Dairy-Free Eggless Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I never thought I’d be the person making eggless cookies, but here we are. It started when my friend Sarah mentioned her daughter’s egg allergy at a playdate. I wanted to bring something sweet to their next gathering, but honestly had no idea how cookies would turn out without eggs.

Turns out, these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies don’t miss the eggs one bit. The pumpkin does all the heavy lifting—it keeps everything moist and gives the cookies that perfect chewy texture. Plus, you probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry right now.

What Kind of Pumpkin Puree Should I Use?

For these cookies, you’ll want to use plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling – there’s a big difference! Pumpkin pie filling already has spices and sweeteners added, which will throw off the balance of your cookies. Look for canned pumpkin puree that lists only pumpkin as the ingredient, like Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin. If you have fresh pumpkin on hand, you can absolutely roast and puree your own, just make sure to drain any excess moisture by letting it sit in a fine-mesh strainer for about 15 minutes before using. The puree should be thick and smooth, not watery, so your cookies hold their shape while baking.

Options for Substitutions

These cookies are pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some options if you need to make changes:

• Pumpkin puree: If you’re out of pumpkin puree, you can use the same amount of mashed sweet potato, applesauce, or even mashed banana. Just keep in mind that banana will add its own flavor to the cookies.
• Pumpkin pie spice: Don’t have pumpkin pie spice? Make your own by mixing ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ginger, and a pinch of cloves.
• Brown sugar: You can replace brown sugar with the same amount of granulated sugar, though your cookies will be a bit less chewy. Or mix 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon molasses to make your own brown sugar.
• All-purpose flour: For gluten-free cookies, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Whole wheat flour works too, but use about 1¾ cups since it’s denser.
• Chocolate chips: Feel free to swap these with butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or even dried cranberries for a different flavor twist.
• Butter: For dairy-free cookies, stick with vegan butter or try coconut oil that’s been softened to room temperature. The texture might be slightly different, but they’ll still taste great.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake with eggless pumpkin cookies is adding too much pumpkin puree, which creates overly wet dough that spreads into flat, cake-like cookies – stick to the exact measurement and make sure you’re using thick pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.

Another common error is not properly softening your butter, as cold butter won’t cream well with the sugars and can lead to dense, tough cookies instead of the soft, chewy texture you want.

Since these cookies lack eggs as a binding agent, overmixing the dough after adding flour can develop too much gluten and make them tough, so mix just until the ingredients come together.

For the best results, chill your dough for at least 30 minutes before baking – this prevents excessive spreading and helps the cookies hold their shape while giving you that perfect soft center.

What to Serve With Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies?

These soft pumpkin cookies are perfect on their own, but they’re even better with a cold glass of milk or a warm cup of coffee for dunking. I love serving them alongside a hot mug of spiced apple cider or chai tea – the warm spices really complement the pumpkin and cinnamon flavors in the cookies. For a fun fall dessert spread, try pairing them with vanilla ice cream or even a scoop of cinnamon ice cream for an extra cozy treat. They also make a great addition to any autumn gathering when served with other seasonal treats like apple crisp or caramel popcorn.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies stay soft and chewy when stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. I like to toss a slice of bread in the container to help keep them extra moist. Just make sure they’re completely cooled before storing or they’ll get soggy.

Freeze: You can freeze the baked cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, or freeze the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet and then transfer to a bag once solid. Frozen dough balls can go straight from freezer to oven – just add an extra minute or two to the baking time.

Make Ahead: The cookie dough can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored covered in the fridge. Cold dough actually bakes up even better since it spreads less, giving you thicker cookies. Let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before scooping if it gets too firm.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2700-2900
• Protein: 25-30 g
• Fat: 130-150 g
• Carbohydrates: 370-400 g

Ingredients

• 10 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (or vegan alternative)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree plus 1 tbsp
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice blend
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup chocolate chips (dairy-free optional)

Step 1: Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the cookies from sticking and to make cleanup easier.

Step 2: Cream the Butter and Sugars

• 10 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (or vegan alternative)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar

In a medium bowl, add the softened unsalted butter, white sugar, and light brown sugar.

Beat the mixture with a mixer on medium speed until it becomes light and fluffy, which should take about 2-3 minutes.

I like to make sure the butter is truly room temperature so it combines smoothly with the sugars.

Step 3: Add Pumpkin and Vanilla

• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree plus 1 tbsp
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture.

Beat until the pumpkin and vanilla are thoroughly mixed and the batter looks creamy.

Step 4: Mix in Dry Ingredients and Spices

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice blend
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice blend, and ground cinnamon to the wet ingredients.

Beat just until all the dry ingredients are incorporated and the dough looks soft but scoopable.

Be careful not to overmix to keep the cookies tender.

Step 5: Fold in Chocolate Chips

• 1 cup chocolate chips (dairy-free optional)

Using a spatula or spoon, gently fold the chocolate chips into the cookie dough until just combined.

Avoid overmixing at this stage.

For extra chocolate flavor, I sometimes press a few extra chips on top of each scoop before baking.

Step 6: Scoop and Bake the Cookies

• cookie dough with chocolate chips from Step 5

Using an ice cream or cookie scoop, portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between each cookie.

For large cookies, use about 1/4 cup of dough per scoop; for smaller cookies, use about 1.5 tablespoons.

If desired, press additional chocolate chips on top of each mound.

Bake large cookies for 13-15 minutes and small cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are just set.

Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for about two minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.

Dairy-Free Eggless Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Delicious Dairy-Free Eggless Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 2800 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 10 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (or vegan alternative)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree plus 1 tbsp
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice blend
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup chocolate chips (dairy-free optional)

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the cookies from sticking and to make cleanup easier.
• In a medium bowl, add the softened unsalted butter, white sugar, and light brown sugar. Beat the mixture with a mixer on medium speed until it becomes light and fluffy, which should take about 2-3 minutes. I like to make sure the butter is truly room temperature so it combines smoothly with the sugars.
• Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture. Beat until the pumpkin and vanilla are thoroughly mixed and the batter looks creamy.
• Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice blend, and ground cinnamon to the wet ingredients. Beat just until all the dry ingredients are incorporated and the dough looks soft but scoopable. Be careful not to overmix to keep the cookies tender.
• Using a spatula or spoon, gently fold the chocolate chips into the cookie dough until just combined. Avoid overmixing at this stage. For extra chocolate flavor, I sometimes press a few extra chips on top of each scoop before baking.
• Using an ice cream or cookie scoop, portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between each cookie. For large cookies, use about 1/4 cup of dough per scoop; for smaller cookies, use about 1.5 tablespoons. If desired, press additional chocolate chips on top of each mound. Bake large cookies for 13-15 minutes and small cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are just set. Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for about two minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.