Pumpkin Cheesecake Vegan Cookies
These Pumpkin Cheesecake Vegan Cookies are super soft, chewy, and creates a nice play on pumpkin with "cream cheese", which combined in one bite, makes for a great reminder of the perfect Pumpkin Cheesecake. This deconstructed version of the classic Pumpkin Cheesecake, mimics in every tiny bit of flavor, with the base being filled with pumpkin (and a hint of rolled oats for thickness), a creamy & slightly tangy "cream cheese" frosting on top, with light sprinkles of crumbled Graham Crackers (mirroring a pie's crust) and a pecan minimally tucked atop each cookie for a nice bit of crunch.
Servings: 12 cookies
Calories: 379kcal
Ingredients
Cookies:
- ½ cup vegan butter, room temp.
- ½ cup organic cane sugar (I use Wholesome Sweets; Vegan-approved!)
- ¼ cup organic brown sugar (I use Sugar in the Raw; Vegan-approved!)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree (Canned version, not Pumpkin Pie Filling!)
- 1 ½ cups organic all-purpose flour + 1 Tbsp (I use Bob's Red Mill)
- ¼ cup organic rolled oats (I use Bob's Red Mill)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (See Notes!)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon coconut milk (You can use your fave plant-based milk)
Vegan 'Cream Cheese' Frosting:
- 5 cups organic powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 ½ cups vegan butter, room temp.
- 3 Tbsps coconut milk (You can use your fave plant-based milk)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- pinch of cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Other:
- handful of chopped pecans, optional
Instructions
Cookies:
- Add softened butter to a mixing bowl of an electric mixer and cream for 1 minute. Add cane sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract and mix for another minute or so. Then add pumpkin puree and mix once more until well incorporated.
- In a different bowl, add all dry ingredients and whisk until well incorporated. Then add to butter and sugar mixture and mix until fully combined (DO NOT OVER-MIX!).
- Then add coconut milk and mix until a soft dough is formed. Freeze dough for 15 minutes and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit in the meantime.
- Scoop out about 1 tablespoon amounts of dough and roll into balls with your hands. Place on a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper), about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading. Repeat until all dough is finished.
- Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes (pressing down each cookie gently with a cup at the half way mark by pulling out oven rack slightly) or very slightly golden brown.
- Once finished, remove from oven and let rest for a few minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Vegan 'Cream Cheese' Frosting:
- Place all ingredients in an electric mixer and mix until fully incorporated. **Add more coconut milk or powdered sugar until desired consistency is met.**
- Once cookies are completely cooled, add frosting to top, and garnish with pecans if desired.
Notes
'CREAM CHEESE' FROSTING---Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months for other use.
PUMPKIN SPICE: If you don’t have Pumpkin Spice readily available, you can use the following: 2 tsps ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, and a pinch of allspice.
STORAGE: Once properly stored in an air-tight container, cookies last for a few days (2-3 days) at room temperature.
Nutrition
Calories: 379kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 5g | Sodium: 388mg | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 796IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg