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Copycat Vegan Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

Copycat vegan pumpkin sugar cookies with pillowy orange-tinted dough and an orange vegan cream cheese-style frosting swirl. Baked until the edges just set for a soft, cookie-shop texture with easy holiday spice flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings: 20 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 160
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cookies
  • 2.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup vegan butter softened (such as Earth Balance)
  • 0.5 cup coconut oil solid
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.333 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 tbsp plant milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
Vegan cream cheese frosting
  • 4 oz vegan cream cheese
  • 2 cup powdered sugar
  • orange food coloring
  • 1 tsp vanilla for frosting

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prepare the dough
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment for easy release and even browning.
  2. Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl until evenly combined.
  3. Beat vegan butter, solid coconut oil, and granulated sugar until creamy and smooth, with no visible sugar pockets.
  4. Add pumpkin puree, plant milk, and vanilla extract, then beat until the mixture looks thick and cohesive.
  5. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined; the dough should be soft and scoopable.
Shape and bake
  1. Scoop dough into 1-1/2 tablespoon balls and press slightly flat so the cookies bake evenly.
  2. Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes, until the edges just set and the centers still look slightly soft.
  3. Cool the cookies completely before frosting so the frosting won’t melt or slide.
Frost and decorate
  1. Beat vegan cream cheese, powdered sugar, orange food coloring, and vanilla until smooth and creamy with an orange tint.
  2. Frost generously on top, then add sprinkles so they adhere to the fresh frosting.

Notes

Pro tip: press the dough slightly flat before baking to prevent tall domes and keep the cookie texture soft. Store frosted cookies airtight in the fridge up to 4 days; for best frosting texture, bring to room temperature 15 minutes before serving. Freezing: freeze baked, unfrosted cookies up to 2 months and thaw overnight, then frost. For a gluten-free option, use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (check it includes xanthan gum) in place of the wheat flour.