Healthy Pumpkin Oat Cookies
on Apr 15, 2020, Updated Jul 24, 2024
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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.
I made these, but because I felt a bit lazy, I just put the dough into an 8×8 pan (with parchment paper) and baked for 30 minutes. After it got thoroughly cooled, I cut it into pieces.
Very good!
Great idea! Thanks, Terry!
Have you ever used steel it oats for this recipe?
I wouldn’t recommend steel cut for this recipe. They’d still be hard and crunchy after baking. Thanks!
I absolutely loved these healthy cookies! I added some raisins and pumpkin pie spice.
Hey. This is no exageration(sp) Those were the most deliscious & substantial tasting cóokies I’ve tasted/eaten in years if not decades. My son’s girlfriend made them for the family, after the 1st tasted, I told her “these are good enough to sell; they are money makers”. You’ve got me following your site.
Thanks for the kind review! So glad you enjoyed them. Hope you find some more yummy recipes to try!
These are sooo good! We didn’t have to worry about storing them because my husband and I ate all of them in 2 days. I did use the 3 T of maple syrup and chocolate chips. We especially love the texture, and I love that there are only a few ingredients. I will definitely be baking more. Thank you for this great recipe!
You are so welcome! Very happy to hear you both enjoyed them. Thanks for the lovely review!
I would use a lot less oats, the cookies tasted like a mouthful of oats. As much as I love oats (I use them in everything lol) it was too much. Also, I doubled the spices but it honestly just tasted like oats.
These are awesome. I’ve made them 5 times in the last few weeks. Always use the spices and the chocolate chips additionally add 60g of peanut butter. My wife and 18 month old tear them up. Plus they make a perfect portable food for cycling on rides over an hour and a half.
Could honey be used as the sweetener? Thank you!
Yep! Thanks.
We really enjoyed these. Added chopped toasted pecans on top. Delicious! Next time I’d make half without chips so we have both sweet and less sweet options.
Just made them, and they are tasty! The intention was to make them as a snack for my little one when we go out, and I am pleased (going to be hard to share!).
Yes, they are not super flavourful, but the chocolate chips and the spices make them really enjoyable. And I feel better about giving them to my 19 month old.
I used maple syrup, and I added a little more than 3tbsp. I also seemed to make 16 cookies at about 2 cm high and about 7 cm in diameter.
I halved the recipe, but my batter wasn’t really coming together so I added 1/2 tbsp of peanut butter as well, and it was really tasty!