These delicious, soft, thick, and chewy Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with creamy frosting are perfect for fall!
If you love the flavor and softness of pumpkin cookies, but you’re looking for something with a bit more chew, THIS is the pumpkin cookie recipe you need!
Adding oats to this classic pumpkin cookie recipe gives them a texture that is less cakey and closer to a traditional oatmeal cookie, but with plenty of pumpkin and warm, cozy spices.
The rich and creamy frosting is the exact correct finishing touch for these pumpkin oatmeal cookies, although they’re pretty good without the frosting too!
Christmas cookies get all the attention, but at this time of year, I like to make a few different types of fall cookie recipes.
Pumpkin cookies are a classic, but there are also fun Halloween cookies and apple cookies to try!
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookie Recipe Highlights
- Soft and Chewy Texture – Like most homemade pumpkin cookies, these have a soft, light texture, with a chewiness that comes from adding oats and brown sugar.
- Perfect Pumpkin Spice Frosting – The rich, flavor of buttercream frosting pairs perfectly with earthy pumpkin cookies, and it’s so simple to make. You could also top these with cinnamon cream cheese frosting to make them extra special.
- Easy No-Chill Drop Cookie Recipe – This pumpkin oatmeal cookie recipe is one of the easiest styles of cookies to bake. All you need to do is mix up the ingredients and bake! there’s no chilling, rolling, or shaping required.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make the best oatmeal pumpkin cookies:
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Pumpkin Puree: This is the most important ingredient in this recipe. Be sure to buy pure canned pumpkin rather than “pumpkin pie filling”. You can technically make this recipe with homemade pumpkin puree, but good-quality canned pumpkin generally contains less moisture, which is ideal when you’re making cookies.
- Rolled Oats: Regular, plain, rolled oats are the ideal texture for these cookies. Don’t use instant or quick oats, they are partially cooked and extra thin, and will not give these cookies the right amount of chewy texture.
- Sugar: Both granulated sugar and brown sugar go into this recipe. Brown sugar adds a delicious flavor, plus helps to keep the cookies moist and soft.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: A blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. You can make homemade pumpkin pie spice, or pick some up at the grocery store.
- Butter: You’ll need softened butter for both the cookies and the frosting. I’m using salted butter for this one, and avoiding adding any other salt to the recipe.
How To Make Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (180°C or 160°C for a fan oven). Line sheet trays with parchment paper and set aside while you make the cookie dough.
Tip!
Make sure that your cookies are completely cool before you add the frosting. Hot cookies will melt the butter in the frosting and make a mess!
Recipe Tips
- Use Parchment Paper. This step is key to baking cookies that won’t stick to your pans! You can also use a reusable silicone baking mat like a Silpat if you have one.
- A Cookie Scoop will help you to create cookies that are all the same size and shape. If you don’t have one, it’s fine to just eyeball these. They’ll still taste amazing!
- Add an easy decoration. A sprinkle of pumpkin spice on top of the frosting is a nice touch. You can also decorate these with fall-themed sprinkles!
- Mix-Ins: You can add up to a cup of chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, dried cherries or cranberries, or chopped walnuts to this cookie dough.
Storing Tips
Keep your pumpkin cookies in an airtight container. They will keep fresh and stay wonderfully soft for up to 5 days at room temperature.
More Perfect Pumpkin Desserts
I have so many more tasty pumpkin desserts that you can make with canned pumpkin puree!
Start with a classic pumpkin pie, or try my crustless pumpkin pie, no-bake pumpkin pie, or pecan pumpkin pie.
If you like pumpkin cookies and other hand-held treats, try my pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cupcakes, or pumpkin whoopie pies!
But wait! There’s even more! These pumpkin desserts will be a showstopper for Thanksgiving or your next fall gathering: Pumpkin roll cake, pumpkin layer cake, and creamy pumpkin lush.
Recipe FAQs
What is in Pumpkin pie spice?
Pumpkin pie spice, also sometimes called “pumpkin spice” is a blend of spices that pair perfectly with pumpkin! You can pick this up at the store, or mix up a batch yourself to use in all of your fall baking recipes this season.
What type of oats are best in cookies?
Most cookie recipes call for old-fashioned oats, aka rolled oats. This style of oats has the best texture, as it won’t cook down to mush during the baking process. Sometimes, you may find instant oats or one-minute quick oats in cookie recipes, too, so it’s always best to consult the recipe before you go shopping.
How do you make pumpkin cookies less cakey?
The thing that makes most pumpkin cookie recipes cake-like is the amount of moisture in the pumpkin puree. For a cookie with more structure, you can remove some of that moisture by straining the canned pumpkin over paper towels in a mesh colander.
Can I make vegan pumpkin cookies with this recipe?
This pumpkin cookie recipe is already egg-free! Replace the butter with vegan butter sticks, and you should have no problem making the recipe vegan-friendly.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
Alfajores – Dulce De Leche Sandwich Cookies
Chocolate Caramel Cookies
Chocolate Shortbread Bites
Snickerdoodle Cookies
These are the best pumpkin oatmeal cookies! You’ll love the soft and chewy texture and the easy buttercream frosting. Pin the recipe and share it with all of your pumpkin spice loving friends!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- Electric mixer
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- ¾ cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 4 tablespoons (52 g) salted butter softened
- 6 tablespoons (75 g) light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons pure pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon (30 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups (100 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
For the frosting:
- 4 tablespoons (52 g) salted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) or 160°C if using a fan oven. Line sheet trays with parchment paper, and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin spice, and baking soda, and set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or in the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin puree, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add in the oats and mix until evenly distributed, the mixture will be thick.
- Use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the cookie dough onto the prepared sheet trays, leaving 2 inches between each cookie.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 11-13 minutes until they puff slightly, appear dry on top, and are lightly golden around the edges.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the trays for about 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cookies are cooling, make the frosting. Whip the butter in a medium bowl with an electric hand mixer until smooth.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing until combined. The mixture will resembel coarse sand.
- Add 3 tablespoons of the cream, vanilla, and pumpkin spice. Mix until smooth and combined. If the frosting seems too thick, add an additional 1 tablespoon of cream.
- Turn the mixer up to high speed, and whip the frosting for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Once the cookies are completely cool, cover them with the frosting using an offset spatula or a butter knife.
- Sprinkle a little more pumpkin spice on top if desired and serve immediately.
Notes:
- Use parchment paper This step is key to baking cookies that won’t stick to your pans! You can also use a reusable silicone baking mat like a Silpat if you have one.
- A cookie scoop will help you to create cookies that are all the same size and shape. If you don’t have one, it’s fine to just eyeball these. They’ll still taste amazing!
- Add an easy decoration. A sprinkle of pumpkin spice on top of the frosting is a nice touch. You can also decorate these with fall-themed sprinkles!
- Mix-Ins: You can add up to a cup of chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, dried cherries or cranberries, or chopped walnuts to this cookie dough.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Susan Alaimo says
absolutely phenomenal!!!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Hi Susan! Thank you so much for trying my recipe. I’m so happy you enjoyed them!