-free. They were incredibly delicious! The frosting is a must – don’t forego it! One of my students actually asked if I were a professional baker! I was flattered. I stand by my dairy, but you won’t miss it at all here! These cookies were amazing! I’ll keep them in my rotation for my family too even though we eat dairy! (I may even try them in the future with butter instead of coconut oil.)
Made these on a whim. Had everything on hand. Only substituted brown sugar in place of the white sugar and ghee for the coconut oil. These are the softest, most delicious cookies I have ever had. My husband ate 3 in one sitting. 🙂 you’ve made our Christmas week perfect.