These Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies are easy, 4-ingredient cookies with a soft and moist texture. They are easy to customize to create a range of delicious fall breakfast cookies. They are egg-free, oil-free, and dairy-free.
Fall is my favorite season of the year. It’s pretty outside with the trees getting their colors, but it’s also amazing inside with this pumpkin fragrance filling the house. I bake everything pumpkin for fall, like my Pumpkin Banana Cake, Pumpkin Bites, or Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes.
This oatmeal pumpkin cookie recipe is absolutely amazing for that. It’s so full of pumpkin that it brings a perfect scent but it’s also delicious and healthy with it’s wholesome ingredients.
While the whole recipe is just below, don’t miss all my tips further down, including ingredient swaps, my cooking tips, and step-by-step shots!
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Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats - divided into 1 1/2 cups + 1 cup (note 1)
- ⅓ cup Maple Syrup - (note 2)
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon - or pumpkin spice
- 1 cup Pumpkin Puree - (note 3)
Optional – recommended for flavors
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoons Peanut Butter
- ⅓ cup Dark Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Divide the 2 1/2 cups of oats into two batches. Place 1 cup of oats in a blender and blend them on high speed to form a fine ground – it's your oat flour.
- In a mixing bowl, add oat flour made before, the remaining 1 cup + 1/2 cup of oats, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, cinnamon, and any of the optional flavors listed above.
- Stir until it forms a dough, then use a large cookie dough scoop to scoop dough.
- Release the dough balls onto the baking sheet, leaving a thumb of space between them. You should make 9 cookies from this dough. Don't make the cookies too big or they will be fragile.
- Lightly oil the palm of your hands and press down the top of each cookie a little to flatten them.
- Bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C) until dry on top and golden brown.
- Let them cool down on a cooling rack and enjoy for breakfast or as a snack.
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats – Choose thick, whole oats for the best texture. Quick oats can be used but may result in a softer cookie. For a gluten-free version, ensure you use certified gluten-free oats. Two third of the oats are used to make oat flour, so you can also use oat flour for that part.
- Maple Syrup: I use pure maple syrup for the best flavor. Alternatives include agave nectar for a milder sweetness or coconut nectar for a lower glycemic option.
- Cinnamon – To give them a classic fall flavor.
- Pumpkin Puree – Use 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Homemade puree works well too. For variety, try sweet potato or butternut squash puree.
How to Make Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
I’ve included further down a full printable recipe card, but if you prefer to see in picture how the recipe is made, here are photos of key steps.
Make your own oat flour and add the other ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Combine the batter with a silicone spatula until it’s sticky.
Form cookie dough balls with a cookie scoop and place them on a baking sheet lined with oiled parchment paper.
Flatten the dough balls into cookies and bake them 20-25 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C).
Carine’s Baking Tips
- Oat Blending – When creating oat flour, pulse the oats in short bursts to avoid overheating and creating a paste.
- Toasted Oats – For extra flavor depth, lightly toast the whole oats in a dry pan before mixing them into the dough.
- Dough Consistency – If the dough seems too wet, let it rest for 5-10 minutes to allow the oats to absorb more moisture.
- Texture Enhancement – For a chewier texture, add a tablespoon of ground flaxseed to the mix.
- Baking Time – Don’t overbake – the cookies should be slightly soft in the center when removed from the oven, as they’ll continue to set while cooling.
- Even Sizing – Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon for consistent cookie sizes, ensuring even baking.
- Cooling Process – Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Storage – Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months for longer storage.
is store bought oat flour just the same? can you use spelt flour?
Store bought oat flour is ultra thin, which means it absorb way more liquid and you will need less. Spelt flour is very different to oat flour, you can’t swap one by the other. It will change the texture too much, spelt here will make a hard rocky cookie texture.
I baked this last night. I just had one for breakfast. It’s so delicious and filling! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thank you so much!
What size cookie scoop (disher) do you use?
It’s a 3 tbsp/45ml scoop.
Could you use sprouted and dried buckwheat (lil bucks brand) instead of oats?
I don’t think it will work, it’s a very different grain/seed and won’t bind or absorb the ingredient to form a cookie dough like oats. The best dry gluten-free cereal as a swap to oats are quinoa flakes.
Wow these are the best delicious yummy healthy cookies, family favorite teatime snack. Combination n flavours are magical
thank you so much!
Pleasantly surprised! I thought they may come out on the dry side and they weren’t. I forgot the liquid sweetener, but I was short 1/2 a cup of my pumpkin purée and added low sugar applesauce. These are perfect bite for breakfast or quick snack.
That’s nice to hear! thanks for baking my recipes.
Loved it!
Where does the saturated fat come from if not adding peanut butter?
Oats is low in saturated fat but still naturally contains 1.9g per cup
They’re delicious. I love this recipe. I did the version with chocolate chips, vanilla extract and salt but added some walnuts.
Very good. Very easy. I did the version with a 1/2 cup of oat flour, vanilla extract & salt. Will make again maybe with raisins next time.