To me, fall is synonymous with pumpkins and spice. There’s just something about pumpkins, I guess, that makes people warm and cozy inside. And these pumpkin spice mooncakes are just as comforting as it sounds. Made with pumpkin, warm spices, almond flour, then filled with a fudgy sweetened white bean paste, these pumpkin mooncakes are soft and moist almost like a bite of a luscious pumpkin pie.
The recipe is also vegan as well as gluten-free, even great for people who are trying to find healthier fall dessert options during the holiday season.
Also, feel free to check out my other vegan mooncake recipes I’ve developed in my Healthier Mooncakes Experiment post!
Ingredients Used to Make This Vegan Pumpkin Spice Mooncakes
**I’ve linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local grocery store (usually, the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂
- Almond flour – I used blanched almond flour. But you can also make your own by blending raw or blanched, slivered almonds in the food processor and sifting them through a sieve.
- Coconut flour – Coconut flour does not substitute well, and I can’t recommend swapping coconut flour with other ingredients in this recipe.
- Pumpkin puree – I used canned pumpkin puree, which you can find in the baking aisle. There are so many great benefits to eating pumpkin. It’s particularly high in carotenoids and antioxidants such as vitamin C, which helps counteract aging as well as boosting your body’s immunity. It’s also a good source of vitamin B6, Magnesium, Potassium and fiber—which is what makes us feel full longer and helps control blood sugar.
- Salt – Pink Himalayan salt is what I have at home, so it’s what I use, but you can use any kind for this recipe.
- Sugar – You can use any granulated sugar of your choice. I recommend using coconut, date and maple sugars which are less processed and higher in vitamins and minerals. For the lower carb, lower calorie option, you can use a sugar-free substitute such as monk fruit sweetener or, stevia powder (but you’ll have to convert the amount of stevia according to package directions).
- Olive Oil – For this recipe, you can use olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil or even regular canola oil. You can also use plant-based, dairy-free butter or regular butter instead.
Recipes that Also Use Pumpkin
For the Filling You’ll Need
- Sweetened White Bean Paste (a.k.a. Shiro An) – fudgy and sweet, white bean paste is a perfect filling for mooncakes. You’re welcome to use other fillings for this recipe. More ideas below in the “variation” section
Equipment
The main highlight of mooncakes is their beautiful engraved patterns and shapes. Mooncake molds are readily available at different Chinese grocery stores. You can also find it online, especially on amazon. They are of premium quality and quite affordable. I got the 50g mooncake molds here
Step by Step Guide
How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Mooncakes
STEP 1
Mix dough ingredients in a clean bowl. For best results, use hands to knead the dough until the dough comes together).
STEP 2
Divide the dough into 6 equal-sized pieces and roll into a ball (about 20-30 grams of dough each).
STEP 2
Prepare the filling- roll the sweetened white bean paste filling into a heaping tablespoon-sized balls (about 30g). You can also mix add ins such as nuts, seeds, dried fruits, or add flavoring/coloring to the bean paste before rolling.
STEP 3
Flatten the dough into a thin disk using the palms of your hands, place up to 30g of filling in the middle. Cover the filling with the dough and gently squeeze the dough into a ball. The ball really does not have to be perfect or smooth, because you’ll be using the mooncake mold to press these rough edges into shape anyways.
STEP 4
Use a well-greased mooncake mold to press the dough into shape. A non-stick cooking spray works well to ensure that the mold is properly greased.
STEP 5
Bake in a 350F pre-heated oven for about 10-12 minutes, or until the tops of the mooncakes appear dry. The bottom of the cakes should be lightly browned.
STEP 6
For best flavor and texture, let the mooncakes cool in the fridge overnight (or at least 8 hours) sealed inside an airtight container. This extra step ensures that the mooncake crust to soften and become more chewy, rather than tough.
Recipe Variations and Optional Add Ins for Pumpkin Spice Mooncakes:
There are many types of fillings used in traditional mooncakes. Here are some ideas below:
- Lotus paste – classic! You can buy these in the refrigerated section in a Asian grocery store, or buy them online (like Amazon, here)
- Shiro-an (sweetened white bean paste) – on Amazon, here, or here’s a Shortcut White Bean Paste Recipe I make when I’ve run out of Shiro An
- Koshi-an (sweetened red bean paste) – on Amazon, here
- Mung Bean paste – sweet and delightfully yellow, homemade mung bean paste is a perfect mooncake filling for those who are looking for a healthier bean paste alternative. Here’s my 2-Ingredient mung bean paste recipe here
- Coffee paste : 1/2 cup Shiro-an mixed with 2 tsp coffee extract (click on the link to see my 2 ingredient coffee bean paste recipe here)
How to Store
- You can store these cakes covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours. For longer storage, you can place them in a plastic freezer bag or airtight container to store in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze up to 4 months.
CLICK HERE for all of my mooncake recipes:
Final Tips
- I found that these mooncakes taste WAY better the day after they are made. I don’t know how to explain it other than that these mooncake crusts have a better flavor and develop a more fudgier/tender texture when they have a chance to rest in the fridge overnight. So for the best flavor and texture, I recommend that you store these mooncakes inside an airtight container and let them cool in the fridge for at least 8 hours before eating.
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More Vegan, Gluten-Free Mooncake Recipes Coming Up:
Go to my Healthier Mooncake Experiment post to see how I got started on making healthier mooncakes!
Vegan Pumpkin Mooncakes (Made with Almond Flour)
Ingredients
Crust
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 Tbsp coconut flour
- pinch salt
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar of choice*
- 2 Tbsp pumpkin puree
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 T olive, avocado or coconut oil
Filling
Instructions
- Mix dough ingredients in a clean bowl. For best results, use hands to knead the dough until the dough comes together)
- Divide the dough into 6 equal-sized pieces and roll into a ball (about 20-30 grams of dough each)
- Prepare the filling- roll the sweetened white bean paste filling into a heaping tablespoon-sized balls (about 30g). You can also mix add ins such as nuts, seeds, dried fruits, or add flavoring/coloring to the bean paste before rolling. Cooked chestnuts work really well, too.
- Flatten the pumpkin-almond flour dough into a thin disk using the palms of your hands, place up to 30g of filling in the middle.
- Cover the filling with the dough and gently squeeze the dough into a ball**
- Use a well-greased mooncake mold to press the dough into shape. A non-stick cooking spray works well to ensure that the mold is properly greased.
- Bake in a 350F pre-heated oven for about 10-12 minutes, or until the tops of the mooncakes appear dry.
- For best flavor and texture, let the mooncakes cool in the fridge overnight (or at least 8 hours) sealed inside an airtight container. This extra step ensures that the mooncake crust to soften and become more chewy, rather than tough.
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