These healthy pumpkin breakfast cookies are soft and chewy, with warm fall spices in every bite. Made with oats instead of flour and packed with fiber and other nutrients, these gluten-free pumpkin oatmeal cookies are a nutritious way to enjoy your favorite autumn flavors, and they are ideal for a tasty on-the-go breakfast or snack for the whole family! {Gluten-free, Nut-free & Vegetarian}
Table of Contents
Gluten Free Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Fall is my favorite time of year, and for good reason! It’s the perfect time to get those sweaters out and cozy up inside on those chilly evenings…and of course, we can’t forget about pumpkin season!
Pumpkin is truly the star of the show in these healthy pumpkin breakfast cookies. It adds moisture and a tender texture that makes these cookies soft and chewy.
Plus, they have just the right amount of gooey chocolate chips and crunch from the pumpkin seeds. The warm spices make the whole house smell incredible, too!
If you’re looking for more healthy pumpkin recipes, be sure to check out my Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins, Healthy Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites and Pumpkin Flax Seed Granola!
Why We Love These Healthy Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies
- Super simple recipe ready in less than 30 minutes!
- Dietitian-approved as part of a healthy breakfast or snack
- Fantastic meal prep option for breakfast for those busy mornings
- Made with less sugar (naturally sweetened with maple syrup)
- Gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian, to meet lots of different nutritional needs!
- Packed with plenty of fiber, healthy fats, and vitamins C and A!
- Nut-free option for packing in lunch boxes
- Soft, tender, and chewy texture
- Lots of pumpkin flavor from the canned pumpkin puree
Ingredient Notes
- Oats: I used a combination of quick and rolled oats to give these cookies a chewier texture. Feel free to sub in certified gluten-free oats if necessary.
- Flaxseed: Use the ground flaxseed; not the whole flax seeds. The ground flaxseeds are easier to digest while the whole ones may pass through undigested, which means you won’t reap all of the benefits of them such as the omega-3’s, fiber and antioxidants.
- Spices: Pumpkin demands spices, and this pumpkin cookie recipe uses cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little salt.
- Pumpkin seeds: Add a nice crunch to the cookies. Use raw unsalted pumpkin seeds. You can also sub in sunflower seeds or any preferred nuts, if desired.
- Pumpkin purée: The pumpkin puree is the star ingredient and is what makes these soft cookies moist and perfect for Fall. Be sure to use 100% pure pumpkin puree and not the pumpkin pie filling, which is sweet and much higher in sugar. You can make your own homemade pumpkin puree by roasting fresh pumpkins, too!
- Coconut oil: The coconut oil adds some additional moisture to the cookies and a subtle coconut flavour. Use 100% unrefined extra virgin coconut oil if possible.
- Maple syrup: Provides some natural sweetness to the cookies. Use 100% pure maple syrup. You can also sub in honey if desired.
- Mini chocolate chips: Pumpkin and chocolate are a great match and the chips give just a little extra sweetness.
- Vanilla extract
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together until combined.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Using your hands or a spoon, scoop up mixture and form into twelve cookies of equal size (they should be about an inch or so thick). Place each cookie on the parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, leaving about an inch between each cookie.
- Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until cookies are slightly firm to the touch. Allow them to cool on a wire rack before serving or storing for later.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Expert Tips
- I recommend using your hands to form the cookies. It will allow you to better shape the cookies and help the mixture stay together. If you find the mixture is sticking to your hands, you can wet your hands a bit before forming the mixture into cookies or use kitchen gloves.
- I made my cookies fairly thick so that they resemble a breakfast cookie. I find that they’re more soft and chewy this way.
- Be sure to line the baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking to the baking sheet and for super easy clean up!
- Be sure to let the pumpkin oat cookies cool completely before storing them.
- Feel free to customize the cookies and add in extras like dried cranberries, other nuts like walnuts, pecans, sliced almonds or hemp hearts if desired.
Recipe FAQs
Typically, pumpkin cookies are best stored in the refrigerator or freezer to help prevent the oil and pumpkin puree from “sweating,” thus making them sticky. You can store them at room temperature for several hours, but for best results, they should be stored in the fridge or freezer.
The amazing thing about these healthy pumpkin cookies is that they’re primarily made of oats, pumpkin, and ground flaxseed, which provides that soluble fiber that can help to stabilize the blood sugar and keep those energy levels up. Then, add in the pumpkin seeds for a dose of protein and healthy fats and some dark chocolate chips for some antioxidants, and you’ve got one nutrient-packed, energizing breakfast cookie!
Oats are inherently gluten-free, but some varieties may have been cross-contaminated with gluten. If you or someone in your family has celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, be sure to check that your oats are gluten-free certified when mixing the oats into these cookies.
How to Store
Refrigerator: Once the oatmeal pumpkin cookies have cooled, place them in an airtight container. They will keep in fridge for up to four days. I like to make a batch on a Sunday for easy breakfasts or healthy snacks during the week.
To freeze: Allow cookies to cool completely and then freeze them solid on a baking sheet. You can then transfer them to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container and they will keep well for up to 3 months.
To defrost: Thaw frozen cookies at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour before enjoying.
Serving Suggestions
You can eat these pumpkin breakfast cookies on their own or pair them with some extras for an even more satisfying breakfast, afternoon snack, or sweet treat!
Try them with any of the following recipes:
- Pumpkin Spice Iced Coffee
- Almond Milk Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Turmeric Latte with Almond Milk
- Banana Smoothie without Yogurt
- Hot Chocolate with Cacao
- Halloween Fruit Tray Ideas
Recipe Variations
The beauty of these oat and pumpkin seed cookies is that you can easily switch up the add-ins. See below for some ideas!
- Add nuts: Try sliced almonds, chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Add different seeds: Try sunflower seeds, Hemp seeds or chia seeds
- Add dried fruit: Try raisins or dried cranberries.
- Add more protein: Add a scoop of protein powder (I love this one) to the cookie mixture. If you choose to do so, you may need to add a bit of extra liquid to prevent the batter from being too dry.
- Try different spices: Add some pumpkin pie spice or a dash of dried ginger.
- To make vegan: You can make these cookies vegan by replacing the egg with a vegan-friendly egg replacer or a flax egg.
More Healthy Treats
- Banana Zucchini Cookies
- Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies
- Pumpkin Date Balls
- Almond Flour Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Pie Spice Pancakes
- Pumpkin French Toast Sticks Recipe
- Pumpkin Cake with Applesauce
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 cup rolled oats (can use certified gluten-free, if necessary)
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup dark mini chocolate chips
Wet Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together until combined.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until well combined.
- Using your hands or a spoon, scoop up mixture and and form into twelve cookies of equal size (they should be about an inch or so thick). Place each cookie on parchment paper, leaving about an inch between each cookie.
- Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until cookies are slightly firm to the touch. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
- I recommend using your hands to form the cookies. It will allow you to better shape the cookies and help the mixture better stay together. If you find the mixture is sticking to your hands, you can wet your hands a bit before forming the mixture into cookies or use kitchen gloves.
- I made my cookies fairly thick so that they resemble a breakfast cookie. I find that they’re more soft and chewy this way.
- Be sure to line the baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking to the baking sheet and for super easy clean up!
- Let the cookies cool completely before storing them.
- Feel free to customize the cookies and add in extras like dried cranberries, other nuts like walnuts, pecans, sliced almonds or hemp hearts if desired.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted October 2020 and was updated October 2024 to include more helpful tips.
No baking soda or baking powder?
Nope, not in this one!
Really tasty and easy to make! I added 3 tbsp cranberries and chopped pecans each. Would make again for sure
So happy you enjoyed the cookies! Love the addition of the cranberries and pecans — I bet that was delicious! :)