Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies {Soft}
Quick and easy pumpkin oatmeal cookies recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Soft and chewy with real pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, cinnamon and oats.
These easy cookies are the best for Fall and Thanksgiving. They are not overly sweet and yet so filling and satisfying. I love the texture that oatmeal brings to cookies with that little bit of extra chewiness, and have we talked about that pumpkin spice smell? These taste as good as they smell baking in your house. For more pumpkin greatness, check out more of these fantastic recipes: Easy Pumpkin Cookies {With Cake Mix} and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies {With Cake Mix}.
Table of contents
How to make pumpkin oatmeal cookies recipe from scratch?
- Mix wet ingredients– This includes pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, egg, vanilla.
- Whisk dry ingredients– This includes flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder, pumpkin pie spice.
- Combine mixtures– Mix until smooth.
- Cover– And chill.
- Drop spoonfuls- Onto tray.
- Bake– Until golden brown.
- Cool– Enjoy.
Why did my cookies spread? Why are my cookies flat? How to fix this?
This means there is not enough flour to hold the fats together. Make sure that you measure your flour accurately according to this recipe in the first place to prevent this from happening. However, if this is a problem simply add a couple tablespoons of flour to your batter and it should solve the problem. Another reason could be the dough is too wet and needs to be chilled.
Variations for pumpkin oat cookies
Pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies– To make this, mix in 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips. Add white, semi-sweet, milk, or dark chocolate chips (whatever you prefer).
Add dried fruit– Such as raisins, cranberries, or dried cherries.
Add chopped nuts– Such as pecans, walnuts, cashews, almonds, pistachios.
Add shredded coconut– For added texture and sweetness.
Add other spices– Such as cardamom, cloves, ginger, or nutmeg. Warm spices will be your best choice for these cookies.
Add a glaze or frosting– Once they cool, drizzle Powdered Sugar Glaze or this Coffee Glaze from this Mocha Brownie recipe. You could also pair with Best Cream Cheese Frosting, or Maple Frosting or Brown Sugar Frosting {So fluffy!},
Drizzle melted white chocolate on top– For a beautiful and delicious finish.
Add butterscotch chips– For more depth of flavor and melty goodness.
Try other extracts– Such as caramel, almond, or maple extracts.
Make it gluten-free– Use gluten-free flour instead of all purpose. The texture might be different however. Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 flour is amazing.
Tip and techniques for pumpkin spice cookie
Frostings and other drizzles can only be added once the cookies are cool– Because otherwise they will melt and slide right off the cookies.
Don’t over mix dough– Because this will make your cookies tough instead of soft and chewy.
Line the pan with parchment paper– Because this prevents the cookies from sticking to the tray and breaking when you try to remove them.
Adjust the amount of pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon– Add more or less according to your liking.
Don’t remove cookies from the tray immediately upon removing them from the oven– Let them cool on the tray. The residual heat from the pan continues baking them to perfection. Also, removing them while too hot will cause them to break because they are still not fully set.
Use pumpkin puree– Do not use pumpkin pie filling! In this case, canned puree is actually preferred because it’s thicker than the homemade version.
Don’t replace oil with butter– I’m normally a big fan of butter, but it actually made these cookies dense. Do not swap them.
What oil to use? Something mild tasting. I used light olive oil, but vegetable or canola oil would work as well.
Don’t use quick cooking oats– Because old-fashioned oats give these cookies a much chewier texture than quick oats or even instant oats. Sometimes, those other choices also make the cookies gritty, which is not pleasant.
Must chill dough– Because that makes the cookie dough easier to handle and makes it less sticky. It also allows the cookies to hold their round shape and not flatten during baking.
How will I know the cookies are done? The centers should be slightly soft but edges should be firm. They should also become golden brown.
Storage of homemade cookies
Room temperature– These can be stored in a cookie jar at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Refrigerate– In a sealed container for up to 1 week.
Freeze– In a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 1 month. Simply thaw to room temperature to enjoy again.
More pumpkin desserts
- Pumpkin Cheesecake {With Gingersnap Crust}
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Pumpkin Brownies (With Brownie Mix)
- Easy Pumpkin Muffins {With Cake Mix}
- Easy Pumpkin Bread {With Cake Mix}
Soft Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Pumpkin puree, Not pumpkin pie filling, Use canned pumpkin puree rather than homemade because it's thicker
- 3/4 cups Granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup Oil, I used light olive oil but you can use vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1 Egg, Large
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 cup Old fashioned oats, Not quick oats
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1 tsp Cinnamon powder
- 1.5 tsp Pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, egg, vanilla and mix until smooth and creamy.
- In another mixing bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder and pumpkin pie spice.
- Dump this dry mixture into the wet mixture.
- Mix until just combined.
- Cover and chill dough in fridge for 30 minutes.
- Use an ice cream scooper or cookie scopper, to drop spoonfuls of the dough on a cookie tray, lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 13 minutes, or until edges are firm and cookies are golden brown.
- Remove tray from oven and allow cookies to cool and enjoy.
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a cookie jar at room temperature for up to 3 days.
