Best Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cookies

Finding the perfect cookie recipe that screams fall without being too complicated can feel impossible. You want something that captures all those cozy autumn flavors, but you also don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen or hunt down a dozen specialty ingredients from three different stores.

These pumpkin spice oatmeal cookies are exactly what you need: they’re packed with warm spices and real pumpkin flavor, come together in under 30 minutes, and use ingredients you probably already have sitting in your pantry right now.

What Kind of Oats Should I Use?

For these pumpkin spice oatmeal cookies, you’ll want to stick with old-fashioned rolled oats rather than quick oats or instant oats. Rolled oats hold their shape better during baking and give you that classic chewy texture we all love in oatmeal cookies. Quick oats tend to break down too much and can make your cookies a bit mushy. If you only have steel-cut oats on hand, those won’t work well here since they’re too hard and won’t soften enough during the short baking time. You can find rolled oats in any grocery store, and they’re usually labeled as “old-fashioned” oats on the container.

Options for Substitutions

These cookies are pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some options if you need to make changes:

• All-purpose flour: You can substitute with whole wheat flour for a nuttier flavor, but use about 2 tablespoons less since it absorbs more liquid. Gluten-free flour blends work too – just follow a 1:1 ratio.
• Rolled oats: Quick oats can work in a pinch, but your cookies will have a softer texture. Steel-cut oats are too tough for this recipe, so stick with rolled or quick oats.
• Pumpkin pie spice: Make your own by mixing 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon cloves, and ¼ teaspoon allspice. You can also just use cinnamon if that’s all you have.
• Light brown sugar: Dark brown sugar works great and will give you a deeper molasses flavor. You can also mix ¾ cup white sugar with ¼ cup molasses if you’re out of brown sugar.
• Molasses: Honey or maple syrup can replace molasses, but reduce other liquids slightly since they’re thinner. The flavor will be a bit different but still tasty.
• Unsalted butter: Salted butter works fine – just skip the added salt in the recipe. For dairy-free options, use room temperature vegan butter or coconut oil.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making pumpkin spice oatmeal cookies is using cold butter and eggs, which prevents proper creaming and results in dense, flat cookies – make sure your butter is soft enough to easily press with your finger and let eggs sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before mixing.

Another common error is overmixing the dough once you add the flour, which develops too much gluten and creates tough cookies instead of the chewy texture you want.

Don’t skip measuring your brown sugar by packing it firmly into the measuring cup, as loose brown sugar will throw off the moisture balance and affect both texture and flavor.

Finally, resist the urge to overbake these cookies – they should look slightly underdone in the center when you pull them out, as they’ll continue cooking on the hot pan and firm up perfectly as they cool.

What to Serve With Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cookies?

These warm, spiced cookies are perfect with a hot cup of coffee or chai tea – the spices really complement each other nicely. I love serving them alongside a glass of cold milk for dunking, especially when they’re still slightly warm from the oven. They also make a great addition to a fall dessert spread with apple cider, hot chocolate, or even vanilla ice cream if you want to turn them into an ice cream sandwich. For a cozy afternoon treat, try pairing them with some pumpkin spice latte or herbal tea like cinnamon or orange spice.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: These pumpkin spice oatmeal cookies stay soft and chewy when stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. I like to toss a slice of bread in the container to help keep them extra moist. Just make sure they’re completely cooled before storing so they don’t get sticky.

Freeze: You can freeze the baked cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. I also love freezing the cookie dough! Just scoop it into balls, freeze them on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag so you can bake fresh cookies whenever you want.

Enjoy: Frozen cookies taste great straight from the freezer, but you can also let them thaw at room temperature for about 10 minutes if you prefer. If you froze the dough, just add an extra minute or two to the baking time – no need to thaw first!

Preparation Time	15-20 minutes
Cooking Time	7-8 minutes
Total Time	22-28 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Easy

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2700-2900
• Protein: 37-42 g
• Fat: 85-95 g
• Carbohydrates: 430-460 g

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice blend
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temp)
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs (at room temp)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp molasses

Step 1: Prepare the Oven and Baking Sheet

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the cookies from sticking and to make cleanup easier.

Step 2: Combine the Dry Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice blend
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, old-fashioned oats, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, pumpkin pie spice blend, and ground nutmeg.

This ensures the leavening agents and spices are evenly distributed.

Step 3: Cream Butter and Brown Sugar

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temp)
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the room-temperature butter and packed light brown sugar.

Beat on low speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

This helps create a soft and airy texture for the cookies.

Step 4: Incorporate Wet Ingredients

• 2 large eggs (at room temp)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp molasses

Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and molasses to the creamed butter and sugar.

Mix on low speed until all the ingredients are fully incorporated, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.

I find that letting the eggs reach room temperature helps them blend more smoothly into the batter.

Step 5: Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures

• mixed dry ingredients from Step 2
• wet mixture from Step 4

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients from Step 2 to the wet mixture from Step 4.

Mix until everything is well combined, being careful not to overmix.

The dough will be thick and a bit sticky.

Step 6: Shape and Bake the Cookies

• cookie dough from Step 5

Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them a couple of inches apart.

Gently press down on each dough mound to slightly flatten the cookies.

Bake in the preheated oven for 7-8 minutes.

The cookies may look a little doughy in the center, but they will continue to set as they cool.

Step 7: Cool the Cookies

Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes after removing them from the oven.

Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

Enjoy!