Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Posted Oct 07, 2022, Updated Dec 08, 2024
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These pumpkin oatmeal cookies are crispy on the outside and chewy in the center. They’re perfectly sweet and richly flavored with cozy fall spices!
Fall is my favorite season, and one reason is because we get to bake and enjoy so many pumpkin recipes – like these pumpkin oatmeal cookies.
They are easy to make with simple ingredients and are irresistibly delicious. Pumpkin puree, homemade pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon chips make these pumpkin oatmeal cookies stand out from the rest.
Plus, they are chewy in the center and crispy on the outside like a good cookie should be (not cakey)! Don’t forget to try pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, soft pumpkin cookies, and maple cookies this fall!
Pumpkin Cookies: Ingredients and Substitutions
- All-purpose flour. Use gluten-free all-purpose baking flour to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter is a good substitute.
- Oatmeal: For the perfect, chewy texture use old-fashioned (or rolled) oats. You can use quick oats, just be aware it will change the texture of the cookies.
- Light Brown Sugar. If you like a little bolder, molasses taste use dark brown sugar.
- Granulated Sugar. white sugar, organic cane sugar, and coconut sugar are all good choices.
- Sea salt. I bake with pure, fine sea salt. If you are using iodized salt I recommend decreasing the amount of salt by half.
- Pumpkin puree. Use canned or fresh pumpkin puree.
- Mix-ins. my favorite mix-in is cinnamon chips. You can use a total of 1 cup of different mix-ins such as white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips (like in these scotchies) dried fruit, nuts, etc.
How to Make Pumpkin Oatmeal cookies
Let’s walk through this pumpkin oatmeal cookies recipe step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl. Then set it aside.
Then, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, until light and fluffy (about 60 seconds)
These pumpkin oatmeal cookies are crispy on the outside and chewy in the center. They’re perfectly sweet and richly flavored with cozy fall spices!
Next, add the pumpkin puree, egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed until combined.
Then, add the dry ingredient mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.
Slowly beat in the oatmeal on low speed until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Lastly, add your desired mix-ins and stir until evenly distributed in the dough.
Mix-in options
- Cinnamon chips (my top recommendation)
- Butterscotch Chips
- Chocolate chips
- White chocolate chips
- Raisins
- Dried fruit (cranberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc.)
- Nuts (walnuts, pecans, sliced almonds, etc.)
Chill the dough
Once the dough is finished, transfer it to an airtight container and chill for at least 1 hour, and up to overnight.
Portion, Roll & Bake
Once the dough is chilled, use a 1 ½ to 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop to measure out the dough for the pumpkin oatmeal cookies.
Then, roll the dough into balls and place them on the prepared cookie sheet about 1 ½ inches apart. Repeat until all the dough is used.
Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until the top is just set.
Let sit on the baking pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Freeze Cookie Dough
Instead of baking, you can also freeze the pumpkin oatmeal cookie dough in balls to bake them later.
- Place the measured and rolled cookie dough balls on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for 1-2 hours or until firm.
- Once firm, transfer the dough balls to an airtight, freezer-friendly container (I recommend either a glass storage container or a freezer-friendly ziplock bag).
- Freeze for up to 2 months.
- To bake: remove dough from the freezer and let it come to room temperature. Then bake according the the recipe instructions.
Store/Freeze Baked Cookies
Store these pumpkin oatmeal cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies Recipe FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about these cookies! If you have additional questions I did not address in this post, please leave a comment and I will answer them!
No! Old fashioned (or rolled) oats are whole-grain oat kernels that have been rolled flat. Quick-cooking oats are also rolled, but the oat kernel is cut into smaller pieces so it can cook faster.
Yes, you can, just be aware that it will change the texture of the cookies and they will be less chewy and more “fluffy” or cakey.
These cookies are chewy and not cakey because of sugars, egg, and using less flour than usual and chilling the dough. Also, tapping the baking sheet on the counter releases some air and helps make them chewy.
Yes, double the ingredients and bake on 4 large baking sheets.
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Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup mix-ins (chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, white chocolate chips, etc.)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, sea salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand-held mixer, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- Add vanilla, pumpkin puree and egg and beat until combined and light and fluffy.
- Add dry ingredients and beat on medium speed until combined.
- Then, add the oatmeal and beat until evenly distributed.
- If desired, add mix-ins and stir on low speed until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Transfer the dough to an airtight container and chill for at least 1 hour, and up to overnight.
- After chilling, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Use a 1.5-2 TBS cookie scoop to measure out a portion of cooking dough, roll it into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheet 1 ½” apart. Gently press down the tops of each ball of dough to slightly flatten. Repeat until all the dough is used.
- Bake In the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until cookies look set and slightly puffed.
- Remove the cookie tray from the oven and tap it on the counter to release some of the air from the cookies.
- Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes.
- Transfer the cookies from the cooking sheet to a wire cooling rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before eating. The cookies “deflate” as they cool and achieve the chewy texture
Video
Notes
- All-purpose flour. Use gluten-free all-purpose baking flour to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter is a good substitute.
- Oatmeal: For the perfect, chewy texture use old-fashioned (or rolled) oats. You can use quick oats, just be aware it will change the texture of the cookies.
- Light Brown Sugar. If you like a little bolder, molasses taste use dark brown sugar.
- Granulated Sugar. white sugar, organic cane sugar, and coconut sugar are all good choices.
- Sea salt. I bake with pure, fine sea salt. If you are using iodized salt I recommend decreasing the amount of salt by half.
- Pumpkin puree. Use canned or fresh pumpkin puree.
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp cloves
- ½ tsp allspice
- Cinnamon chips (my top recommendation)
- Butterscotch Chips (pictured in this post)
- Chocolate chips
- White chocolate chips
- Raisins
- Dried fruit (cranberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc.)
- Nuts (walnuts, pecans, sliced almonds, etc.)
- Place the measured and rolled cookie dough balls on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for 1-2 hours or until firm.
- Once firm, transfer the dough balls to an airtight, freezer-friendly container (I recommend either a glass storage container or a freezer-friendly ziplock bag).
- Freeze for up to 2 months.
- To bake: remove dough from the freezer and let it come to room temperature. Then bake according the the recipe instructions.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love your recipe, why the pumpkin oatmeal not in metrics?
I’m so sorry about that Emanul! An oversight on my part. I went in and added the metric measurements.
Love these!! They are sweet and yummy while feeling a little wholesome. I followed the recipe except substituted a half cup of the flour for whole wheat. For mixins I did pumpkin seeds and chocolate chips. The recipe made about 35 smaller sized cookies which baked up nicely in 10 minutes.
Love the use of whole wheat flour!!! Thank you so much Kelsey!
Delicious! I used a bit more than 1/2 cup pumpkin as I was trying to use up a can of pumpkin from the pantry in two recipes. For mix-ins I used mini chocolate chips and zante currents. Made larger cookies and liked the one’s I baked slightly longer than 10 minutes-more like 12 to 14.
I’m so glad you enjoyd them!