Healthy Pumpkin Oat Cookies
on Apr 15, 2020, Updated Jul 24, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links.
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.
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
Healthy Pumpkin Oat Cookies
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups 250 g rolled oats or quick oats
- 1 cup 240 g pure pumpkin puree
- 3 tbsp maple syrup, agave syrup or coconut sugar
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon, optional but recommended
- 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips, optional but recommended
- pinch of salt, optional but recommended
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix all ingredients, including the optional ingredients if using, in a bowl to form a thick dough. If your’e adding any additional ingredients like nuts, seeds or coconut, add those as well. Start with 3 tbsp of sweetener and adjust sweetness as desired. The cookies are not very sweet with 3 tbsp and this can be increased if desired.
- 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
Nutrition
UPDATE NOTE: This recipe was originally published on October 16, 2015. It was updated in April 2020 with new photos and text.
How much powder stevia should I use if I want to use that instead of syrup? Three tbsp, as well?
I would use much less, maybe start with 1 tsp and then slowly add more to sweeten to your preference.
Made these with my 16 month old daughter. Was nice having a recipe she could snack off without any concern with raw ingredients. I was making cookies while she made granola. Good recipe. Both kids approved of flavor!
Yummy! My older daughter and I like these, with the chocolate chips and coconut sugar. My younger daughter has nut and soy allergies, so some processed snacks don’t work for her. Really only downside of not having some of the packaged snacks is the convenience. It’s healthier to bake, and recipes like this are quick. They were kind of big (51-52g each before baking), which I thought the family would like, but next time I may make them smaller (not by doubling, but maybe make 18 instead of just 12.) My younger daughter thought they were “boring,” or, as my husband said, not sweet enough, but my older daughter and I will eat them! I like hearty foods that fill me up longer as snacking is always my downfall when trying to maintain my weight. These will fit the bill. I may try stevia instead of coconut sugar next time. Maybe that will be sweeter for the rest of the family, but, if not, I’ll send some to my older daughter and snack on the rest myself! 🙂
These are delish! I used half coconut sugar and half maple syrup and added a bit of shredded coconut and walnuts for extra chew and crunch. Can’t wait to make them again with dried cranberries.
Thanks, Jules! So glad you enjoyed them!
I love these. I add raisins and leave put the chocolate, but you could swap in any fruit or nut and change up the spices.
That’s great to hear! So glad you like them.
Couldn’t believe that this recipe could possibly work, but I tried it thinking I was going to have a crumbly mess. But I had pumpkin from my garden and needed to use it up, and my daughter is on a very restrictive diet so I figured if it didn’t stay together we could just eat it with a spoon. These are wonderful, easy, and really tasty! I used Enjoy mini chocolate chips and added 1 tbsp of honey.
Thank you for a recipe I will be keeping and making over and over.
Perfect! So happy to hear you loved them. Thanks for trying them!
With the Stevia this recipe looks like a great snack option for a diabetic. Can steel cut oats be substituted?
No, I wouldn’t recommend steel cut oats for this recipe. Thanks!
My husband loves these so much. I am not exaggerating when I say he made them every week in a span of 5 months, even after pumpkin was hard to find in stores. We are making them again today for the first time since Spring.
Haha, that’s so awesome! Glad you were able to finally find some pumpkin and make them again! Thanks so much for the kind review.
I adjusted this recipe only slightly. I did add the chocolate chips as well as raisins. I added a bit more maple syrup and a table spoon of date sugar. They are delicious and I am glad I used this recipe out of the ones I looked at. ❤️
Perfect! So glad they worked out for you.
Looking to add brewers yeast and flaxseed for lactation benefits. Any idea how much of each I would add? Would there be a need to add additional wet ingredients? Thank you.
I’m not sure about the yeast but you should be able to replace 1/4 cup of the oats with ground flax. Let me know if you make them!
These are soooo good and really curbed my craving for a sweet treat. No guilt over here!
Glad you enjoyed them, Holly!