Baking a batch of pumpkin cookies is the best way to kick of the fall season! These cookies are soft, moist, thick, cake-like cookies that are loaded with chocolate chips and cozy pumpkin pie spices!
Everyone has a different idea of what the perfect cookie looks like. Thick, thin, crispy, soft, chewy, cake-like, healthy, etc.
My favorite? Yep! Pretty much all of them!
These homemade cookies are thick, moist, and soft! They’re exactly what you’d expect a pumpkin cookie to be like. Plus, they have chunks of warm gooey chocolate chips. You could always add walnuts, white chocolate chips, raisins, or cranberries too.
If you’re in love with pumpkin be sure to check out my pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting, no-bake pumpkin cookies (for when you’re really in a hurry), pumpkin icebox cake, and you’ve gotta try my pumpkin French toast!
Why This Recipe Works:
You need a pumpkin recipe that you’ll come back to every single fall…and THIS is it!
- This is a one bowl recipe. No extra dishes to wash here!
- You need simple ingredients. Nothing weird or fancy!
- No chilling time! Who has time to wait? Not me!
- The addition of oatmeal makes them a little more hearty and healthy than traditional pumpkin cookies. You’ll love it!
Ingredients:
You’ll need simple ingredients to make pumpkin oatmeal cookies. Most likely you have all of them in your fridge and your pantry. Let’s go over the details!
- Pumpkin Puree – you need canned pumpkin puree, NOT to be confused with canned pumpkin pie filling.
- Brown Sugar
- Butter – real butter is best, salted or unsalted (you can substitute margarine if needed)
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Oats – Quick oats or rolled oats have a softer texture than steel cut. Either will work. I prefer steel cut.
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
- Chocolate Chips – semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or even white chocolate chips. Butterscotch chips would be fantastic too!
How to Make Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies:
STEP 1: Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and beat for 1 more minute. Add pumpkin and vanilla. Beat
STEP 2: Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to wet ingredients. Beat until combined.
STEP 3: Add chocolate chips. Stir.
STEP 4: Drop on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Add a few extra chocolate chips to the top if you want.
STEP 5: Bake. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Some readers have had trouble with the cookies spreading too much. I’ve never actually had this problem. Remember the dough will be sticky. But here are a few suggestions for making sure the cookies are thick and puffy!
- Pat the pumpkin puree with a paper towel to absorb a little bit of the extra moisture.
- Use one whole egg and one egg yolk instead of of two whole eggs.
- Add a couple of minutes of baking time. 3-5 minutes.
- Add additional flour 1 Tablespoon at a time until the dough is the desired consistency. You can add up to 1/4 cup extra flour if needed.
- As the cookies sit they will get a little bit more dense. Just plan on that!
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes! Pumpkin cookies freeze beautifully. Flash freeze just until they are firm on a baking sheet, then remove to an airtight container. They will keep for up to 4 months.
You can also freeze the cookie dough and bake later if you prefer. Scoop dough into cookies. Freeze until firm. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 months. To bake cookies allow the dough to thaw and bake as instructed.
I’m not sure why I haven’t tried making this recipe into bar cookies because it would be faster than dropping them into cookies, but I haven’t. I imagine it would work well. I’d use a 9″x13″ pan and start with a 20 minute baking time. That’s just a guess though, so watch the baking time closely!
Other Easy Cookie Recipes:
You guys, if I had to choose one dessert to eat for the rest of my life it would definitely be cookies! They’re the best! Here’s a few of our fave’s that I know you’re going to love too!
- Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies
- S’mores Cookies
- Classic No Bake Cookies
- Peanut Butter Fudge Bar Cookies
- Thick Snickerdoodles
- Cake Mix Butterscotch Cookies
I love it when you make my recipes and give me feedback! If you have a minute please comment below and leave a star ranking! Also, be sure to follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook!
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 3/4 cups butter room temperature
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 cups flour
- 2 cups quick oats
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In large mixer bowl cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and beat. Add pumpkin and vanilla and mix.
- If desired, add oats to blender and blend into a flour.
- In a separate bowl stir flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, baking soda, salt and oatmeal together.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix together only until combined. If needed add a more flour one Tablespoon at a time until the you have a soft dough. Be careful not to over mix.
- Add chocolate chips and mix to incorporate.
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop cookies a little larger than 1 inch sizes. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Don’t over bake the centers will be soft and will set as they cool.
- Remove immediately from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.
Video
Notes
- You may need to add a few minutes to the baking time. Especially if using a bigger cookie scoop.
- Use one whole egg, and one egg yolk.
- Oat and oat flour will absorb some moisture as the dough sits. Allowing the dough to rest for 20 minutes before baking will prevent the spreading of the cookies.
- Pumpkin has high water content. You can squeeze the pumpkin puree to eliminate some moisture.
- Although I’ve never added additional flour to these cookies, you may add up to 1/4 a cup more flour than listed on the recipe. Add flour one tablespoon at a time.
- Chilling cookie dough before baking will prevent cookies from spreading too much. I don’t do this, but it can be done to help create a thicker cookie.
Patricia Richardson says
Just made these, oh so yummy with a cold glass of milk. I made them gluten free by using rice flour instead of regular flour, no problem. I think perhaps the people having difficulties with the recipe may be using the whole can of pumpkin instead of 1 cup of pumpkin puree. Just a thought.
Amy Engberson says
Yay! I’m glad you successfully made them gluten free! I’ll double check the recipe to make sure it clearly explains how much pumpkin puree to use. Thanks for the suggestion!
Laura says
This recipe sounds so delicious! I can’t wait to bake them!
Amy Engberson says
Thanks! These cookies are the perfect way to welcome fall! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Nancy says
Followed this recipe as printed. Elevation 700 feet. Worst cookies I’ve ever made. Threw them out.
Amy Engberson says
Sorry to hear that. I’ve never baked at an elevation lower than about 4,500 feet. I’m not exactly sure what you would need to change at that elevation. They always turn out perfectly soft for me!
tjswan says
cookie baking tip- be sure to use real butter or stick margarine containing 100 calories per tablespoon. So many of the “butter” or margarine products have a lot of water and air whipped in which will negatively effect your baked goods.
Amy Engberson says
Such a good point! I always use 100% real, unwhipped, butter. Hopefully that helps people to get the perfect consistency!
Pamela Tay says
I have been in the pumpkin mood and made these last night. Huge hit. They were delicious and the adding of the chocolate chips I feel really make this recipe yummy. Brought them to work also and everyone liked them. Made it exactly as your recipe read and they were perfect!! Thank you for a great recipe.
Amy Engberson says
Yay! Adding chocolate chips is always a good idea isn’t it! I’m so happy you enjoyed them! Lucky coworkers!
Nikki says
I’ve made these cookies a few times and they always turn out pretty flat when following the recipe but I’ve tried a lot of pumpkin recipes and I really like the flavour of this one and the oat texture (I don’t blend them). I recently read through the reviews again and someone suggested to make them as muffins instead and bake 25 mins. THEY ARE PERFECT!!!!!! I think this is how I’ll do them from now on! I would say that anyone feeling like the dough is too wet for cookies, try one of the trays as muffins and see how you like it.
For previous flat cookie batches, I stored them in the freezer and taken them out as needed. They’re really good even right out of the freezer (the chocolate chips are crunchy then)
Amy Engberson says
Hi Nikki! Thanks for sharing your tips! I still haven’t ever had my cookies turn out flat. They would make fantastic pumpkin muffins too! I’m afraid if I stuck them in the freezer I’d have to hide them or my boys would eat them all!
Samantha says
Hi!
What type of flour do you use. There are so many and it just says flour. Maybe that’s why so many people are having issues with the cookies. Wet and flat…
Also have you played around with different flours and substitutes for sugar.
Amy Engberson says
I use all purpose flour for these cookies. I haven’t ever experiemented with different kinds of sugar.
Jill says
Do the cookies need to be stored in the refrigerator?
Amy Engberson says
I don’t store these cookies in the refrigerator. They don’t keep as long as other cookies, probably about two to three days. One of my readers suggested putting them in the freezer. Enjoy!
Kathleen says
I absolutely love these cookies! I read most of the reviews before I made them today and how the batter was too wet. So I followed your tip to add additional flour but I also added additional oats until I liked the consistency of the batter. I also pressed them down a bit after using the scoop for sizing. I baked them for 20 minutes or just until I saw a brown edge. The house smelled wonderful with all the spices! Next time I think I might do half the amount of chocolate chips and then add walnuts!!! Best part was my husband loves them!
Penny says
Where I live it’s still way to hot to do much baking so once I cools off I will definitely be making these. Instead of chocolate chips I’m going to use raisins. Not a fan of pumpkin and chocolate together. Can’t wait. I love to bake.
Amy Engberson says
Raisins are a great idea! In fact I think if I used raisins I’d eat them for breakfast!
Melanie says
Let your dough rest for about 10 mins if it’s too wet. The oats will absorb moisture and stiffen the dough.
My cookes turned out yummylishious!!!!
Can’t wait to make them again!
Amy Engberson says
That’s a great tip! Thanks Melanie!
Alina says
Thank you! I just made these yummy cookies last night. I doubled the recipe and added a little more flour and oats than recipe called for as per other comments. I also like to grind my own wheat flour so I used that instead of white flour and used less sugar. SUPER DELICIOUS and definitely better for you than store bought.
Thank you for sharing!
Amy Engberson says
Yay! Glad you loved them! I love knowing exactly what is in my cookies too!
Dolores Moses says
I made these and like most others too wet. I added an extra cup of flour, so 2cups of flour instead of one. They turned out great.
Gloria Mortier says
Found this recipe while looking for something else. After reading several of the comments today I decided to thy these. I followed the directions and at the end I felt the dough was a little wet so I added 3T of flour one at a time and mixed it in. These turned out wonderful. We are new to the gluten free stuff and I was a little worried as other cookies have been very dry with the gluten free flour. I must confess these are going to be a staple in our house and not just in the fall. Thanks for all the tips. One question. How long in the cupboard and would these freeze well?
catherine says
hi,
I’m making them now but did my own spin. 2 cups sugar on a double recipe because i don’t care for sweet too much, then for healthy options i added roasted salted sunflower seeds in place of salt, then added organic coconut flakes, only a few chocolate chips about 1/4 cup again for a double recipe, walnuts, raisens and a little extra cinnamon but left out the cloves. i added 3 large eggs instead of 4 and the batter still seemed wet so added another 1/4 cup of oatmeal. added almond flour about 3/4 cup and basic white flour for the remainder. they needed 10 in in my over and are delicious except next time i will leave out all the chocolate chips
Amy Engberson says
Love this healthier option! Sounds yummy!
Inge says
I just made these and have to say they turned out really well even with the changes I made because of ingredients I had on hand. I used organic coconut oil (which was solid), some pumpkin that I had left over from another recipe (probably not even a cup) and craisins instead of chocolate chips. I must admit I “kind” of measured the flour and oatmeal but they still turned out. I will make these again!
Amy Engberson says
I love that you changed this up to use what you already had on hand! Glad it worked for you!
Becca says
I decided to experiment with pumpkin for the first time. I roasted and pureed a sugar pumpkin for this recipe (and still have way more pumpkin puree left). These cookies did not disappoint! I love this fun twist on an oatmeal cookie. They are incredibly moist and I would have to describe them as slightly cakey? I used whole oats because I, quite frankly, didn’t feel like flouring them haha.
For anyone who would be curious, I omitted the cloves simply because I’m not a huge fan of the spice. The flavor was still great. I’m curious what would happen with the flavor if I added more pumpkin. It would probably add too much moisture. Worth more experimentation on my part in the future 🙂
Amy Engberson says
How fun! I love your experiment with pumpkin! I’m guessing if you add more pumpkin it will make the cookies extra moist and might be too gooey. These cookies are one of my favorites!
Ashley says
I just baked the first tray, and the cookies turned out flat and never “set”. Definitely not fluffy or cake-like as they are in your pictures. I don’t have a blender, so I used the oats whole. Has anyone had luck doing it this way? I added more flour and baking soda to finish the dough. We’ll see how they turn out
Amy Engberson says
I make them without blending the flour quite often and it still turns out for me! I’m not sure why they are so flat because mine are always cake like and puffy!
Mary says
Hi Amy, thank you for posting this recipe! I was looking for something fun but yet healthy as the grandkids are coming over this evening with their costumes on. I noticed that I had to keep them in my oven longer than 10 to 12 minutes, as they were quite Soft. I’m not sure if it’s my oven or not, but they just didn’t seem done. I used an ice cream scoop So that may have been the reason they were not cooking at the amount of time given. All in all, they taste very good! Thank you! Happy Halloween!
Amy Engberson says
Hi Mary! Every oven is a touch different aren’t they. And yes, the size of scoop you use makes a huge difference in the amount of time it takes to bake cookies. Glad you are enjoying them! Have fun with your grandkids tonight! Happy Halloween!
Missy Yanchuck says
3 sticks of butter seems like alot??? May be why dough is too wet for people???
Amy Engberson says
It’s actually 3/4 cup of butter which is only 1 1/2 sticks. I’ll add a little note to the recipe just incase people are reading that incorrectly. Thanks for stopping by!
Patricia Richardson says
3/4 cup of butter is 1 1/2 stick of butter
Amy Engberson says
Yes! That is correct!