These nourishing, gluten-free pumpkin oatmeal breakfast cookies are a simple, healthy, make-ahead option for grab-and-go breakfasts and cozy snacks at home.
Fall is my favourite season for baking. Pumpkin is a classic ingredient in fall baking that can be used in so many different recipes, from brownies to muffins. My toddler son has developed a liking for breakfast cookies lately, and I have been all too happy to create a number of new breakfast cookie flavours for him and I.
These healthy pumpkin breakfast cookies are made with wholesome ingredients such as butter, peanut butter, coconut sugar, egg, pumpkin, and oats. While the chocolate chips are optional, I highly recommend them unless you are making them for babies or young toddlers. You just cannot beat the combination of pumpkin spice and chocolate!
They are ridiculously simple to make and I find myself whipping up a batch every week or so. My son and I never seem to tire of our breakfast cookies! I hope you love them as much as we do.
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Ingredients
Let’s take a quick look at the ingredients in these pumpkin breakfast cookies!
- Butter: Melted butter provides richness and moisture. I use salted butter.
- Peanut butter: Peanut butter, combined with the butter, adds richness and acts as a binder.
- Coconut sugar: For natural sweetness, I used coconut sugar. Feel free to use brown sugar, as it works just as well.
- Pumpkin: Use canned, unsweetened pumpkin puree. I prefer to use organic.
- Egg: The egg acts as a binder. I suspect that 2 tablespoons of ground flax and 3 tablespoons of milk would work as a replacement.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla brings out flavours and balances sweetness.
- Oat flour: I love using oat flour in my breakfast cookie recipes because it’s wholesome and has a sweet, nutty, and toasty flavour profile. I like the finely ground store-bought oat flour, which is what I used when testing this recipe. However, you can make your own as well. Simply grind 1 heaping cup of rolled oats or quick oats in a food processor into a flour.
- Baking soda: Acts as a leavening agent.
- Salt: Enhances the flavour and sweetness of other ingredients.
- Pumpkin pie spice: I made my own pumpkin pie spice blend, but feel free to use store-bought pumpkin pie spice if you can find it.
- Quick oats: I prefer to use quick-cooking rolled oats in my breakfast cookies. Their fine texture yields cookies that hold together better than traditional large flake rolled oats.
- Mix-ins: I used chocolate chips, but you can use raisins, dried cranberries, and/or chopped walnuts or pecans if you prefer.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
These pumpkin breakfast cookies are so easy; they come together in one bowl and they’re ready in less than 20 minutes. They’re the perfect cookies to bake with kids and enjoy all week long as quick grab-and-go breakfasts, fun snacks at home, or to pack in lunchboxes. Here’s how to make these cookies:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the melted butter, peanut butter, coconut sugar, pumpkin, egg, and vanilla together in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
Step 2: Add the oat flour, baking soda, sea salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk to incorporate.
Step 3: Add the quick oats and chocolate chips or mix-ins of choice.
Step 4: Stir to incorporate. Set the dough aside for five minutes to thicken up a bit.
Step 5: Roll the dough into balls (I ended up making 15 cookies) and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 6: Flatten the balls by hand (they don’t spread in the oven), and press a few extra chocolate chips into the tops, if desired. Bake for 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully.
Hint: Don’t remove the cookies from the pan too soon, as they may break if they have not had a few minutes to cool after baking.
A note about gluten-free oats
While oat flour and oats are technically gluten-free, some oats can be contaminated with gluten. If you or someone who will be eating these cookies is celiac, be sure to use certified gluten-free oat flour and oats!
make them nut-free
To make these pumpkin oatmeal breakfast cookies nut-free, swap out the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter or tahini.
make them vegan
For a totally vegan, dairy-free option, replace the butter with coconut oil, replace the egg with flax egg (2 tablespoons of ground flax mixed with ¼ cup of water), and use dairy-free chocolate chips or another mix-in such as dried fruit or nuts.
Kitchen tools
- Cookie sheet
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
Storing and freezing these cookies
You can store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for four days, in the refrigerator for a week, and in the freezer for up to three months.
Top Tip
Shape these cookies before baking. Unlike traditional cookies, my wholesome breakfast cookies don’t spread much during baking. Flatten them into the shape and thickness you’d like them to be before baking.
FAQ
One of the most common mistakes people make with breakfast cookies is expecting the cookies to spread like traditional cookies. It is important to flatten breakfast cookies before baking to ensure that your cookies come out exactly how you like them.
Certainly. When you look at this pumpkin breakfast cookie recipe, you can see that you are essentially eating oatmeal in handheld cookie form. These cookies contain fibre and healthy fat to provide you with sustained energy. They are not high in protein, however, which is why it is important to combine them with a protein source for a balanced breakfast.
MORE pumpkin RECIPES
Looking for more healthy pumpkin recipe ideas? Try these:
Ways to serve them
These breakfast cookies are a great grab-and-go breakfast option, but I like to make sure that I am enjoying them as part of a balanced meal. I always enjoy one of these cookies with one or two protein-rich foods, such as a bowl of yogurt with fruit and hemp, a smoothie, scrambled eggs, or a protein coffee.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know how much you loved it with a star rating and a comment below.
Take a picture of your finished recipe and tag me on Instagram (@upbeet.kitchen), follow me on Pinterest, or connect with me on Facebook. I love seeing all your creations!
Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 16 cookies 1x
Description
These nourishing, gluten-free pumpkin oatmeal breakfast cookies are a simple, healthy, make-ahead option for grab-and-go breakfasts and cozy snacks at home.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup salted butter, melted
- ¼ cup smooth natural peanut butter
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup oat flour (114 grams)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips (or mix-ins of choice such as raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped walnuts/pecans)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, peanut butter, coconut sugar, pumpkin, egg, and vanilla.
- Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk to combine.
- Add the quick-cooking rolled oats and chocolate chips and stir to incorporate. Set aside for five minutes to allow the dough to thicken.
- Lightly wet your hands and roll the dough into 15-16 equal balls. Place on the baking sheet. I only had room for 12 cookies on my baking sheet, so I baked the remaining ones after. Flatten each one by hand to your desired thickness, as these cookies don’t spread much during baking.
- Bake for 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool and set on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for three days or in the refrigerator for one week. The cookies can also be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for 3 months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 189
- Sugar: 10.8 g
- Sodium: 87.4 mg
- Fat: 7.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 24.3 g
- Fiber: 2.6 g
- Protein: 4.3 g
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