Healthy Pumpkin Oat Cookies
These healthy pumpkin oat cookies are more of a nutritious snack than a decadent cookie but they’re still delicious and satisfying. You’ll need less than 20 minutes and just 3 ingredients to make them.
Table of Contents
Why Make this Recipe
- low-calorie – without the extras, these cookies are less than 80 calories each
- 3-ingredient – the most basic version of this recipe calls for just 3 simple ingredients
- dietary restriction and allergy-friendly – this recipe is vegan, gluten-free, oil-free and can be sugar-free
What You’ll Need
- Oats. Rolled oats, old fashioned oats, and quick oats are all suitable.
- Pumpkin. Use plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. I suggest canned pumpkin but homemade also works.
- Sweetener. The cookies can be sweetened with coconut sugar, maple syrup or agave. For a sugar-free cookie, use liquid or powder stevia or monk fruit sweetener.
Quick Note: Optional but recommended ingredients include cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice and chocolate chips.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1. Mix all of the ingredients together to form a thick dough. There’s no need to worry about over mixing, just keep working it together until you have a uniform dough.
Step 2. Form the batter into 12 cookie shapes using your hands and place them on a baking sheet.
Quick Note: These cookies will not spread or change shape during baking so be sure to create the shape you want before baking.
Step 3. Bake the cookies! They need just 10 minutes at 350 degrees F. Let them cool on the pan for a few minutes then enjoy warm or let cool before storing.
Tips and FAQs
- Pumpkin. Good quality pumpkin puree will make a big difference in these cookies. I recommend Farmer’s Market Organic Pumpkin and if you can’t find that, E.D. Smith will do the trick.
- Add-ins. These cookies are easily customizable with your favorite add-ins. Mix and match up to 3/4 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans, pumpkin seeds, coconut, chocolate chips and raisins.
- Spices. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, use 1 tsp of cinnamon plus a pinch of ground ginger and nutmeg if you have them. If not, just cinnamon is good too!
What do they taste like?
These taste more like a health food cookie than a dessert but they’re still hearty, yummy and satisfying. The texture is soft and somewhat like baked oatmeal or a hearty muffin.
If you’re looking for a super sweet, decadent dessert, this isn’t it but these are great for a pre or post-workout snack or healthier option to satisfy a craving. I recommend adding the chocolate chips to make these more of a treat!
How should I store them?
Let the cookies cool after baking then store at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 6 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Related Recipes
- 3-Ingredient Tahini Date Cookies
- Carrot Walnut Oatmeal Cookies
- Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies
- Flourless Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- 3-Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies
For more pumpkin recipes, check out this collection of the best vegan pumpkin recipes. Extra pumpkin? This coconut pumpkin pasta is a must.
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Click here to leave a review.
PrintHealthy Pumpkin Oat Cookies
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Prep Time: 10 mins
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Cook Time: 10 mins
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Total Time: 20 minutes
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Yield: 12 cookies 1x
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Category: Snack
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Method: Baking
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Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
While very tasty and satisfying, these healthy pumpkin oat cookies are more of a simple, nutritious snack than decadent dessert. Add the chocolate chips for a sweeter, yummier treat!
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups (250 g) rolled or quick oats
- 1 cup (240 g) pure pumpkin puree
- 2–3 tbsp maple syrup, agave or coconut sugar,
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon, optional but recommended
- 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips, optional but recommended
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl to form a thick dough. Start with 2 tbsp of sweetener and adjust sweetness as desired. I use 3 tbsp of maple syrup.
- Use your hands to create 12 cookie shapes. The cookies will not spread or change shape during baking so be sure to create the shape you want before baking.
- Prepare a baking pan with parchment paper or place cookies directly on the pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and enjoy warm after a few minutes. Let cool completely before storing. Store at in a sealed container at room temperature for 3 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months.
Notes
These are a soft cookie, the texture is somewhat like baked oatmeal or a hearty muffin. They are not a decadent dessert but more of a healthy and nutritious treat. They are still very yummy and satisfying though. I would definitely recommend adding the chocolate chips as some find them quite bland without, especially if you’re making them for kids. They’re still good with just the 3 ingredients but just a heads up if you’re used to sweeter treats, you may find these plain.
I recommend using the best pumpkin puree you can find as it will make a difference in the texture and sweetness of the cookies. The best one I’ve found and my go-to for all my pumpkin recipes is Farmer’s Market Organic Pumpkin. It’s super smooth and creamy and has a delicious, subtly sweet pumpkin flavor that works wonderfully in recipes.
Other add-ins that work well are shredded coconut, walnuts or chopped pecans. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, use cinnamon plus a pinch of ginger and nutmeg if you have them. Just cinnamon is good too!
Nutrition facts include oats, pumpkin and 3 tbsp of maple syrup. If using a sugar-free sweetener, they will be 70 calories each. If using maple syrup (or agave or coconut sugar) and adding chocolate chips, they will be 172 calories each.
For for sugar-free cookies sweeten to taste with powdered or liquid stevia or monk fruit sweetener.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 79
- Sugar: 2.7 g
- Sodium: 1.5 mg
- Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 2.3 g
- Protein: 2.3 g
Keywords: healthy pumpkin cookies, pumpkin oat cookies, pumpkin oatmeal cookies
UPDATE NOTE: This recipe was originally published on October 16, 2015. It was updated in April 2020 with new photos and text.
I enjoy them!!!!
★★★★★
I haven’t tried these yet, but when I do, I am going to make them with oats and sweet potatoes, since sweet potatoes are sweet I am not going to add any extra sweetener, I am still going to add the cinnamon, cloves or I might just add pumpkin pie spices
Hi Deryn~
Thank you for your perfect plant-based cookie recipe. Made as directed, it is a reliable, satisfying recipe that I recommend to anyone reviewing this who appreciates tasty, healthy cookies that take little time (or mess) to make. I made a variation today simply out of curiosity and to use ingredients I had on hand. I do think your recipe is perfect–I especially love the simplicity of it; I’m only sharing this because I did it and it also worked:
2 cups instead of 2.5 cups of oats
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 cup of pumpkin
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
ground cinnamon (3/4 tsp), ground ginger (1/2 tsp), ground nutmeg and clove (1/4 tsp. each)
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup ground raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup chopped dates
Prep and cook as directed.
Thanks Maria! Love those additions, they sound delicious!
These are a great healthy snack. I’ve made them 3 or 4 times now. I like to add walnuts, raisins, coconut and ground flax for some protein. I use 2 tablespoons of maple syrup for my sweeter.
★★★★★
Deryn, I JUST made these oatmeal cookies…adding some dried cranberries and a smidge more Maple syrup only because someone said they were not sweet enough! WELL, THEY TURNED OUT FANTASTIC! Thank you for such a great simple recipe and for the other helpful hints!