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Oatmeal pumpkin cookies are chewy, sweet, and topped with the best sweet maple orange glaze! As much as I love making a big batch of these spiced cookies in the Fall, they’re honestly so good that I make them year-round. The moisture from the pumpkin paired with the chewiness of the oats is the most perfect pairing!
Whether it’s the thick of Fall or just halfway to Halloween, I can’t stop myself from making oatmeal pumpkin cookies. They’re so thick, chewy, moist, and spiced with both cinnamon and pumpkin spice! You know those autumnal treats that just immediately make you feel all warm and cozy, even when they’re served at room temperature? This is one of those!
Let’s talk about the glaze on these cookies, because it’ll definitely have you licking the whisk. It’s a simple combination of just four ingredients – powdered sugar, vanilla, maple syrup and orange juice. The combination of sweet maple with tangy citrus pairs perfectly with the pumpkin spiced cookies. If you’re a lover of bold fall flavors, this is the cookie recipe for you!
Why You’ll Love This
- The consistency is everything! The two key ingredients here – pumpkin puree and oats – work in tandem to create the best moist and chewy cookies. Biting into one of these perfectly baked cookies is always such a treat just from the consistency alone.
- Pumpkin spiced. Yes, I know that even the term “pumpkin spice” can invoke eye rolls now from internet naysayers. However, I don’t think even the coolest people can deny the cozy wonders of pumpkin spice! It’s like tasting everything warm about fall all in one spiced flavor.
- Incredibly easy. Make the dough, let it chill, bake it, drizzle on the glaze, and dig in. There’s really nothing to this easy pumpkin cookie recipe! Even the most novice of bakers will have this recipe mastered in no time.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here is a list of ingredients you will need to make this pumpkin oatmeal cookie recipe. Make sure to scroll down to view the full recipe for exact measurements.
- All-purpose flour
- Rolled oats – old fashioned rolled oats work best in this cookie, not quick oats.
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Pumpkin puree
- Orange zest
For the glaze:
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Maple syrup
- Orange juice
How To Make Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Here is a general overview of the steps involved to make oatmeal pumpkin cookies. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
Stir together the wet ingredients. Mix the softened butter with brown sugar until creamy. Then stir in the vanilla and the pumpkin puree until combined.
Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the oats, flour, spices, baking powder and baking soda, salt, and orange zest.
Make and chill the cookie dough. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, then refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Bake the cookies. Scoop the dough into balls and lightly flatten the tops of each cookie. Bake at 350°F for 12-15 minutes.
Cool. Let the cookies cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes before you transfer them to a wire rack to finish fully cooking.
Drizzle the glaze. Whisk together the glaze ingredients until they’re all combined. Once the cookies are fully cooled to room temperature, drizzle on the glaze and enjoy!
Recipe Tips, Substitutions, and Variations
Achieve the very best oatmeal pumpkin cookies every time with these easy tips and substitutions:
- Add chocolate chips. Because why not? If you’re craving pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, treat yourself to a batch of them! Follow this recipe exactly, but gently fold in about half a cup of semisweet chocolate chips after you’ve combined the wet and dry ingredients.
- Use real maple syrup. Keep the thick pancake syrup where it belongs – on your pancakes. For the very best fall flavor, use pure maple syrup in your glaze.
- Don’t skip the chilling step. When it comes time to refrigerate, let the cookie dough chill for a minimum of 1 hour and a max of 2 hours. This helps SO much with the consistency and shape. If the cookie dough is tossed directly into the hot oven, they’ll spread like crazy and thin out.
- You can make them vegan. Yes! With just one simple swap, this pumpkin oatmeal cookie recipe can be made vegan. Just use vegan butter instead of regular butter and you’re good to go.
- Let the cookies cool before glazing. Listen, I know how tempting it may be to glaze immediately and dig right in. These cookies smell like pumpkin spiced heaven and look too tempting to wait on! However, if you glaze them too soon, it’ll melt right into the cookie and make a mess. Patience is key!
Storage Instructions
In an airtight container at room temperature, pumpkin oatmeal cookies will stay fresh for about 3 days on the countertop or 5 days in the refrigerator.
These cookies are freezer friendly. Place cooled cookies into a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
More of Our Favorite Cookie Recipes
Bake a batch of something seriously satisfying with any of these easy recipes:
- Cheesecake Stuffed Cookies
- Apple Crisp Cookies
- Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups
- Cinnamon Brown Sugar Cookies
- Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles
Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (114 g) butter, or vegan butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup (165 g) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (123 g) + 1 tablespoon pumpkin puree, room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup (101 g) rolled oats
- 1 ¼ cup (156 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Zest of 1 orange
For the glaze:
- ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.
Equipment
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the softened butter with brown sugar until very creamy. This is an essential step for the cookies to remain soft; you’ll need about 5 minutes to achieve the desired texture. Next, add the vanilla extract and the pumpkin puree (which should be at room temperature; otherwise, it will break the emulsion between the butter and sugar), mix until well combined.
- In another bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (oats, flour, spices, baking powder and baking soda, salt, and orange zest).
- Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix to combine.
- Refrigerate the dough for one to two hours. This will improve its texture and flavors, so don’t skip this step.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 °F (177 °C)
- Scoop the dough using a 1 ½ tablespoon ice cream scoop and lightly flatten the top of each cookie.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the cookies are set and slightly brown in the edges but still soft in the center.
- Allow the cookies 10 minutes to cool before transferring them to the cooling rack, or they might break.
- To make the glaze, whisk all the glaze ingredients until well combined. Once the cookies are cooled, use a fork or whisk to drizzle them with the glaze.
Recipe Notes
NUTRITION FACTS
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.