Erin’s Recipe Rundown
Texture: Soft, chewy, and hearty—thanks to flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, and dried fruit.
Taste: Lightly sweet with warm pumpkin spice flavors, balanced by tart cherries and chocolate chips.
Ease: Very simple! Just mix, scoop, and bake.
Top Tips: Don’t make the cookies too big, or they won’t bake evenly. For extra chewy cookies, let them cool completely on a wire rack before storing.
Would I make these again? Absolutely! They’re an amazing grab-and-go snack that’s gluten-free, vegan, grain-free, and naturally sweetened!
xoxo erin
Featured Comment
From Alyssa: “I just made these for Thanksgiving but left out the cherries and pumpkin seeds. They turned out great and were super fluffy and soft. I’ll definitely be making these again. Thanks so much!”
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make these vegan pumpkin breakfast cookies. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Almond butter: Use unsweetened natural almond butter. Give it a good stir before measuring!
- Ground flaxseed: You’ll add this to hot water for a perfect binding agent—no eggs needed!
- Pumpkin purée: Choose 100% pure pumpkin (not pie filling) for moisture without extra sugar or spices.
- Arrowroot powder: Pure arrowroot starch keeps cookies soft and chewy while staying gluten-free.
- Maple syrup: Pure grade A maple syrup adds moisture and rich flavor—avoid artificial syrups!
- Pumpkin seeds: Raw, unsalted pepitas toast as they bake, adding crunch without extra salt.
- Dried Cherries: Use unsweetened or lightly sweetened cherries. If they’re dry, soak until plump and chewy.
How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies
Here’s an overview of how to make this recipe. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
- Prepare the cookie base. Stir together everything except the flax, syrup, water, and mix-ins. It will look thick and a little sticky.
- Prepare the flax slurry. Whisk together flaxseed, hot water, and maple syrup until it thickens into a glossy slurry, almost like egg whites. Add to the base.
- Combine ingredients. Beat everything together until the dough is well incorporated. Fold in the mix-ins until evenly distributed.
- Scoop and bake. Scoop and bake cookies until the edges look golden and the centers are set but soft. Let cool for a few minutes on a tray, then move to a wire rack. They’ll firm up into chewy, hearty cookies!
Vegan Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies Tip
Use a flax slurry and dairy-free chocolate chips to keep these cookies vegan. The chocolate, cherries, and pumpkin seeds are perfectly balanced, and the flax adds fiber, omega-3s, and natural binding.
Vegan Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies (No Oatmeal!)
Video
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup almond butter give it a good stir before measuring
- 1/2 cup pumpkin
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2/3 cup arrowroot powder
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup dried cherries
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds raw and unsalted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with baking mats or parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, add the almond butter, pumpkin, lemon juice, vanilla, arrowroot powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
- Place the ground flaxseed in a bowl. In a glass measuring cup, mix together the maple syrup and hot water. Pour over the flaxseed and whisk to combine. Let sit for 1 minute, then pour into the bowl with other ingredients.
- Using a hand mixer, beat the mixture on low until combined. Increase the speed to medium and mix until totally smooth. Add the chocolate chips, dried cherries and pumpkin seeds. Mix to combine.
- Scoop the cookie dough (in 2 tablespoon mounds – don’t make them too big) onto the prepared baking sheets. You should have 16-18 cookies. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire baking rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
- If storing more than a day, store leftover cookies in the refrigerator. Heat the cookies for 5 seconds in the microwave before serving if desired.
Notes
- To Store: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To Make Ahead: Prepare the dough and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking.
- To Freeze: Freeze baked cookies in a sealed bag or container for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature before eating.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in September 2017. It was updated in September 2025.
Anyone tried making these into bars instead of cookies? What size pan? How long to bake?
What could I substitute for almond butter- I don’t have any on hand.
You can use peanut butter or any other nut butter!
How many calories are in each cookie?
cookies for breakfast what’s not to love!
I just made these for Thanksgiving but left out the cherries and pumpkin seeds. They turned out great and were super fluffy and soft. I’ll definitely be making these again. Thanks so much!
So glad you liked them!
Can I use ground chia instead of flax seed?
I think that should work! I would use only 1/4-1/3 cup ground chia though. You need less of it than the flax for the same affect. (Same amount of water though!)
These are yummy! I did leave out cherries and seeds! Thank you!
Any substitute for arrowroot powder if I want to make these right now and don’t have any??
🙂
I think tapioca starch or potato starch might work!