Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft, chewy, and filled with delicious fall flavors such as cinnamon, pumpkin, and vanilla. Loaded with chewy oats and gooey chocolate chips, these family-favorite Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies are easily the best Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies ever! (scroll down to see video!)

I made my first batch of pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies way back in 2011. I found a recipe online and used it as a base for what would become, seven years later, the soft, chewy, and completely addicting cookies you see today.

I have made these cookies at least 4,679 times and they never get old. A family favorite, whenever I tell my husband that I’m making a batch of pumpkin oatmeal cookies he always adds some kind of nerdy/adorable “you’re the best!” or “you really do love me!” exclamation at the end. Being that they are his favorite, one batch of these cookies last exactly 0.5 seconds before they are all eaten, so I’ve had to cut down on how often I make them.

It’s the grown-up thing to do.

Ingredients

• butter
• brown sugar
• granulated sugar
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• all-purpose flour
• whole wheat flour
• rolled oats
• baking soda
• salt
• cinnamon
• pumpkin pie spice
• pumpkin puree
• chocolate chips
• toasted flax seeds

How to make Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of the many reasons why I love these cookies is because they are so easy to make! You do not need a crazy expensive stand mixer and the is no shaping, rolling, or decorating. They’re simple, easy, and delicious. The end.

1. Preheat your oven. I have baked these cookies at both 350 degrees F. and 375 degrees F. Baking them at 375 degrees F. bakes them just slightly faster, so that’s what I recommend. You’ll also want to line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper. I always use parchment paper when I bake because I’m lazy and it makes cleaning up a whole lot easier.
2. Grab a large mixing bowl and cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. You will need room temperature butter otherwise it won’t mix. I recommend stopping the hand mixer at least once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add the eggs one at a time. In other words, with the hand mixer going, add one egg and mix to combine, then the next egg, combine, and finally, the last egg. Beat in the vanilla.
4. With the wet ingredients combined, it’s time to mix together the dry ingredients. In a large bowl whisk together the flours, rolled oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. You may use a fork or a whisk, but definitely, do not use the hand mixer.
5. Finally, let’s get some batter going. Right now we have the fluffy butter, dry ingredients, and the pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling). Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix in the pumpkin puree and dry ingredients into the already mixed fluffy butter mixture. Alternate between pumpkin puree and the dry ingredients, adding a little bit at a time. Translation- add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the pumpkin puree, 1/3 of the dry ingredients, half of the pumpkin, and finally the remaining third of the dry ingredients. Mix between each addition.
6. Stir in the chocolate chips and flax seeds.
7. Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to drop large spoonfuls of cookie batter onto the prepared baking sheet.
8. Bake for approximately 10-14 minutes (remember- altitude and different ovens will alter cooking times). Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack or sheet of parchment paper to cool completely.

Tips and Tricks

Having made these pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies 4,679 times now, I have learned a thing or two about them. At least, that’s what I tell myself. So here are some tips, tricks, and things to know about these delicious little bites of pumpkin chocolate chewy goodness.

• These are not crispy cookies. They are chewy and yes, more cake-like.
• Just after removing your cookies from the oven, I highly recommend gently pushing 5-6 additional chocolate chips directly on top of each cookie. It helps make the cookies look a little prettier. Plus, more chocolate never hurt anyone.
• I love using a cookie scoop to transfer the batter to the baking sheet, however, these cookies are not going to spread during baking (remember- chewy, cake-like cookies). To prevent them from being cookie scoop shaped balls, I recommend using a spoon to flatten out the tops a little.
• Store them in a sealed airtight container or ziplock bag in the refrigerator. You guys, these cookies are all kinds of amazing when eaten cold. Something about the cold chocolate chips- just trust me on this one.

But what’s the deal with the flax seeds?

Ok, so the flax seeds were my way, several years ago, of trying to make these cookies a little healthier. I thought, hmmm, why not just dump some flax seeds in there and see what happens. I haven’t made these pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies without flax seeds ever since.

Do you have to add flax seeds? No. But I highly recommend them! And, if you have a trader joe’s nearby, I specifically recommend their golden roasted flax seeds. You guys, they’re a total game changer.

For more cookie recipes check out,

• Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Sprinkle Confetti Cookies
• Easy Pumpkin Spice Cookies Recipe
• Bourbon Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Caramelized Apple Oatmeal Cookies
• Lemon Raspberry Cookies

For more pumpkin spice recipes check out,

• Pumpkin Smoothie Recipe
• Spiced Butternut Squash Chia Pudding
• Pumpkin Pie Yogurt Overnight Oats
• Pumpkin French Toast Bake

If you try cooking these Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.