Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
These soft and chewy pumpkin oatmeal cookies use real canned pumpkin puree and old-fashioned rolled oats for a hearty texture, warm spice blend, and no chilling required—ready in under 30 minutes.
Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer - Stand mixer speeds up creaming; hand mixer works just as well
- Medium mixing bowl - For dry ingredients
- Cookie scoop - For even portions
- Baking sheets - Two sheets recommended
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter - 227g, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar - 200g, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar - 100g
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree - 245g, not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 large egg - room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour - 300g
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats - 270g
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans - 120g, optional
- 1 cup raisins or mini chocolate chips - 170g, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set the butter out ahead of time so it's fully softened before mixing.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat softened butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add canned pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until fully combined, about 1 minute. The mixture may look slightly curdled, which is normal.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt. Whisking the spices into the flour first spreads them evenly.
- Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients in two batches, mixing on low speed after each addition. Mix just until the flour disappears into the dough.
- Fold in old-fashioned rolled oats by hand using a spatula. If using, fold in chopped walnuts or pecans and raisins or mini chocolate chips. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion dough into balls of about 2 tablespoons each, spacing them 2 inches (5 cm) apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten each ball slightly with the back of a spoon or your palm.
- Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden while the centers still look slightly soft. Rotate the baking sheets halfway through if your oven runs unevenly.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire cooling rack. This short rest lets the cookies firm up enough to transfer without breaking apart.
Notes
- Blot excess moisture from the pumpkin puree with a paper towel if it looks especially watery.
- Weigh the flour and oats on a kitchen scale if you have one, since scooping straight from the bag can pack in extra flour.
- Chill the dough for 15 minutes if your kitchen is warm and the dough feels too soft to hold its shape.
- Flatten each dough ball before baking, since this dough does not spread much in the oven on its own.
- Swap up to half the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour for a slightly nuttier flavor.
- Toast walnuts or pecans in a dry skillet for a few minutes before folding them in for more flavor.
- Underbake slightly rather than overbake, since the cookies keep firming up while they cool on the sheet.
- Freeze leftover canned pumpkin puree in 1-cup portions so the next batch is ready to go.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or refrigerate for up to 10 days if your kitchen runs warm.
- Freeze baked cookies in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Freeze portioned dough balls on a tray, then move to a freezer bag and bake straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 extra minutes to the bake time.
Nutrition
Serving: 1CookieCalories: 145kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 2gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 95mgFiber: 2gSugar: 11g
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