These flavorful and moist pumpkin oatmeal cookies are super soft without being cakey. Truly one of my favorite ways to enjoy the fall!
Do you like oatmeal cookies? My favorite cookie varieties all include oats: oatmeal raisin cookies, oatmeal scotchies, oatmeal creme pies, I could go on and on. Today we’re making pumpkin flavored with extra pumpkin spices. I baked many test batches, changing ingredients ever so slightly, and here is the winning recipe.
These pumpkin cookies are better than I ever expected. In fact, one taste tester said, “these are the best cookies I’ve ever eaten.” (And she has tested a lot of my cookie recipes!) Another described them as “better than an oatmeal creme pie” and then said “ohhhhhhh I need another one.”
Can’t argue with either of them!
They’re dense like an oatmeal cookie should be, incredibly moist and soft-baked style without tasting like a cakey pumpkin muffin. I made three different varieties:
- Cranberry Chocolate Chip
- White Chocolate Cranberry
- Dark Chocolate Pecan with Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas)
So many goodies to choose from for your pumpkin oatmeal cookies! Do you want to know the best part? This recipe is one of the easiest cookie recipes I’ve ever made. There is no mixer required. There is no dough chilling required. No extra work, no extra dishes, no waiting around for dough to chill!
And it’s a great place to use your homemade pumpkin pie spice!
A few notes before you begin:
- The dough is very heavy, sticky, and thick. It will not be dry like some cookie dough. It’s very wet.
- Use a cookie scoop for ease. The dough is rather sticky and will get all over your hands, so make use of your cookie scoop. I find that a cookie scoop is especially helpful when working with young bakers. Don’t have a cookie scoop? You should buy the one I swear by (in size large). Or you can use a spoon. Use about 2-3 Tablespoons of dough per cookie. It depends how large you want your cookies. When you place your cookie dough balls on the cookie sheet, press down ever so slightly. Don’t flatten the cookies, but just press them down lightly. This will give them a “spreading head start.”
- Don’t leave out the molasses. In the first test trial of these cookies, I didn’t add any molasses. The cookies were completely flavorless, despite the amount of spices I used. Molasses is one of my favorite fall/holiday flavors and you will love it inside these cookies. Use unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap molasses; I prefer Grandma’s brand).
- The egg. Oh, the egg. I wanted my pumpkin oatmeal cookies to have a rich, tender texture without tasting as soft and cakey as these pumpkin cookies. Have you tried my pumpkin chocolate chip cookies or pumpkin snickerdoodles yet? In both of those recipes, you’ll see that replacing an egg with pumpkin fixes the cakey cookie problem. In a test trial of these cookies, I did not add any eggs and the cookies were sort of dry. In the third test trial, I used an egg. Too cakey! The solution? Just use 1 egg yolk. I love using an extra egg yolk in my chocolate chip cookies. So much richness!
- Last but not least, I found that my cookies have the best flavor and texture on day 2—similar to banana bread and carrot cake. The molasses and spices mingle together and the pumpkin flavor really comes out. The cookies are soft and slightly chewier. In fact, there were leftover cookies by day 4 (I had made a double batch) and they were STILL so soft and flavorful. Now that’s what I call a cookie success.
Soft-Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 15-18 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These flavorful and moist pumpkin oatmeal cookies are super soft without being cakey. Truly one of my favorite ways to enjoy the fall!
Ingredients
- 2 cups + 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (60ml) unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap; I prefer Grandma’s brand)
- 3/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups total add-ins* (chocolate chips, dried cranberries, pepitas, chopped pecans, or a combination)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt together. Fold in the oats. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in the microwave in a medium size bowl. Whisk in the molasses, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Once combined, whisk in the egg. Add the pumpkin and vanilla and whisk until thick and combined completely. Pour into dry ingredients and gently mix. The dough will be very thick, heavy, and sticky. Keep mixing until just combined, no more. Fold in your add-ins.
- Scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets. About 2 or 3 Tablespoons of dough per cookie. Slightly flatten the help the cookies spread in the oven. Do not flatten completely. See my photo above for a visual. If desired, press a few of your add-ins onto the top of the cookie dough balls for looks.
- Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes until very lightly browned on the edges, and still appearing soft in the centers. My cookies took 14 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets. The cookies’ flavor is best on day 2. Cookies remain fresh and soft stored in an airtight container for 10 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Cookies freeze well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Large Cookie Scoop
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: You can find pumpkin pie spice in most grocery stores or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t have either and want to use individual spices, use 1/4 teaspoon each: ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground allspice. This is in addition to the 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon—you will still add that.
- Pumpkin: This recipe is tested with Libby’s pumpkin puree, which is much less “watery” than other brands (such as Trader Joe’s). More water in your pumpkin = cakey cookies. If you think your pumpkin puree is too moist, add a paper towel to a bowl. Top with 3/4 cup pumpkin puree. Top with another paper towel and “blot” the pumpkin to remove some moisture.
- Add-Ins: Use 1 and 1/2 cups total add-ins. For example, 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, 1/2 cup of pecans, 1/2 cup of dried cranberries.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.