Pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are soft, chewy, and deliciously spiced.
With the start of fall we welcome new routines, cooler temperatures, and the fall baking season—the best baking season! We’re talking cozy fall spices, pumpkin treats, decadent desserts, and pies galore. I always like to kick off the fall baking season with cookies—we’ve done pumpkin snickerdoodles and brown butter pumpkin oatmeal cookies, but let’s get back to basics.
These are pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in all their soft, chewy, deliciously comforting, pumpkin spice glory. Like chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin pie in one. Fall doesn’t *truly* begin until we crack open that first can of pumpkin, so let’s get started!
These aren’t your average cakey and crumbly pumpkin cookies. My pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are seriously CHEWY. After lots of recipe testing, here are 3 tricks to guarantee dense and chewy pumpkin oatmeal cookies.
We’ve explored chewy pumpkin cookies at length before. Back in 2013, I discovered that pumpkin can replace eggs in cookies..) This was a game changer for me! When both are used in cookie recipes, the resulting cookie is more cakey and less dense/chewy..
Things were a different story when I threw oats into the cookie dough. Testing pumpkin oatmeal cookies proved that an egg—or at least part of an egg—is necessary. Why? Without an egg, they are a little dry and crumbly because of all the oats. So in my pumpkin oatmeal cookies, I add an egg yolk. That little extra fat is perfection and the cookies remain remarkably soft and chewy. Same applies when making these pumpkin oatmeal cream pies.
For chewy cookies, melted butter wins.
Here’s another chewy pumpkin cookie secret. Blot your pumpkin. You see, pumpkin puree is extremely wet and extra moisture in cookie dough results in cakey cookies that spread too much. Take the 15 seconds to blot it before using. Simply measure your pumpkin puree, then squeeze out some moisture with a paper towel.
See a side-by-side cookie comparison of blotted/non-blotted pumpkin cookies in my recipe for pumpkin oatmeal cookies.
A little something extra: Add some maple syrup. I made pumpkin oatmeal cookies a few years ago and used molasses. Delicious, wonderful, superb! But maple syrup tastes even better and it doesn’t take away from the pumpkin flavor.
Baker’s tip: I suggest using a cookie scoop. I always use a cookie scoop when I make oatmeal cookies. Once you scoop each, slightly flatten them down. The cookies don’t spread *too much* but they will spread a little if you flatten it out first. Just like this:
Want to change things up? Instead of chocolate chips, you can use white chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, chopped pecans, dried cranberries, or be a total rebel and leave the pumpkin oatmeal cookies plain. There’s enough pumpkin spice (!!!) in each cookie that you don’t even need add-ins.
But those melty chocolate chips when the cookies are fresh out of the oven? I strongly encourage you to experience that magic firsthand. HAPPY FALL!!!
Pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are super soft and CHEWY. These cookies will be your new favorite fall dessert!
