Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
If fall had a cookie, this would be it! These Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft, chewy, warmly spiced, and studded with melty chocolate chips. Made with browned butter for rich caramel notes and pumpkin purée for seasonal flair, they’re the perfect cozy treat for crisp days. Even better? They’re naturally gluten-free, easy to make, and keep well for days.
Whether you’re baking for a fall gathering, packing school lunches, or just craving a pumpkin-chocolate fix, this recipe will quickly become your new favorite.
Why You’ll Love These Chewy Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
- Perfect fall flavor: Pumpkin + pumpkin pie spice + oats = cozy comfort.
- Rich & nutty: Browned butter takes these cookies to bakery-level.
- Gluten-free friendly: Works with gluten-free flour or regular all-purpose.
- Soft & chewy: The oats give them great texture, while the pumpkin keeps them moist.
- Make-ahead friendly: Store or freeze easily for fresh-baked cookies anytime.
- Check out these Healthy Pumpkin Cookies for another fun fall dessert recipe!
Ingredients & Substitutes
Here’s what makes these cookies special. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies recipe.
Chocolate chips (1 ½ cups) – use milk, dark, or a mix.
Unsalted butter (2 sticks) – browned for deep caramel notes.
Granulated sugar + light brown sugar – the perfect sweet balance.
Egg – binds the dough.
Pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling!) – adds moisture and flavor.
Vanilla extract – rounds out the flavor.
Water – just 1 tablespoon to replace moisture lost while browning butter.
Gluten-free flour (2 cups) – or swap for all-purpose if you’re not GF.
Rolled oats (1 ½ cups, gluten-free if needed) – adds chewiness.
Pumpkin pie spice (2 tsp) – for warm fall spice.
Sea salt (½ tsp) – balances sweetness.
Baking soda + baking powder (½ tsp each) – gives lift.
| Ingredients | Substitution Options |
| Gluten free flour | All-purpose flour (1:1 swap if not GF) |
| Butter (browned) | Melted butter (omit added water if not browning) |
| Pumpkin purée | Mashed sweet potato or butternut squash purée |
| Chocolate chips | White chocolate, chopped dark chocolate, or dried cranberries |
| Pumpkin pie spice | 1 tsp cinnamon + ¼ tsp nutmeg + ¼ tsp ginger + pinch cloves |
How to Bake Your Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step 1
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2
Add the sticks of butter to a skillet over low medium heat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the butter has started to turn a deep caramel color. Do not let it burn.
Step 3
Then, set the skillet aside and let the butter cool for about 10 minutes.
Step 4
Once the butter is somewhat cool, pour into a large mixing bowl. Add in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, pumpkin, vanilla, and water. Stir together.
Step 5
Then, add in the remaining ingredients except the chocolate chips. Stir until a thick dough forms.
Step 6
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Step 7
Use a cookie scoop to scoop balls of dough onto the lined pan.
Step 8
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.
Step 9
Finally, remove from the oven. Allow the pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies to cool on the pan for 15 minutes before very carefully removing to a cooling rack.
Expert Tips for Perfect Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies
Making great pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies is all about the details. Follow these tips for the best results:
- Brown the Butter: Don’t skip this step! Browning the butter adds a nutty, complex flavor that takes these cookies from good to amazing. Just be sure to watch it closely so it doesn’t burn.
- Use Pumpkin Puree, Not Pie Filling: This is a crucial distinction. Pumpkin puree is just cooked and mashed pumpkin, while pie filling has added sweeteners and spices. Using puree gives you more control over the flavor.
- Let the Cookies Cool: After baking, the cookies will be very soft. Let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes. This allows them to firm up and prevents them from falling apart when you move them.
- Don’t skip cooling the butter: Hot butter will scramble the egg.
- Use pumpkin purée only: Pumpkin pie filling has added sugar and spices.
- Let them rest: These pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are fragile when hot. Cooling sets their texture.
- Customize your chips: Try a mix of milk, dark, or even white chocolate for variety.
Flavor Variations & Add-Ins
Get creative with your pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies!
- Nuts: Add chopped pecans or walnuts for extra crunch.
- White Chocolate Chips: Swap out some of the chocolate chips for white chocolate chips for a different flavor profile.
- Toffee Bits: Stir in a handful of toffee bits for a buttery, caramel-like flavor.
- Seeds: Add a tablespoon of chia or flax seeds for a nutritional boost.
How to Serve & Store Your Cookies
Room Temp: Store these pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container up to 4 days.
Refrigerator: Keeps well up to 1 week.
Freezer (dough): Scoop dough balls, freeze on a baking sheet, then transfer to a bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding 2–3 minutes to bake time.
Freezer (baked cookies): Store baked cookies in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
We recommend using rolled oats for their chewy texture. Quick oats can become mushy, changing the final texture of the cookie.
If you prefer, you can simply melt the butter. Be sure to omit the extra tablespoon of water from the recipe. The cookies will still be delicious but will lack the nutty flavor from the browning process.
These pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are meant to be very soft when they first come out of the oven. This is why it’s so important to let them cool on the pan for at least 15 minutes before moving them. They will continue to set as they cool.
Pumpkin adds moisture, so thick dough is normal. It bakes up soft and chewy.
Equipment Needed
Pre-Cut Parchment Paper Sheets: Use parchment paper to prevent these cookies from sticking.
USA Pan 3 Piece Cookie Sheet Set: I love these metal pans for these gluten free pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
KitchenAid Stand Mixer: I always use this stand mixer for baking!
Hand Mixer: If you do not have a stand mixer, use this handy hand mixer.
Check out all of my kitchen favorites!
You May Also Enjoy
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
- Almond Flour Pumpkin Bread
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Edible Pumpkin Cookie Dough
If you make this healthy gluten free pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I would love for you to follow along! For more ideas, check out these Dessert Recipes.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup pumpkin purée
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp water
- 2 cups gluten free flour
- 1 ½ cups gluten free rolled oats
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chips, see note
Instructions
- First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the sticks of butter to a skillet over low medium heat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the butter has started to turn a deep caramel color. Do not let it burn.
- Then, set the skillet aside and let the butter cool for about 10 minutes.
- Once the butter is somewhat cool, pour into a large mixing bowl. Add in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, pumpkin, vanilla, and water. Stir together.
- Then, add in the remaining ingredients except the chocolate chips. Stir until a thick dough forms.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop balls of dough onto the lined pan.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.
- Finally, remove from the oven. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 15 minutes before very carefully removing to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Since we are browning the butter, add in the extra tablespoon of water to account for the loss in moisture.
- If you are not browning the butter, simply melt the butter and omit the tablespoon of water.
- If you are not gluten free, feel free to use all purpose flour.
- Use pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling.
- For these photos, I used a combination of milk chocolate chips and dark chocolate chips. Feel free to use your favorite.
- The cookie dough will be relatively thick.
- The cookies will be very soft after baking. Do not touch them; allow them to cool for at least 15 minutes on the pan.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Check out all of my kitchen favorites!
4 Comments on “Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies”
What size cookie scoop do you use?
For these photos, I used a 4 ounce scoop, which is fairly large for cookies!
There’s not enough pumpkin in this recipe for the cookie to taste like pumpkin
I would love to save some of your recipes, but there’s no way to do that