Chewy Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Updated: Aug 31, 2025 by christina.marsigliese · 34 Comments

If you love my recipe for the BEST Chewy Pumpkin Cookies and these Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, then get ready to fall in love with Chewy Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies too! These delicious cookies are thick, soft and chewy with loads of chocolate chips and rolled oats. A bit of pumpkin spice warms up the earthy pumpkin flavor and complements the oats. This is such a cozy recipe and I can't wait for you to sink your teeth into these cookies! I sent my Dad home with some and when he tried them he just sent me a photo message with a bite out of it and said "OMG!". They're THAT good!

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

Chewy and gooey chocolate chip cookies - these cookies have the same texture as my Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. A lot of pumpkin cookie recipes are cakey because pumpkin carries a lot of moisture. Well, not this recipe! Read my tips below to see how you can make sure you get a nice chewy texture.
Thick pumpkin oatmeal cookies - these cookies are THICK! They have so much texture and are so fun to eat.
Pumpkin spice cookies - a fragrant blend of cinnamon, ginger, clove, allspice and nutmeg adds warm cozy flavor to these oatmeal cookies.
Loaded with dark chocolate chips - I use a mix of regular 70% bittersweet chocolate chips and mini dark chocolate chips for this recipe and it complements the spice and the pumpkin so nicely. It also ensures the cookies aren't too sweet.
No chill recipe - you don't need to chill this cookie dough which means you get to eat cookies faster!

Here are some notes about the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Unsalted butter - for this recipe you can use unsalted or salted butter. If you use salted butter, then reduce the added salt by half.
Brown sugar - the molasses in brown sugar gives these cookies a toffee-like flavor to complement the pumpkin and the oats, and also gives them a chewy texture!
Granulated sugar - this recipe uses both brown sugar and white granulated sugar. The white sugar will help caramelized the edges.
Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is important to carry the pungent spice flavors. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.

pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies ingredients

Canned pumpkin - canned pumpkin is easily accessible and inexpensive. You can also make it yourself, but it is important to reduce it down so it is very thick otherwise the moisture balance will be off in the recipe. I use ED Smith or Libby's brand.
Pumpkin pie spice - use your favorite brand, or make your own from a blend of 1 part nutmeg, clove and allspice with 2 parts cinnamon and ginger.
Dark chocolate chips - I highly recommend dark chocolate to balance the sweet cookie dough. You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips if that is all you have on hand. They will still taste great! I also like a blend of regular and mini chips to get chocolate in literally every little bite!
Rolled oats - this recipe calls for regular large flake old-fashioned rolled oats. If you use quick oats then they will absorb too much moisture and the cookies will not spread.

bite of pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN PIE SPICE

To make pumpkin pie spice at home, blend certain proportions of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and clove. Here is my recipe for homemade pumpkin pie spice that yields about 3 tablespoons of total spice.

stack of pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1). Combine butter and sugar. Beat soft butter with both types of sugar and beat until smooth and slightly fluffy. You do not need to cream it or beat it excessively, but just until it resembles damp sand.
STEP 2). Mix in egg and vanilla. Add egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated and creamy smooth.
STEP 3). Add pumpkin puree. Spread the pumpkin puree out on a plate and blot it 3 times with a dry paper towel to absorb and remove excess moisture. The pumpkin should be considerably thicker after this. Add it to the bowl with the butter and sugar and mix it in.
STEP 4). Add dry ingredients. Add the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt and fold them in evenly but do not over mix.
STEP 5). Add chocolate chips. Just before all of the flour is incorporated, add the chocolate chips and fold them in evenly.
STEP 6). Bake. Scoop generous 2 tablespoon portions of cookie dough onto your prepared baking tray spreading them 2 inches apart and bake for 9-12 minutes until golden and still soft in the middle.
STEP 7). Cool. Let cookies cool for a minute on the baking tray since they will still be soft, then transfer individually to a wire rack to finish cooling. They will set up as they cool.

holding a stack of pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

Ensure the butter is soft. Pull butter from the fridge at least 2 hours before you plan to bake so it is soft and warmed up to room temperature. If it is too cold and firm when you make this recipe, it will be more difficult to incorporate the pumpkin since the pumpkin carries moisture. It will blend better with the fat if it is at the same temperature.
Dry the pumpkin puree. Pumpkin puree contains a lot of water and we need to remove most of that moisture in order for these cookies to be chewy since too much moisture will make cakey cookies. It's easy - just use several paper towels to pat down on the puree and absorb the water. To do this, spread the pumpkin puree out on a plate in a single layer. Then, fold a paper towel in half and press it gently over the surface. The paper will absorb moisture. Repeat this step 3 more times with dry paper towel. This is also the way to increase the amount of pumpkin in the cookie dough for more flavor without affecting the texture.
Measure the flour accurately to ensure you get the right texture. Too much flour will make the cookie dough dry and it will not spread enough during baking.
Make medium-large cookies. Divide the dough into 18 equal portions. This is the perfect amount of dough to ensure that you get that chewy gooey texture. If you make the cookie dough balls too small, then the cookies won't spread enough because they are meant to be thick.

RECIPE FAQ

Can I use salted butter to make these cookies?

Yes! Salted butter will be fine. In this case I would suggest to use a level ¼ teaspoon of salt instead of a heaped ¼ teaspoon.

How do I make chewy pumpkin cookies?

Often times adding pumpkin to cookie recipes will make them soft and cakey due to the added moisture that it carries. This recipe is designed to make CHEWY cookies by eliminating the moisture that comes from the egg white by using a single egg yolk instead of the whole egg. Omitting the egg white removes about 30 of water from the recipe so it helps to keep the cookies dense even when the pumpkin is added. Blotting the pumpkin with paper also helps to remove excess moisture.

Can I use fresh pumpkin for pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies?

I use canned pumpkin puree for baking for two main reasons: 1). Consistency - if I buy the same brand all the time then I am guaranteed to have the same results. Homemade pumpkin puree will vary in moisture content depending on how long you cook it; and 2). Ease! - it's so much easier to use canned pumpkin and the quality is just as good.

Do I need to chill the cookie dough?

No, this cookie dough does not require any chill time. The oats will absorb moisture so that these cookies don't spread excessively.

Why didn't my pumpkin chocolate chip cookies spread?

If your cookies didn't spread much during baking, it could be that you used too much flour. To be accurate, weigh the flour to 190g. If using measuring cups, do not pack it in - just spoon it in and level it off with a knife. It could also be due to the size of the cookie dough balls. This recipe makes about 14 cookies. If the dough balls are too small, then they will bake too quickly and won't have time to spread. If you want to make smaller cookies, I recommend reduce the flour by 2 tablespoons (18g).

How do I store these cookies?

These cookies are best stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week. They stay nice and soft and chewy!

Can I freeze pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies?

Yes! Just place each cooled cookie in a resealable freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Can I freeze extra pumpkin puree?

Yes! I do this often. Measure out ½ cup of pumpkin puree and place it on a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap it well and then place it on a tray. Place the whole tray in the freezer and freeze until solid, then transfer the portions to resealable freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Make sure you label each portion with the date and the quantity so you can use it in future recipes.

If you love cookies, check out these recipes!

The BEST Chewy Pumpkin Cookies Chewy Brown Butter Snickerdoodles Cookies Brown Butter M&M Cookies Recipe Lemon Blueberry Cookies with White Chocolate Chunks Coffee Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies Double Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies Hazelnut Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies THE BEST Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies – Bakery Style!

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