Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips
Soft, chewy and packed with chocolate chips, these pumpkin oatmeal cookies are bound to be your next favorite fall cookie! They are super easy to make and full of pumpkin spice.
The best part about oatmeal cookies is just how chewy they turn out! I really wanted a pumpkin spice version for fall so I whipped up a batch with chocolate chips. After some recipe testing, I learned you have to pat the pumpkin purée dry so the cookies don’t turn out cake-y. Believe me, it’s worth the extra step to get that perfectly chewy texture!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Wonderful texture. The pumpkin purée makes these cookies soft while oats and brown sugar adds a chewy effect!
- Perfectly spiced. Cozy fall spices make for a flavorful cookie.
- Easy to make. The recipe is straight forward and the active prep time is only 15 minutes!
Ingredient Notes
- Pumpkin purée: Use 100% pure pumpkin purée (I prefer Libby’s). Pat it with a clean cloth or paper towel to remove excess moisture.
- Oats: Old fashioned rolled oats are best for this recipe for a chewy texture.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar also helps with the chewy texture. It also complements the pumpkin flavor. You can use dark or light.
- Butter: Bring unsalted butter to room temperature before using. It’s easier to mix and makes better textured cookies.
- Egg yolk: Just one yolk helps bind the ingredients while adding a bit of richness.
- Pumpkin spice: Use store-bought or make your own. Check that your spices are fresh for the best results.
Refer to the recipe card for ingredient details and measurements.
Recipe Variations
Switch up the mix-ins. Stir in 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans with the chocolate chips. Raisins or dried cranberries are also good additions! Alternatively, you can swap out the chocolate chips for white chocolate chips or butterscotch chips.
Make cookie sandwiches. Make vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting and sandwich two cookies together!
Add some icing. Whisk together 1 cup confectioners’ sugar with 2-3 Tablespoons milk or cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla. For a maple glaze, replace 1 Tablespoon milk with maple syrup. For a cinnamon glaze, add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
Halve the recipe for a small batch. Cut all the ingredients in half except the egg yolk. Prepare the dough as directed in the recipe.
How to Make Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
- Whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Beat butter, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin and egg yolk. Mix until combined.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix just until combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
- Chill the dough for at least 1 hour. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 F.
- Scoop dough into balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges are starting to turn golden. Cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert Tips
Pat the pumpkin purée dry. This helps prevent the dough from becoming too wet. Just use a clean kitchen cloth or paper towel so absorb the excess liquid. You can also use a cheesecloth to squeeze out the moisture.
Chill the dough. For extra chewy cookies, chill the dough for at least an hour. This also helps the cookies from spreading.
Weigh your ingredients with a kitchen scale. It’s more accurate than using measuring cups. If you don’t have a scale, spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level with a knife (don’t pack it down).
Use room temperature ingredients. For a consistent dough and easy mixing, bring all your ingredients to room temperature. This results in better textured cookies!
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freeze the dough for up to 3 months. Form it into a log and wrap in plastic wrap. Defrost in the refrigerator before rolling into balls and baking. You can also freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. Let them cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container.
Make ahead the dough and store covered in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.
Recipe FAQ
No, quick oats absorb liquid more easily and will affect the texture of the cookies. Rolled oats are the best option for this recipe.
The dough was too warm, which can happen when rolling it into balls. Your body heat warms the dough causing the cookies to spread. It’s also possible the pumpkin purée had too much water in it, which is why I recommend patting it dry.
I don’t recommend it since it has a higher liquid content than canned purée. You can try to squeeze all the liquid out, but it may be tedious.
Related Recipes
Did you enjoy this recipe? Try these fall treats next!
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Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with Chocoate Chips
Ingredients
- 2 cups (180 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats, (not instant)
- 1 ½ cups (187 g) all-purpose flour, measured properly
- 2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (170 grams or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (200 grams) packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup (152 g) pure pumpkin purée, measured, then squeezed dry*
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (255 g) dark chocolate chunks or chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl whisk together flour, oats, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat butter, brown sugar and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add pumpkin puree, egg yolk and vanilla. Mix until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
- Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour and up to 48 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop dough and roll into balls. Place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake cookies for 12 minutes or until the edges are set, but the centers are soft. Cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
