Pumpkin spice and pecans make this soft pumpkin cookie into something spectacular. Mildly sweet and with the tartness of cranberries, they’re the perfect fall snacking cookie.
In celebration of pumpkin spice month, I decided to bake some of my favorite pumpkin cookies. I love all things pumpkin and these cookies are truly scrumptious. They are soft and spicy, and feature pecans and tart dried cranberries.
Pumpkin is a miracle ingredient for vegan bakers. It adds flavour, softness and cohesion, making it an ideal substitute for eggs. For this recipe, I also added chia egg replacer, and a commercial pumpkin spice blend, a must have for fall baking. The cookies are really easy to make and are so pretty. They are colorful too & have all the fall colours!
Making pumpkin pecan cookies
The recipe for pumpkin pecan cookies is easy and basic. I begin by creating a mis en place. Mis en place means to collect and measure out all your ingredients before baking. It makes the baking process alot easier and prevents leaving out any ingredients.
The next step is to combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Next, in a medium sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter, coconut sugar and chia egg. Once light and well mixed, add the mixture to the flour mixture along with the pecans and dried cranberries.
Next, using a cookie scoop or lightly greased 1 1/5 tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop the batter onto a silicone lined baking sheet, leaving two inches between each cookie. Bake cookies for 7 minutes, remove, and “scoot” them (directions below) to create symentry and roundness. Return to oven and bake for 7 more minutes, baking the cookies for 14-16 minutes in total.
“Scooting” your cookies
I learnt this tip on Youtube for making perfectly shaped cookies. It’s called “scooting” and its pretty simple. Halfway through the baking process, remove the cookies. Flatten slightly with the base of a large glass. Then take a 3 1/2 inch cookie cutter and rapidly “scoot” the cookies in a circular motion. This will smooth out any rough edges and make a symmetrical, circular cookie. It really does work and it’s fun to do as well!
The finished cookies are soft when done. They will slightly hardens while cooling but will remains soft and slightly cakey.
These cookies are delicious for breakfast, for a study or work snack or in a packed lunch. They also would make a delicious addition to any fall, Thanksgiving or Halloween themed party. Try them today and have a happy Fall. Enjoy!
Pumpkin Pecan Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup All Purpose flour
- 1 cup Spelt flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- 1 cup unsalted vegan butter softened at room temperature
- 1 cup coconut sugar packed
- 1 chia egg 1 tablespoon chia seeds in 3 tablespoons water, soaked for 15 minutes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 1 cup pecans chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin spice. Set aside.
- With an electric or stand mixer, beat butter for 30 seconds. Then add coconut sugar, beating until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.
- Add the chia egg and stir until combined. Add vanilla, pumpkin and orange zest to the mixture. Beat well, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
- Add butter ingredients to the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Mix in the pecans and cranberries.
- Drop by heaping 1 1/5 tablespoon onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, two inches apart. Bake about 7 minutes.
- Remove from oven and turn pan. Flatten cookies slightly with the bottom of a glass. Scoot cookies with a 3 1/2 inch biscuit cutter. Return to oven for another 7-9 minutes until tops are set to the touch.
- Remove cookies and let them cool on a baking rack. They will be soft when removed and will harden slightly as they cool.
- Enjoy cookies immediately or store refrigerated. They can also be frozen.
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