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These soft vegan persimmon cookies are warmly spiced and studded with juicy diced Fuyu persimmon in every bite. They take just 8 simple pantry ingredients and about 30 minutes, with no eggs or dairy, so they’re perfect for fall baking and holiday cookie trays.
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It’s that time of year when summery apricot cookies and lemon blueberry cookies make way for fall favorites like apple pie cookies and these persimmon cookies. They’re moist and cake-like (think muffin tops!), with a hint of pumpkin spice and sweet bits of fruit throughout.
Have more persimmons to use up? Try my homemade persimmon jam, persimmon muffins, vegan persimmon bread, a fresh persimmon salad, or a spiced persimmon smoothie.
Quick Glance
- Recipe Name: Vegan Persimmon Cookies
- Why You’ll Love It: Soft, cake-like fall cookies with juicy persimmon in every bite, made with no eggs or dairy.
- Time and Difficulty: 15 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of baking, easy.
- Main Ingredients: Fuyu persimmon, vegan butter, brown sugar, applesauce, plant-based milk, flour, baking soda, and pumpkin spice.
- Method: Cream the butter and sugar, mix in the wet ingredients and persimmon, stir in the dry ingredients, scoop, and bake.
- Texture and Flavor: Soft and tender, warmly spiced, and sweet with bits of fruit.
- Quick Tip: Use firm, ripe Fuyu persimmons and dice them small so the cookies hold together.
Table of Contents
What Makes These Vegan Persimmon Cookies So Good
Persimmon season is short, so I love having a simple recipe that shows them off. These cookies come together in two bowls, and the persimmon softens as it bakes, so every cookie is moist and full of fruit. Once December arrives, I add my powdered sugar snowball cookies to the holiday cookie tray.
- Egg-free and dairy-free: Applesauce and plant-based milk keep the dough moist, with no eggs needed.
- Pantry ingredients: Besides the persimmon, you probably have everything on hand already.
- Ready in about 30 minutes: There is no chilling, so you can go from mixing bowl to cooling rack in half an hour.
- Soft and cake-like: They bake up tender and pillowy, a lot like the top of a muffin.
- Easy to customize: Add nuts, dried fruit, vegan chocolate chips, or a glaze (see the variations below).
- Freezer-friendly: Freeze the dough or the baked cookies for up to 3 months.
Vegan Persimmon Cookies Ingredients
You only need 8 simple ingredients. You’ll find the full amounts in the recipe card below.
- Fuyu persimmon: Use a ripe but still firm Fuyu persimmon so you can dice it. One medium Fuyu makes about 1 cup of diced fruit. Dice it small, about ¼ inch, so the cookies hold together (see the section below for which persimmons to use).
- Vegan butter: Let it soften to room temperature so it creams well with the sugar.
- Brown sugar: Adds a warm, caramel-like sweetness.
- Unsweetened applesauce: It replaces the eggs and keeps the cookies moist. One 3.9-ounce snack cup is just right.
- Plant-based milk: Any unsweetened variety works, like soy, oat, or almond milk.
- All-purpose flour: Spoon and level it for the best texture. For a gluten-free version, see the FAQs.
- Baking soda: Helps the cookies puff up and stay soft.
- Pumpkin spice: Use store-bought or my homemade pumpkin pie spice mix. Cinnamon on its own works too.
Which Persimmons to Use
There are two common types of persimmons, and they work very differently in baking.
- Fuyu persimmons: These are squat, tomato-shaped, and sweet even while they’re firm. They’re the ones to use here, since you can dice them like an apple. A ripe Fuyu is deep orange and gives slightly when you press it.
- Hachiya persimmons: These are acorn-shaped and taste very astringent until they’re completely soft and pudding-like. They can’t be diced, so they’re better for persimmon pulp. I haven’t tested Hachiya pulp in these cookies yet.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few fun ways to switch up these persimmon cookies:
- Chopped nuts: Fold in toasted walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, or pepitas for crunch.
- Dried fruit: Add raisins or dried cranberries for a sweet, chewy bite.
- Vegan chocolate chips: Semi-sweet, dark, or vegan white chocolate chips all work.
- Crystallized ginger: Finely chop it for little bursts of sweet heat.
- Orange zest: Just a little adds a fresh citrus note that pairs well with persimmon.
- Glaze: Dip or drizzle the cooled cookies with a simple vanilla, maple, or orange glaze, or my pumpkin spice glaze.
How To Make Persimmon Cookies
Before you start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Finely dice the persimmon and set it aside.
Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl, cream the vegan butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer or a sturdy whisk until light and fluffy.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients. Add the applesauce, plant-based milk, and diced persimmon. Mix well, letting some of the persimmon break down into the mixture.
PRO TIP: Mix in the persimmon right after the applesauce and milk. As it breaks down a little, it flavors the whole dough.
Step 3: Mix in the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and pumpkin spice. Add them to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
Step 4: Scoop and bake. Scoop 2 Tablespoon portions of dough onto the baking sheet, 2 inches apart, and lightly flatten them. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and let them cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
PRO TIP: Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack so the cookies bake evenly.
Toni’s Recipe Tips
- Spoon and level the flour: Too much flour makes the cookies dense. Fluff it up in the bag, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level it with the back of a knife.
- Choose the right persimmon: Use Fuyu persimmons that are ripe but still firm enough to dice.
- Dice it small: Small pieces of persimmon spread through the dough and help the cookies keep their shape.
- Don’t overmix: Stir in the flour just until combined so the cookies stay soft and tender.
- Let them cool: They’re delicate straight out of the oven and firm up as they cool.
- Leave room to spread: Space the dough 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Room temperature: Store the cookies in a paper towel-lined airtight container for 2 to 3 days. The paper towel soaks up extra moisture from the fruit.
- Fridge: Keep them in an airtight container for 5 to 7 days.
- Freezer: Flash freeze the baked cookies on a tray until solid, then move them to a freezer bag or Stasher bag for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight or at room temperature.
- Make ahead: Scoop the dough onto a lined tray and freeze until solid, then store the dough balls in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes.
Baking for a cookie swap? Find more ideas in my vegan Christmas cookies roundup, or browse all my fall dessert recipes. A warm mug of homemade chai is perfect on the side. For another warmly spiced cookie on your tray, try my soft gingerbread crinkle cookies.
Persimmon Cookies FAQs
Fuyu persimmons are best for this recipe, because they’re sweet while still firm and easy to dice. Hachiya persimmons need to be completely soft before they’re sweet, so they can’t be diced. I haven’t tested Hachiya pulp in these cookies yet.
A ripe Fuyu persimmon is deep orange and gives slightly when you press it, a lot like a ripe tomato. If it’s pale or very hard, leave it on the counter for a few days.
No, I don’t peel mine. Fuyu persimmon skin is thin and softens as the cookies bake.
I haven’t tested it yet, but a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour blend should work. If you try it, let me know how it goes in the comments!
Yes! Freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months and thaw them in the fridge or on the counter. You can also freeze scoops of dough and bake them from frozen, adding a few extra minutes.
More Vegan Fall Cookies
Vegan Desserts
Soft Pumpkin Molasses Cookies
Vegan Desserts
Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies
Vegan Desserts
Soft and Chewy Banana Bread Cookies
Vegan Desserts
Vegan Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you tried this vegan persimmon cookies recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!
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Easy Persimmon Cookies
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Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) vegan butter at room temperature
- ½ cup (110 g) brown sugar
- 1 (3.9-ounce / 111 g) cup unsweetened applesauce one snack cup
- ¼ cup (60 ml) plant-based milk
- 1 ripe Fuyu persimmon diced small (about 1 cup / 150 g)
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a mixing bowl, cream the vegan butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add the applesauce, plant-based milk, and diced persimmon. Mix well, letting some of the persimmon break down into the mixture.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and pumpkin spice.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Scoop 2 Tablespoon portions of dough onto the baking sheet, 2 inches apart, and lightly flatten them.
- Bake for 13 to 15 minutes.
- Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and let them cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it with a knife, since too much flour makes the cookies dense.
- Use Fuyu persimmons that are ripe but still firm enough to dice. Hachiya persimmons are too soft to dice.
- Dice the persimmon small so the cookies hold their shape.
- Mix the dough just until combined so the cookies stay soft.
- The cookies are delicate when hot and firm up as they cool.
- For a gluten-free version, I haven’t tested it, but a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend should work.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days at room temperature, 5 to 7 days in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer.
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Love these persimmon cookies! So tasty!