These Eggless Pumpkin Cookies are soft, cakey, and melt-in-your-mouth tender — think of a pumpkin muffin top in cookie form, loaded with warm fall spice and finished with a simple vanilla glaze. That pillowy, cake-like texture is the whole point: real pumpkin keeps them soft, and there are no eggs anywhere in the dough. They’re egg-free by design and genuinely easy — drop, flatten, bake, drizzle. If cakey-soft is your kind of cookie (not the crisp, chewy kind), this is the fall cookie you’ll make on repeat.
Oriana’s Thoughts On The Recipe
I know “cakey” is a fighting word in the cookie world — half the internet is chasing chewy pumpkin cookies. But in our house, the soft, cake-like pumpkin cookie is the one everyone actually reaches for, especially the little ones. Pumpkin naturally makes cookies tender and cakey, so instead of fighting that, I leaned all the way in: a soft pillowy cookie with a thin vanilla glaze, egg-free from the start. After 13+ years of baking egg-free, these are the ones that vanish off the cooling rack before I’ve even finished glazing them.
Why You’ll Want to Try My Recipe
- Soft, cakey, melt-in-your-mouth texture — like a pumpkin muffin top
- Egg-free by design — no egg replacer, no fuss
- Warm fall spice in every bite, finished with an easy vanilla glaze
- Drop-and-bake easy — no chilling, no rolling
- Makes a big batch (great for class parties and freezing)
- Tested by a real allergy mom in a real family kitchen
Why are these pumpkin cookies cakey and soft instead of chewy?
Pumpkin purée is full of moisture, and that moisture is what gives these cookies their soft, cake-like crumb. This recipe embraces that — it’s designed to be pillowy and tender, like a pumpkin muffin top, not a crisp or chewy cookie. If you want the soft, glazed, melt-in-your-mouth kind of pumpkin cookie, this is it.
How are these cookies made without eggs?
Baking powder and baking soda give the lift, while pumpkin purée and a little cream cheese add moisture and hold everything together — so you get a soft, tender cookie with no eggs and no egg replacer.
Ingredients You’ll Need, Substitutions & Notes
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
Dry ingredients:
- Flour: Standard all-purpose flour works best here; skip cake, bread, and wheat flours.
- Baking soda & Baking powder: Make sure they’re not expired or too old. To avoid a chemical aftertaste, make sure your baking powder is labeled aluminum-free. I usually use the Clabber Girl brand, and though the ingredients state aluminum, I’ve never noticed an aluminum aftertaste.
- Pumpkin pie spice: This is a blend of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice and is easily found in most American grocery stores. If this blend is not available in your country, you can use 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp ginger, ⅛ tsp cloves, and ⅛ tsp allspice.
- Salt: I prefer kosher or sea salt. If you only have table salt handy, I recommend reducing the amount to half.
Wet ingredients:
- Sugar: Regular white granulated sugar or caster sugar. I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of the cookies.
- Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter, but if you only have salted butter handy, you can use it. In this case, skip the salt called for in the recipe.
- Pumpkin puree: It must be pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. I use and recommend Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin.
- Cream cheese: Make sure you use the full-fat version that comes in blocks.
- Vanilla extract: For optimal flavor, reach for pure vanilla instead of imitation. Even better, try homemade vanilla extract!
Food Allergy Swaps
This recipe is naturally egg, nut, peanut, and sesame-free, making it suitable for most dietary needs. However, always check labels for hidden allergens.
- Dairy-Free: To make this recipe dairy-free, you can easily swap out the dairy ingredients for non-dairy alternatives.
- Butter: Substitute butter with dairy-free butter substitutes. Miyoko’s Creamery Organic Vegan Butter and Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks are my favorite butter substitutes for baking.
- Cream Cheese: To substitute the cream cheese, I like to use Violife Just Like Cream Cheese Original.
- Gluten-Free: Use a gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend. Look for a gluten-free flour blend specifically formulated for baking, as it will have the right combination of flours and starches to mimic the texture of wheat flour. My favorite is Better Batter Original Blend. I also like Doves Farm Freee Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour, but this blend does not contain xanthan gum, so you need to add 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum per cup (140 g) of gluten-free flour blend.
Process Overview: How to Make Soft Eggless Pumpkin Cookies
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
- Combine Dry Ingredients
- Beat the Sugar and Butter
- Add Dry Ingredients
- Form the Cookies
- Bake
Eggless Cookies Quick Baking Tips
Measure the ingredients correctly! A kitchen scale is always the best option, in my opinion, but if you don’t have a kitchen scale, be sure to use a measuring cup made for dry ingredients (NOT a liquid measuring cup) and a liquid measuring cup for liquid ingredients. Also, do NOT dip a measuring cup directly into the flour bin, or you can compact it and get up to 25% more flour; instead, use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup, and then use a knife (straight-edged) to level the flour across the measuring cup.
Don’t overmix your cookie dough, or you will end up with dense cookies.
For evenly sized cookies (better for baking), use a small spring-loaded ice cream scoop to spoon out the dough.
Bake the cookies until they are JUST golden around the outside. The cookies might still look a little raw in the center, but once they cool, they will be perfect. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for just a few minutes, around 2. If you leave the cookies on the baking sheets for too long, they will continue cooking, and they will be hard.
Optional Add-Ins
Feel free to fold 1 cup of chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, chopped nuts, or dried cranberries into the dough after you mix the wet and dry ingredients together.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
Store
Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature.
Freeze
Cookie dough balls may be frozen for up to 2 months. After rolling cookie dough balls in sugar, place them on a plate or baking sheet and freeze until solid. After the dough is frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To bake frozen cookies, place frozen cookie dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake as instructed.
Frequently Asked Questions
These cookies are soft and cakey. If you are looking for chewy pumpkin cookies, try my Eggless Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Canned pumpkin is best in this pumpkin cookie recipe; I use and recommend Libby’s brand.
About 30 – 32 cookies.
I haven’t tried it personally, but I can’t see why not! I recommend a 9×13-inch baking pan. I’m unsure of the best bake time, though.
They freeze really well if baked and then frozen for up to two months. Just thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
Not really — pumpkin’s moisture makes them soft and cakey by nature, and that’s what this recipe is built around. For chewy cookies, you’d need a recipe designed to remove that moisture. If you love soft and pillowy, you’re in the right place. For chewy pumpkin cookies, use my Eggless Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe.
No. The moisture in canned pumpkin is exactly what makes these cookies soft and cakey, so leave it as is.
Yes — swap in plant-based butter and cream cheese for dairy-free, and a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour for gluten-free. Check my Food Allergy Swap section above for details.
Let the glaze set fully, then layer with parchment in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze unglazed for longer storage and glaze after thawing.
Can’t Get Enough Pumpkin? Bake These Next!
Recipe Card
Cakey Eggless Pumpkin Cookies
Equipment
Important
• For best results, I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (350 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
- 1 cup (240 g) canned pure pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
Glaze (optional):
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F (180º C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in pumpkin puree, cream cheese, and vanilla extract; mix until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl, then mix on low until combined.
- Drop dough onto prepared baking sheets by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly with fingers. TIP: For evenly sized cookies (better for baking), use a small spring-loaded ice cream scoop to spoon out the dough.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until very lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies, if desired.
GLAZE:
- Combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl until smooth.
- Measure the ingredients properly! A kitchen scale is always the best option, in my opinion.
- Don’t over-mix your cookie dough, or you will end up with a dense cookie.
- For evenly sized cookies (better for baking), use a small spring-loaded ice cream scoop to spoon out the dough.
- Bake the cookies until they are JUST golden around the outside. The cookies might still look a little raw in the center, but once they cool, they will be perfect. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for just a few minutes, around 2. If you leave the cookies on the baking sheets for too long, they will continue cooking, and they will be hard
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Eggless Baking Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions about eggless baking.
More Egg-Free Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love!
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- Eggless Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Browse more recipes…
Recipe Changelog:
- Originally posted in September 2017.
- Update: The post was edited in September 2022 to add more helpful information, with no changes to the recipe.
- Update: The post was updated again in August 2026 to add more helpful information, with no changes to the recipe.
Lovely yummy fluffy and soft cookies!
Hello Ana! Yay! I’m so happy you loved them! 💕 Thanks for trying my recipe and sharing your sweet feedback—it means a lot!
These are so amazing! I used only brown sugar because it was all that I had and almond extract for the same reason and they turned out oh so scrumptious. Bookmarked.
Hello Love! It sounds like you nailed it! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know.
Outstanding! Im so happy I found your site. I have an egg allergy, and thought the days of delicious baked goods were over for me. These cookies are perfection and not overly sweet. which is perfect of you want to add chocolate chips or a frosting. But i love them plain and with the glaze.
Hello Tamara! We LOVE these cookies too. It sounds like you nailed it! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know.
A family favorite. Easy and delicious.
Hello Mayelin! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and thank you so much for taking the time to come back and let me know!
can the dough be refrigerated or frozen before baking?
Hello dibz! You can freeze this cookie dough for up to 3 months. Just roll it into balls, and freeze. Then, when ready to use, pull them out and bake as directed; just add a couple of minutes to the baking time. Hope this help!
I notice there baking powder is mentioned in your instructions but not listed in your ingredients. Can you please let me know how much baking powder to use?
Oops…sorry about that!! It’s 1 teaspoon of baking powder. I also updated the recipe. Thanks for letting me know.
Thank you. I made these into Pumpkin whoopie pies, taking two of the cookies and filling with Cream Cheese Frosting. My family loved them, so glad I could make these for my son who is allergic to eggs. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know! Whoopie pies sound like a great idea ???? I’m SO GLAD your son enjoyed the treat!! Have a great weekend, and make sure to check out my other eggless recipes.