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I’ll be honest, when I first started testing these pumpkin crinkle cookies, I wasn’t even sure what the perfect texture was supposed to be as I don’t recall ever having one before I went vegan. Should they be puffy? Flat? Chewy? Cakey? I went down a rabbit hole of research and ended up baking a lot of test batches to figure it out.

What I learned was that for me personally, the best pumpkin crinkle cookie texture was soft in the middle, slightly chewy around the edges, and had those dramatic powdered sugar cracks on top. Not too cakey and not too flat, but right in the sweet spot. After a lot of trial and error, this is the version that I think finally hit all the marks.

I want to warn you that the batter may seem softer than it should be but it’s correct. Using a small ice cream scoop really helps make it easier to form the before dipping into sugar (two kinds, more about that in a bit). These can be a little fussy to assemble for sure so I suggest placing your bowls on a cookie sheet to catch any sugar spilling over as you coat the dough balls and using a small spoon to move the ball around gently. You can then reform them into more of a circular shape before placing on the baking sheet and place the side with the most confectioners sugar right side up for maximum crackle effect.

Why this recipe works

Pumpkin adds a lot of moisture, which is why so many pumpkin cookies bake up too fluffy and cake-like. That’s great if you want muffin tops, but not so much for crinkle cookies. After experimenting with both blotted pumpkin (to remove some moisture) and unblotted pumpkin, I found that using 3/4 cup straight from the can (no blotting!) gave me the texture I was looking for which was a bit chewy, not too cakey, with enough pumpkin flavor to shine through. A little cornstarch helped keeps them soft and tender, and chilling the dough was essential to ensure the crinkles actually pop instead of melting into flat discs.

What you’ll need:

Pumpkin purée: 3/4 cup from the can, no blotting needed.
Neutral oil: keeps the cookies soft and chewy.
Vegan butter: just 2 tablespoons for richness.
Granulated sugar + brown sugar: this combo gives sweetness, depth, and chew.
Maple syrup or agave: helps with chewiness and gives more pronounced cracks. I preferred agave but other options like brown rice syrup or even corn syrup would work as well.
Cornstarch: keeps the cookies tender.
Granulated sugar + powdered sugar (for rolling): this is the secret to those bakery-style crinkles.

Why two sugars for coating?

If you only roll the cookies in powdered sugar, it melts into the dough while baking and disappears. By coating the dough balls first in granulated sugar and then in powdered sugar, the granulated layer acts like a barrier so the powdered sugar stays white and pretty on top. That’s what gives you those bold, crackly contrasts on the tops.

If you’ve ever felt a little unsure about what a crinkle cookie should be like, you’re not alone as I was right there too. The more I researched, the more I realized there isn’t just one answer. Some people swear by cakey and puffy, while others want super chewy and brownie-like. That’s what pushed me to keep testing until I found my “happy medium.” These cookies are proof that pumpkin crinkles can be both soft with a bit of bite and just enough lift to look pretty.

Although I wasn’t sure at first what pumpkin crinkle cookies were supposed to be, after testing and tweaking, this recipe is the one I’ll stick with. The cookies are chewy, soft, and spiced just right, with beautiful crackly tops that scream fall. If you’re looking for a cookie that’s festive, cozy, and a little different from the usual pumpkin bread or muffins, these Pumpkin Crinkle Cookies are it. They’re easy to make, gorgeous to serve, and guaranteed to disappear fast. Please rate and review if you try them!

Pumpkin Crinkle Cookies (Egg and Dairy-Free)

Recipe by Kreg Sterns

5.0 from 3 votes

Course: DessertDifficulty: Medium

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

These soft and chewy pumpkin crinkle cookies are dairy-free, egg-free, and packed with cozy pumpkin spice flavor for the perfect fall treat.

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

3/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup neutral vegetable oil
2 tbsp softened vegan butter (stick style is best)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
1 tbsp agave or maple syrup (see notes)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
For Rolling
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions

Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl (I prefer to use a stand mixer but you could use a hand mixer as well) mix the pumpkin, oil, softened butter, both sugars, maple or agave, and vanilla until smooth. Blend for one to two minutes and note that the mixture might look slightly curdled with tiny bumps of butter still visible, but that is OK.
Mix the dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.
Stir dry into wet until just combined. Dough will be soft and sticky.
Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or preferably overnight (important for shape + crinkles).
Preheat oven to 350° and prep a baking sheet with parchment or spraying lightly with vegetable spray. Scoop dough into 1 ½ tbsp balls (I find a small retractable scoop works best). Roll first in granulated sugar, then heavily in powdered sugar and place on baking sheet about two inches apart.
Bake at 350°F for 11–13 minutes, until edges are set and tops are crinkled. Centers should look just slightly underbaked. All ovens vary so check after 10 minutes for doneness. I use a convection oven and things bake faster. Better to underbake than over.
Let rest 5 minutes on the pan before moving to a rack.
Storage Instructions
Room Temperature (short-term): Place cookies in an airtight container with a sheet of parchment or wax paper between layers. To keep them from getting too soft, add a piece of bread or a few saltine crackers to absorb excess moisture. They’ll last 2–3 days this way.
Refrigerator (longer): Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week. Let them sit at room temp for 10–15 minutes before eating so they’re not too firm.
Freezer (best option): Freeze baked cookies in a single layer on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag or container. They’ll keep for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temp, or warm for a few seconds in the microwave for a fresh-baked feel.

👉 If you want them to stay crinkly and chewy, I recommend freezing most of the batch right away and only leaving out what you’ll eat in the next day or two.

Notes

I preferred agave syrup but maple, brown rice, date syrup or others will work as well.
If you don’t want to use cornstarch you could use arrowroot powder or potato starch.