Soft gluten-free pumpkin cookies with chocolate chips are fluffy, moist and cake-like cookies bursting with warm pumpkin spices. An easy gluten-free chickpea flour chocolate chip cookies recipe loaded with creamy dark chocolate chunks.
Why you'll love these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
- Soft and moist - the blend of chickpea flour and coconut flour gives this pumpkin recipe a super soft, cakey, moist texture that's warmly spiced with slight crispy edges and soft chewy centers. A perfect addition to your pumpkin recipes and will become one of your favorite fall recipes any time of year.
- Chocolate chunks - vegan dark chocolate chunks makes these cookies super melt-in-your-mouth irresistible!
- Grain-free, nut-free flour - chickpea flour (garbanzo flour) is both grain-free and nut-free, making them the perfect go-to gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip cookie for anyone with nut allergies.
- Eggless pumpkin cookies - these vegan cookies are make without eggs, completely egg free and dairy free! And no xanthan gum to bind the cookies together.
- Healthy - pumpkin in these healthy chocolate chip pumpkin cookies is loaded with vitamin A, antioxidants, potassium and dietary fiber. You'll also get a dose of fiber, iron and magnesium from the dark chocolate.
If you love easy cookie recipes, enjoy my Chocolate Fudge Tahini Cookies, Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies or my Flourless Almond Butter Cookies.
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Key ingredients and substitutions
- Pumpkin purée - is easy to use and the perfect substitute to processing a fresh pumpkin. Make sure the canned pumpkin purée is not too runny, otherwise you may need to add an extra tablespoon of coconut flour to absorb the moisture. Also, make sure it's not pumpkin pie filling you're using. It's filled with spices and sugar and will throw off the balance of your cookies.
- Coconut oil - I like to use extra virgin coconut oil. Melt and cool completely before using. You could substitute with softened vegan butter as well (note, many plant-based butters have nuts in them).
- 1 flax egg - helps to bind the cookie together and is a good substitute to a large egg.
- Chickpea flour - is my go-to flour for this chickpea flour chocolate chip pumpkin cookies recipe. It gives the cookie a sturdy, tender texture and helps the cookie dough bind together. Don't worry, it won't taste like chickpeas! If you're not looking for a nut-free cookie, then you can substitute with 96 grams of almond flour. I like to use bob's red mill gluten free flours. Note, this recipe has not been tested with a gluten-free flour blend, white rice flour, or homemade oat flour.
- Coconut flour - soaks up the extra moisture from the pumpkin purée.
- Pumpkin pie spice - gives the perfect amount of pumpkin flavor, perfect for fall baking and all things pumpkin spice.
- Dark chocolate chips or chunks - I definitely recommend vegan chocolate chunks in this soft pumpkin cookie recipe. Chocolate chips often have a waxy exterior which prevents them from being super melty.
See recipe card for all ingredients and quantities.
How to make gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
Equipment - large bowl and large baking sheet lined with parchment paper
Note: I highly recommend you chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes to 24 hours to ensure the cookies don't spread when baked.
- In a large bowl, whisk wet ingredients: pumpkin purée, coconut sugar, coconut oil, flax egg, and vanilla extract until smooth and completely combined.
- Add dry ingredients to the large mixing bowl: chickpea flour, coconut flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.
- Stir until combined and dough is smooth.
- Fold in the dark chocolate chunks.
- Chill dough for a minimum of 30 minutes or up to 24 hours to firm up the batter and prevent cookies from spreading.
- When ready, preheat oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop the pumpkin cookie dough with a spoon or cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie). Gently roll cookie dough, and place on prepared cookie sheet 2-inches apart.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes, or until cookies are fluffy and slightly crispy on edges. Remove from oven and cool baked cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to wire rack or cooling rack to cool completely.
Tips, tricks and variations
- Sprinkle flaky sea salt - for best results, a light sprinkle of flaky salt will elevate the cookies and make the chocolate flavor pop in this easy recipe!
- Chocolate chips or chocolate chunks - up to you, whichever you have on hand works well. My personal preference is to use chunks since they leave big melty sections in the cookies, but vegan chocolate chips work well too! These delicious cookies will have a soft texture. Add a few extra chocolate chips on top of the cookies before you bake.
- Fresh pumpkin purée - if you're up to the task, go ahead and cook and purée your own fresh pumpkin in the fall season for this gluten free cookie recipe. Works so well with warm pumpkin spices. Though, canned pumpkin makes it easy any time of year.
- Food storage - the soft chocolate chip pumpkin cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days, or store the leftover cookies in the fridge for a week. Can you freeze these gluten free pumpkin cookies? Yes, freeze, well sealed, for up to 2 months. Thaw for 10-15 minutes. These soft cookies can also be reheated in the microwave in 10 second increments to get that gooey, chewy center.
FAQ
Why are my pumpkin cookies flat?
Flat cookies are often the result of not chilling your cookie dough. Chilling the dough firms up the fat, which is the coconut oil, allowing it to take longer to melt when baking. The longer the coconut oil takes to melt, the less likely your cookies will spread.
Can pumpkin cookies be left out?
These easy vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies can be left in a sealed container at room temperature for a couple of days, and they will remain soft. If you like them slightly firmer, place in an airtight container if the fridge for up to a week.
More recipes to try
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Recipe
Soft Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies with Chocolate Chips
Soft gluten-free pumpkin cookies with chocolate chips are fluffy, moist and cake-like cookies bursting with pumpkin spice. An easy gluten-free pumpkin cookies recipe loaded with creamy dark chocolate chips.
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Servings: 18 cookies
Calories: 165kcal
Equipment
- 1 large bowl
- 1 large baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- 1 spoon, cookie scoop or ice cream scoop
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup (152 grams) canned pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling
- ⅔ cup (103 grams) coconut sugar
- ½ cup (113 grams) coconut oil, melted and cooled
- 1 flax egg (mix 1 tablespoon ground flax + 2.5 tablespoons water, let set 5-10 minutes)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (85 grams) chickpea flour (or 96 grams almond flour)
- ⅓ cup (43 grams) coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup (6 ounces) dark chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk pumpkin purée, coconut sugar, coconut oil, flax egg, and vanilla extract until smooth and completely combined.
- Add chickpea flour, coconut flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Stir until combined and dough is smooth. Fold in the dark chocolate chips.
- Chill dough for a minimum of 30 minutes or up to 24 hours to firm up the batter and prevent cookies from spreading.
- When ready, preheat oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop cookie dough, about 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie, and place on prepared cookie sheet 2-inches apart.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes, or until cookies are fluffy and slightly crispy on edges. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Chocolate chips or chocolate chunks - up to you, whichever you have on hand works well. I like to use chunks since they leave big melty sections in the cookies, but vegan chocolate chips work well too!
- Food storage - the soft chocolate chip pumpkin cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days, or in the fridge for a week. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 0.1mg | Sodium: 181mg | Potassium: 142mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg
nutritional values are estimates only
Kyle M
I love how gooey the center gets. No leftovers in this kitchen!
Jacqui Wilson
So happy you love the cookies. Hard to resist that gooey chocolate!