Vegan pumpkin spice cookies are a quick breakfast and dessert addition. They make good use of leftover pumpkins too. In this recipe, I will share with you a simple yet delicious and healthy vegan pumpkin spice cookies recipes that even your kids can make this season. I will also show you how to make healthy cookie frosting the vegan way. Let’s get started!
The Ingredients
For the Cookies
½-cup all-purpose flour – Purchase the gluten-free version
1-tablespoon corn flour
½-cup pumpkin puree
Maple syrup – ¼-cup (optional if you don’t like them too sweet)
½-cup coconut sugar
A pinch of salt
½-cup cocoa butter (you can use coconut oil or any vegetable oil you prefer)
Pumpkin spice mix (1 teaspoon of each):
- Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Allspice
- Nutmeg
For the vegan cookie frosting
½-cup organic shortening
¼-cup coconut sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. almond extract
A pinch of salt
Note
To prepare the pumpkin puree, steam your pumpkin with its skin on until tender. Puree in a blender for silky smooth vegan pumpkin spice cookies or mush with a fork if you prefer tasting the pumpkin chunks in your cookies.
You can use the brown coconut sugar. It’s less refined and, therefore, concentrated with more minerals which makes it healthier.
The Procedure
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 C)
In a wide bowl, sift in the dry ingredients.
Make a well at the center and pour in the wet ingredients.
Mix with a wooden spoon until incorporated but avoid over-mixing. It is ok to have a few lumps.
Leave the mix in the fridge for 30 minutes or so. This allows your mixture to bind properly with the oil. Otherwise, if you bake directly, the two will separate, and you’ll end up with oily cookies.
Also note that with this recipe, the mixture might look a bit wet. Don’t worry. It will thicken once you let it sit in the fridge.
Using an ice cream scoop, portion the mixture onto a lined cookie-baking tray. You can also use a spoon to measure walnut-size batter portions and then shape into neat rounds using your hands. The spoon is rather messy that’s why I prefer using an ice cream scoop.
Bake the cookies for 15 minutes until lightly browned.
Meanwhile, to make the frosting, combine all the ingredients with a wooden spoon until the mixture is light and creamy. Feel free to use food coloring if you prefer colored frosting. Pipe the frosting on your cooled cookies and sprinkle some coconut spice mix.
You can as well add sprinkles or granulated sugar.
In Conclusion
Because of the pumpkin, these cookies will have a softer texture. If you love crunchier vegan pumpkin spice cookies, leave them in the oven for a little longer. For fluffier and spongy cookies, add a tablespoon of cream. I must mention that with pumpkin, don’t try rolling out the cookies as we do with simple cookie dough. The result will be a hard and unpleasant cookie. Scoping a softer batter works best.
Enjoy your vegan pumpkin spice cookies!