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+ servings
7 pumpkin cookies with white frosting on a plate.
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5 from 7 votes

Soft Baked Vegan Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Frosting

These soft baked Vegan Pumpkin Cookies are big and fluffy, full of autumn flavors and totally delicious! The dairy-free maple frosting takes them over the top. The perfect fall treat!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Cooling Time20 minutes
Total Time49 minutes
Course: Desserts & Sweet Treats
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 20 cookies
Calories: 157kcal

Ingredients

For the Vegan Pumpkin Cookies

  • 2 ½ cups gluten free flour blend use a blend that is a 1:1 sub for all-purpose flour (or use all purpose flour if you don't need it to be gluten free)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon plus more for dusting the tops, if desired
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • ½ cup dairy-free butter sticks softened to room temperature (I use Earth Balance)
  • ¾ cup organic cane sugar
  • ½ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
  • 1 cup pure pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Maple Frosting

Instructions

For the Vegan Pumpkin Cookies

  • Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, beat the butter, cane sugar, and coconut sugar until well blended. Add the pumpkin purée, vanilla extract, and cornstarch slurry. Beat until smooth. (If it separates a bit, it's fine, it will come back together when you add the rest of the ingredients.)
  • Gently add in the flour mixture, a little bit at a time, until well combined. Be sure to have your mixer on a slow speed when first adding the flour. Once it is somewhat incorporated, you can raise the speed.
  • Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the dough and roll it into a ball using your clean hands. Place it on the prepared baking sheet. Continue with the remaining dough, spacing them out 2 inches apart.
  • Gently flatten the balls of dough with your palm or fingers. Slightly damp hands can help if the dough is sticking.
  • Bake 12 to 14 minutes until the dough has puffed up and is fairly firm.
  • Let cool on the baking pan for 1 to 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes.

For the Maple Frosting

  • Add the butter to the bowl of an electric stand mixer and beat until smooth.
  • Add the powdered sugar, a little at a time at slow speed, until mostly incorporated.
  • Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. If the frosting is too thick, add non-dairy milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Alternately, if the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar a few tablespoons at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

To Frost the Cookies

  • Once the cookies are completely cool, use an offset spatula to frost the tops.
  • Sprinkle with ground cinnamon, if desired.

Video

Notes

*I have used both Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour and also Krusteaz Gluten Free All Purpose Flour. Both worked great! If you use a different brand, be sure to use one that is intended to replace all-purpose wheat flour as a 1:1 sub.
If you don't need these cookies to be gluten free, all-purpose flour will work fine, as well.
*We like these cookies fairly big. If you like smaller cookies, use 1 heaping tablespoon of dough instead of 2. If the dough is sticking to your hands while rolling, slightly dampen your hands with water.
*Let the cookies cool completely before frosting them.
*Store completely cooled cookies in an air-tight container on the counter for 2 to 3 days. Transfer them to the fridge to keep them longer, about 1 to 2 weeks. You can also freeze these cookies for about 3 months.
*Nutrition facts calculated for the cookies alone, not including the frosting.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 192mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g