Give your fall baking list an upgrade with these scrumptious Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies. They’re the right amount of sweet, perfectly chewy, and are made with healthy ingredients.
Email Me the Recipe!
From time to time, we'll send you Well Plated emails. You can unsubscribe anytime. Have an account? Log In.
The coziest cookies you’ll ever eat!
If you’re the first in line for pumpkin spice lattes every fall (er, late summer) and always help yourself to a second slice of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, let me introduce you to a new way to work some pumpkin goodness into your life: pumpkin oatmeal cookies!
When you’re craving cozy pumpkin flavor, these cookies deliver:
- Pumpkin Spice. Need I Say More? My fall baking list always includes something with pumpkin and warm spices. While I’m a huge fan of Healthy Pumpkin Bread and Pumpkin Sheet Cake, there’s just something extra special about these delightful little cookies.
- The Perfect Texture. Chewy on the outside and tender and moist on the inside, they’ve got the ideal pumpkin cookie texture (just like these Pumpkin Snickerdoodles).
- The Maple Glaze is Next Level. While there are many who might turn down a regular oatmeal cookie (not these Healthy Oatmeal Cookies or my classic Oatmeal Cookies though), these pumpkin cookies with that heavenly maple glaze can’t be ignored.
5 Star Review
“LOVE THESE! They were exactly what I was craving. I will definitely be making these again!”
— Molly —
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- White Whole Wheat Flour. I opted to use white whole wheat flour for this recipe because it contains more nutrients than white flour.
- Pumpkin Puree. For delicious pumpkin flavor and a nutrition boost! Pumpkin is rich in vitamins and helps keep these as low calorie pumpkin oatmeal cookies. (If you want to use up your leftover pumpkin puree, try this Pumpkin Oatmeal.)
- Rolled Oats. Along with the pumpkin, oats are the co-star of these cookies. They give the cookies their texture. Packed with fiber, oats are also a healthy addition to these cookies.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice. The blend of spices we’ve all come to know and love in our pumpkin-flavored treats.
- Cinnamon. Because when it comes to pumpkin, you can never have enough cinnamon.
- Coconut Sugar. Although coconut sugar is a natural sweetener, it provides all the caramel-like goodness that these cookies need. You could also use light brown sugar if you prefer.
- Egg Yolk. Important for the perfect chewy texture.
- Maple Syrup. Another way to add natural sweetness to these cookies. Plus, it tastes incredible with pumpkin!
- Vanilla. Vanilla makes these cookies taste extra warm and cozy.
- Maple Glaze. An optional but highly recommended finishing touch.
How to Make Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Melt the Coconut Oil. Preheat the oven.
Mix the Dry Ingredients. Whisk the dry ingredients together.
Mix the Wet Ingredients. Stir the sugar into the oil, then whisk in the remaining wet ingredients.
Prepare the Dough. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry.
Get Ready to Bake. Drop cookie dough balls onto a baking sheet.
Bake. Bake pumpkin oatmeal cookies at 350 degrees F for 11 to 12 minutes. Make the glaze.
Frost the Cookies. ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Make Them Vegan. Swap the egg yolk for a flax egg or applesauce. I haven’t tried the applesauce swap personally, so I can’t say for certain whether or not it could replace the egg yolk; I believe it would most likely make the cookies cakey.
- Add Chocolate Chips. Fold in the chocolate chips in at the end of Step 5. Or, try my Healthy Pumpkin Cookies, which are made with chocolate chips!
- Try a Different Glaze. If you don’t want to use the maple glaze from this recipe, then you can swap it for the vanilla glaze from my Apple Oatmeal Cookies recipe (also delicious!).
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Email Me the Recipe!
From time to time, we’ll send you Well Plated emails. You can unsubscribe anytime. Have an account? Log In.
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies:
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour (plus 2 tablespoons)
- ¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup packed coconut sugar or substitute light brown sugar
- 1 large egg yolk at room temperature
- ½ cup pumpkin purée not pumpkin pie filling
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Maple Glaze (optional):
- ½ cup powdered sugar sifted
- ½ to 1 tablespoon milk any kind of dairy or non-dairy milk you like or cream
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In a microwave-safe medium bowl, melt the coconut oil and set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- To the bowl with the coconut oil, add the coconut sugar, and stir until well combined. Once combined, whisk in the egg yolk. Add the pumpkin, maple syrup, and vanilla, and whisk until the mixture is well blended. It will be very thick.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well.
- Stir and fold the batter by hand with a rubber spatula or spoon, just until combined and the flour disappears. The dough will be very thick and will seem dry, but keep stirring and folding and it will come together. Do not overmix.
- With a cookie scoop or spoon, portion the dough by 2 tablespoonfuls. Roll into balls and place on the baking sheet, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between each. Lightly flatten the tops of the balls to help the cookies spread in the oven, but do not flatten them completely.
- Bake the cookies for 11 to 12 minutes, until very lightly browned on the edges, dry to the touch, and still appearing soft in the centers. Allow the cookies to cool 4 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cookies cool, make the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 1/2 tablespoon milk, maple syrup, and vanilla until evenly combined. If the glaze is too thick to drizzle, add additional milk 1/2 teaspoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
- To frost: Transfer the cookies to a plate or clean sheet of parchment. Dip a fork into the glaze and drizzle it over the top of the cookies in a zigzag pattern. Let the cookies sit at room temperature until the glaze sets, about 20 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
- TO STORE: The cookies’ flavor is best on Day 2. Store leftovers in an airtight storage container lined with paper towels at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze cookies in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Email Me the Recipe!
From time to time, we’ll send you Well Plated emails. You can unsubscribe anytime. Have an account? Log In.
Have a great time at the wedding Erin and these cookies look amazing!
Thank you so much Heather! xo
Awww…have the best time this weekend! I’m sure you’re speech will be great! And if all else fails, just pass out some of these cookies! Lol.
LOVE THIS PLAN! Thanks Liz! xoxo
While the fall pumpkin recipe market can get bloated really quickly, I haven’t seen a recipe like this one yet… looks great! Can’t wait to try it!
I’m so happy to hear that there’s still room for this cookie Georgia! Thank you so much.
If Fall was a cookie, it’d DEFINITELY be this one!!
TOTALLY agree Gaby! Thank you so much!
Can you use butter instead of coconut oil? Sorry if this is in the comments already, don’t have a chance to read them at this second but the recipe looks so good!
Yes Jessi, that would work just fine (be sure to use unsalted). I hope you enjoy the recipe!
So we made them last night… and they were super delicious! They taste like autumn in a bite. And they were pretty easy to make! A real winner all around! <3
HOORAY Jessi! Thank you so much for taking the time to try these and report back. I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed them!
Okay I’m looking to make these again and have a new question. :) What egg yolk replacement would work for making these cookies vegan?
Hmm, I haven’t tested any substitutions, so I can’t say for certain. You could try a flax egg—if you do decide to experiment, I’d love to hear how it goes!
Can I share your trainer? And then you make me these too? K, thanks. Haha have fun this weekend!
LOL. Yes and yes! Thanks so much Lindsay!
OMGosh, these are delicious, I used gluten free flour instead of wheat flour and dropped by the tablespoon full as my dough didn’t get stiff enough to roll but they are awesome!!! Perfect for the first day of fall, thanks Erin for such good recipes!
Paula, this makes me so happy to hear! Thanks so much for trying the recipe and taking time to leave this lovely review, as well as to let me know that the gluten free flour works well. That’s really valuable info! Enjoy every bite.
Exactly my cup of tea ! Thank you so much !
I hope you love them!
These sound delicious! I have made all kinds of oatmeal cookies but have never used pumpkin in them. Looking forward to trying these soon.
I hope you love them Peggy (and thanks so much for your kind words about the wedding too. It was BEAUTIFUL!)
And…congratulations to the new bride and groom!
Made these this weekend and YUM. I did sub butter as I didn’t have coconut oil, added plumped white raisins and chopped walnuts. Delicious!! I agree that somehow they taste even better the 2nd day, flavors must need time to blend. I made them a little smaller and got 2 dozen, but hey, you can always eat two. ? Oh yes, and they are also delicious without the glaze!! A great healthier cookie.
Patricia, I am so so excited to hear this! Thanks for trying the recipe and leaving this lovely review!
P. S. Congrats to all on the nuptials!
I made these cookies with my daughter tonight and they are amazing!!
I am so excited to hear that Sheri, thank you!!
hey girl- these look so yummy! Have a great week!
You too Shawnna! Thank you so much!
Not want, NEED. And I’m talking a dozen, not one or two (for myself, to be clear). Cannot wait to try these!
Haha, I giggled throughout most of this post, especially the cat lady part. I saw a few pics on Insta you posted from the wedding. So beautiful!
Has anyone substituted another sweetener such as honey or maple syrup for the granlulated that the recipe calls for? I assume that you could I just wouldn’t know the ratio and if I should reduce the amount of liquid elsewhere in the recipe.
Thanks!
Hi Jasmine, I know this probably isn’t what you’re hoping to hear, but I think it would be very difficult to use all liquid sweetener, as it would make the cookies too runny. The only way that I can vouch for the recipe is the way that it is written. If you’d like to sweeten cookies with only maple syrup or honey, you might like these carrot cookies.
Thank you so much. Currently making these cookies the way they are written only because I love and trust your recipes so much. Can’t wait to try them!
That makes my day to hear you enjoy my recipes, Jasmine! I hope you love these too.
I made these to share at the office and they were gobbled up quickly!
I’m happy to hear they were a hit, Shannon! Thanks so much for reporting back!
I found this recipe earlier last month and I’ve made them multiple times. They keep getting eaten, so I keep needing to make more! Is there something I can substitute for the maple sugar? It’s quite expensive and seems to be the limiting reagent in the recipe. Can I use honey or some other sweetener instead? Corn syrup?
Hi Erin! I’m so glad you enjoy the cookies. I think you could try swapping honey for the maple syrup. I haven’t tested it that way, but if you do decide to experiment, I’d love to hear how it goes.
Mama Funke brought these to the Hersh Thanksgiving and they were a HIT!!!! Totally making these in th eFit Foodie kitchen <3
Hooray! I’m glad they were a hit. Thanks for reporting back, Lee!
Good flavor, but I was a little disappointed there weren’t more oats in these. Based on the picture of them in the article I assumed they would be more oat based. But the texture is very cake like & they are yummy even without the icing!
Hi Emily, I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the cookies! Thanks for sharing this review.
LOVE THESE! they were exactly what i was craving. easy enough to make with a baby in one arm too. i added dark chocolate chips! will definitely be making these again!
YAY! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, Molly! Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review!
Reporting back a year later, they came out great with the flax egg!
Thank you for taking the time to report back, Jessi! I’m so happy these turned out well!
This is a very good, very easy recipe. I used brown sugar and added pecans, and on a couple batches added chocolate chips. Great holiday cookies. I didn’t frost them. Maybe next time.
Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review, Kathy! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit!
Sooo yummy!! I skipped the glaze and only had whole wheat flour but they still turned out amazing!
Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review, Kristie! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit!
They taste amazing but my icing turned out translucent. So they didn’t look as nice for picture ?
I’m happy that you enjoyed the flavor, Adriana! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I don’t know what I did wrong, but my batter was more the consistency of a thick pancake or muffin batter. However, the flavor is delicious and we’ll just have to see how they turn out!
Hi April! I’m sorry to hear that! It’s hard to know what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you. Hope you were still able to enjoy them!
Best cookie recipe ever!!! And so easy! I made these for Thanksgiving and I’m still making them by request!!! The flavor is unbelievably delicious and they’re perfect with raisins and walnuts!
You’re the best!👍🏻😋❤
Hi Beckie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Is something off in the ingredients list? I was careful to get the portions correct but the dough is soupy — not dry at all. Haven’t decided yet how to fix this.
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe, Pamela. The amounts are correct and have worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would have been a hit for you too! I know it can be so disappointing to try a new recipe and it does not turn out for you.
I am making this recipe right now, and my batter is also very soupy. I did substitute Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour (and added xanthan gum) instead of using the white whole wheat flour. I just added an extra half a cup of quick oats hoping that will do the trick and it seems to look promising…
Hi Karen, it does sound like (from your feedback) the gluten-free flour is not acting like a good 1:1 substitute for this particular recipe. Let us know how it goes!
Yay!! Thank you!
Honestly delicious. Perfect fall cookie. Easy to make. Glad this recipe exists!!
SO glad, thanks Andrea!
Loved these cookies!! Now, I’m trying to figure out how to make them gluten free.
So glad you enjoyed it Debbie!
These are delicious. I used all the substitutes to make them dairy free and they came out perfectly delicious!
Question- has anyone used this recipe for gluten free cookies. Wondering what the conversion is?
Glad it worked out for you!
Followed recipe exactly and came out like pancakes. The ratios seem very off – too much liquid
I’m so sorry to hear you had trouble, Katie. When looking at the photo on step 6, did yours not look like that?
These were quite delicious, at first the dough was more like batter and so I looked at comments and decided to add a bit more oats about 1/4 of a cup (quick oats because I ran out of rolled) and a tablespoon more flour. Then I fridged the dough for about 7 min. They turned out really good!
My younger brother said these were probably the best pumpkin cookies he’s ever had, and that something coming from him, as he’s a bit of a cookie conisour. So I will be making them again.
I had a theory on why they were a bit batter-like, do you think that if the coconut oil wasn’t completely cooled off when you add the sugar that it’d melt some of the sugar and thus be more liquidy??
So glad you enjoyed them, Vanessa. It’s really hard for me to know for sure why your batter came out that way, since mine came out very thick. Doubling checking that only an egg yolk was used and no other ingredients were substituted?
Yes, I doubled the recipie so I only used egg yolks and no whites, and the only substitution was honey with a dash of maple flavoring for half of the maple syrup.
Needless to say everyone really liked them and wants me to make them again 😁
Thanks for the feedback, Vanessa! Glad they were a hit!
I’m excited to make these. My question is. Can I use AP flour?? Since I don’t have whole wheat flour. TIA.
Hi LuAnn! Yes, anytime the recipe says white whole wheat flour, it can be substituted with all-purpose flour! Hope this helps and enjoy!
Made these with my daughter, and she had fun scooping the dough onto the trays. They baked up a little more cake-like than a regular cookie, but we didn’t mind at all. Warm out of the oven, they were really good with a glass of milk.
So glad to hear, Krystal! Thank you for sharing!
Wow, these came out softer than I expected, but I actually liked that. The pumpkin flavor is gentle, not too strong, and the spice level is just right. I froze a few, and they held up pretty well when thawed.
Thanks for the feedback, Jessica!
I could not taste any pumpkin.I had to add another 1/4c oatmeal to thicken them up. No way could I have rolled them in a ball.I will not be making them again.I was so looking forward to them.
Hi Aria! I’m so sorry to hear that you had problems with the recipe. For the pumpkin it is going to depend on which brand is use and the color of the pumpkin puree. The deeper the color, the better the outcome, as pumpkin itself doesn’t have much flavor. Just checking that the whole egg wasn’t used in this recipe? When looking at the step by step recipes could you tell me at which point it looked different? Just trying to help you troubleshoot this!
These cookies came out really nice and soft. I added a few chocolate chips to half the batch, and those disappeared first. The pumpkin spice flavor is there but not overpowering, which is perfect for me.
So glad to hear, Jacquelyn!
These cookies came out better than I expected. I’m not a huge pumpkin fan, but mixed with oats, it works. They’re softer than a regular cookie, chewy, and not super sweet, which I think made them easy to keep grabbing. Next time I might drizzle a little glaze on top.
So happy to hear you enjoyed the cookies, Kiara! Thank you!