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!
INGREDIENTS FOR CHEWY PUMPKIN COOKIES
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.
- 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.
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.
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.
- Blot the pumpkin puree 3 times to remove excess moisture. 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.
- 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
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.
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.
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.
No, this cookie dough does not require any chill time. The oats will absorb moisture so that these cookies don't spread excessively.
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).
These cookies are best stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week. They stay nice and soft and chewy!
Yes! Just place each cooled cookie in a resealable freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
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 CookiesChewy Brown Butter Snickerdoodles CookiesBrown Butter M&M Cookies RecipeLemon Blueberry Cookies with White Chocolate ChunksCoffee Pecan Chocolate Chip CookiesDouble Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk CookiesHazelnut Double Chocolate Chunk CookiesTHE BEST Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies – Bakery Style!Me love cookies!
Looking for more cookie recipes? Try these:
Baking with pumpkin...
If you love baking with pumpkin, check out these recipes:
Chewy Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup 113g unsalted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup 145g dark brown sugar lightly packed
- ¼ cup 50g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ cup 120ml canned pumpkin puree, blotted 4 times to remove moisture
- 1 teaspoon 5ml pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (optional)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup 142g all-purpose flour
- 1 cup 100g old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup 85g dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup 95g mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Combine soft butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl and beat for 1-2 minutes on medium speed using an electric hand mixer, or "cream" the mixture by hand using a wide spatula. It should look slightly fluffy, but more like damp sand. Add egg yolk and vanilla and mix until it is smooth.
- Add the blotted pumpkin puree to the butter/sugar mixture and mix it in so it is evenly incorporated. Add the pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt and mix it in thoroughly. Sprinkle in the flour and the oats and use a spatula to fold it in until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop up mounds of dough and roll into smooth balls about 1 ½ inch diameter if you prefer a smoother look. Otherwise, you can just scoop the dough onto the sheet. You should get maximum 16 cookies because if you make them too small then they will not spread enough. These cookies are meant to be thick.
- Place the dough onto the baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart from each other. Bake for 10-13 minutes or until the edges are browned and the center looks puffed and slightly cracked. Allow them to rest on the baking sheet for a 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Enjoy a few while they're still warm!
Carrie
Thick, chunky, chewy and gooey… they have it all and I love them.
Christian
I made these yesterday for a Halloween party and they disappeared! It’s a great simple recipe.
Rosie
Made these over the weekend and I ate 3 right off the baking tray! I think it's fair to say they are very good.
diane
Very good cookies! Nice and thick and loads of chocolate.
Summer
Truly delicious! The texture is amazing and they are so flavorful.
Nicole
Mannnnnnnn! These are gooooood! It’s like a Fall flavor explosion with chocolate chips tossed in. I definitely recommend.