These Pumpkin Protein Cookies are great for a post-workout snack, where you want something to help you recover, buuuut you also have a sweet tooth, like me. They’re also great for taking on a hike, to stay satiated!

It took a few versions, but I finally landed on one that I love! I didn’t want the cookies to be dense, which can sometimes happen with protein-filled foods. These cookies are fluffy, flavorful and definitely filling if you eat a couple at a time.😅

You may remember last year when I shared another plant-based, protein-rich, pumpkin-having recipe in my Pumpkin Protein Chia Pudding Parfait! So, you could eat the parfait for breakfast and have the cookies as an afternoon snack, for a squash-filled day. (Currently laughing at myself for this) I do love these cookies dunked in some oat milk though, OR even better, dipped in coffee!

Substitutions + tips:
- Pumpkin puree – using store-bought, canned works great for this, and if you are going to bake/make your own pumpkin puree I suggest using “pie” or “sugar” pumpkins. Otherwise the flavor will be too subtle.
- Coconut sugar – because there is sugar-free sweetener in vanilla protein I wanted to balance that out with the more mellow sweetness that coconut sugar offers. You can try other granulated sugars to see if they’re to your liking.
- Almond butter – typically in cookies you’d have butter, margarine or oil as the fat component, but to keep these cookies on the healthier side I utilized smooth almond butter. If you are avoiding nuts use sunflower butter. I wouldn’t substitute this with apple sauce or more pumpkin unless you want a cookie that is more cake-like.
- Non-dairy milk – use whatever unsweetened non-dairy milk you prefer.
- Vanilla protein powder – I used Orgain Vanilla Protein Powder, so it is sweetened with some zero-calorie sweeteners, and obviously has vanilla flavoring. I’ve not tried this recipe with unsweetened/unflavored protein powder.
- Unbleached all-purpose flour – because protein powder isn’t much of a binding flour, the all-purpose flour is keep the cookies from being crumbly and falling apart.
- Pumpkin spice – if you don’t have any on hand you can make it yourself with a few spices.
- Pepitas – for some crunch and a lil’ more protein there are some shelled pumpkin seeds in the mix. Walnuts, pecans, or peanuts would all be great options as well!

Other tasty pumpkin recipes you may love!
- Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Pie on the Rocks
- White Chocolate Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cups
- Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Marbled Cake
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese-Stuffed French Toast

Vegan Protein Pumpkin Cookies

These cookies are fluffy, lil’ bites of goodness that are lightly sweetened and have plenty of fall spice! Each cookie has roughly 4g of protein (compared to the usual 1g in most of my cookie recipes), so they’re great for snacking on the run. I love these because they’re not chalky, dense, or dry!
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup (155 g) pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup (75 g) coconut sugar
- 1/3 cup (85 g) smooth, natural almond butter (use sunbutter if avoiding nuts)
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) non-dairy milk
- 1 cup (115 g) vegan vanilla protein powder (I use Orgain)
- 1 cup (135 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice blend
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup (37 g) pepitas (both roasted and raw work)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, place pumpkin, coconut sugar, almond butter, and non-dairy milk, whisking together until smooth.
- Next, add protein powder, flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, and sea salt, mixing until it forms a firm dough ball. Add pepitas to the dough and fold/knead it in just until combined. Chill dough for 20 minutes.
- Place 2-tablespoon-sized (30 g) scoops of cookie dough at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Because of the dough recipe you will need to push them down to form cookie shapes before baking. The lack of butter/oil here prevents spreading like traditional recipes. Bake cookies for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the bottom edges start browning, switching the top and bottom racks halfway through.
- Once done baking, cool on cooling racks for 15 minutes before enjoying. Let cool completely before storing in an air-tight container.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
22Amount Per Serving: Calories: 86Total Fat: 3gSodium: 86mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 4g
