Soft and chewy pumpkin breakfast cookies made with nutritious ingredients, like oats ground flaxseeds, and peanut butter. A healthy way to enjoy the classic flavors of pumpkin desserts. Enjoy as part of breakfast, or as an afternoon treat.
These are the best pumpkin breakfast cookies are definitely one of my favorite things to food prep during the fall. Just like my healthy breakfast cookies, these are filled with nutritious ingredients. Perfect for adding alongside fried (or hard-boiled) eggs and some berries for an easy protein packed breakfast. Plus, the kids love them too, and I love knowing they are starting their day with real food!
Interested in more real food/healthy pumpkin recipes? Then you for sure need to try my gluten-free pumpkin scones, Paleo pumpkin muffins, pumpkin granola recipe, and chocolate chip pumpkin bread.
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Reasons to Love These Pumpkin Cookies
- Fall flavors - Warm cinnamon and sweet pumpkin spice - all the cozy flavors of fall wrapped up in these cookies.
- One-bowl - These cookies require just one bowl (less clean up) and are so easy to make.
- Clean eating ingredients - You won't find any refined flours or sugars in this cookie recipe! Plus, they are made with whole grains and you get the benefits of fiber, protein, and healthy fats from the ground flaxseeds.
Ingredients & Substitutions
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below. Here are some specific notes to help with selecting ingredients.
- Rolled oats - Also known as old-fashioned oats. If making for someone with a gluten sensitivity or celiac, be sure to use certified gluten-free oats. Although oats don't contain any gluten naturally, they may become contaminated with gluten during processing in facilities that also process wheat.
- Canned pumpkin - You should use canned pumpkin/pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Make sure the only ingredient is "pumpkin."
- Peanut butter - You can use any nut butter you'd like, or nut-butter substitute. If needing these to be nut free, you can use sun butter.
- Oat flour - I like using oat flour since it's a whole grain, but if you don't have oat flour, you can use regular flour, wheat flour, or even a gluten-free flour substitute. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oat flour if needing these to be gluten free.
Clean food tips: I highly recommend organic oats. Like most grains, oats are sprayed with glyphosate (an herbicide that’s been linked to increased cancer risk and potential hormone disruptor) prior to being harvested.
Chocolate chips should contain sugar, chocolate, and cocoa butter. My favorite brands include Equal Exchange, Hu Chocolate, and Pascha.
Use a nut butter that contains just the nuts and maybe salt. Ensure there are no added oils or sugars. My favorite peanut butter is Costco's organic peanut butter. Once Again is another great choice.
Directions
Step 1: Whisk together the wet ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl.
Step 2: Add the remaining dry ingredients (aside from the chocolate chips) and mix until oats are fully mixed in and a thick "dough" as been formed.
Step 3: Fold in the chocolate chips.
Step 4: Using a spring-loaded cookie scoop, scoop balls of dough onto a prepared cookie sheet (use a heaping 2 tbsp. of dough per cookie).
Step 5: Using your hands, flatten each dough ball into a round, cookie shape. The cookies won't spread, so shape them how you'd like them.
Step 6: Bake at 350-degrees F for 12 minutes, or until edges are set and cookies are semi-firm to the touch.
Expert Tips
- This recipe makes 12 cookies, but I highly recommend you double the recipe so that you have plenty for freezing.
- For a more hearty cookie, try some additional add-ins like walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or craisins (with no added sugar). You can even omit the chocolate chips if you want to cut down on added sugars.
- The dough will be sticky, so get your hands wet before flatting/forming dough balls into a cookie shape - this will prevent it from sticking to your hands.
- Use a spring-loaded cookie scoop to easily make the dough balls. A 2 tablespoon sized scoop works best for this recipe.
How to Store and Freeze
Storing: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. You can slightly warm in the microwave for a soft warm cookie.
Freezing: Place the cooled cookies in a freezer container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. These cookies freeze great, so I highly suggest making a double batch.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, pumpkin puree and canned pumpkin are the same thing. However, pumpkin pie filling is different as it has added sugars and spices. For this recipe, you want to use pumpkin puree/canned pumpkin.
Breakfast cookies are (or should be) made with nutrient dense ingredients and have less sugar, oil and/or butter than a classic cookie.
If needing these to be vegan, you can easily replace the eggs with an egg substitute, like flax eggs. And ensure the chocolate chips you use are dairy free. Equal Exchange and Enjoy Life are great options.
More Fall Recipes To Try
If you make this recipe, please let me know what you think! I would so appreciate you leaving a star rating and/or comment below. And don't forget to share a photo on Instagram or Facebook and mention @CleanPlateMama!
Eat Clean.Be Well!
-Sara
Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies
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Equipment
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Baking sheet
Ingredients
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs
- 3 tbsp. pure maple syrup
- ⅓ cup natural peanut butter
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup oats (certified gluten free if needed)
- ½ cup oat flour (certified gluten free if needed)
- ½ cup flaxseed meal (also called ground flaxseeds)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. fine sea salt
- 1 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set cookie sheet aside.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, eggs, maple syrup, peanut butter, and vanilla.
- Add the oats, oat flour, flaxseed meal, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Mix until oats are fully combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop a heaping 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie (spring loaded cookie scoop works best) onto the prepared cookie sheet. You should get 12 cookies. Slightly wet your hands and press and shape each dough ball into a cookie shape. Dough won't spread when baked, so shape them how you'd like them.
- Bake for 12 minutes, or until edges are set and cookies are semi-firm to the touch.
- Allow to cool slightly. Enjoy!
Notes
- The dough will be sticky, so get your hands wet before flatting/forming dough balls into a cookie shape - this will prevent it from sticking to your hands.
- Save some of the chocolate chips for adding to the tops of the cookies before baking to get that bakery style look and feel.
- Cookies should be stored in an airtight container on the counter and will stay fresh for up to 3 days. They also freeze great!
Nutrition
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Mary
These came out great. I can't eat oats so I substituted with a cup of cooked millet and all purpose gluten free baking flour. I also cannot eat eggs so I used the flax eggs and omitted the added flax seed. I followed everything else. Excellent! Thanks for the recipe!
Sara
Thanks for sharing and so happy to hear they turned out with the substitutions you needed!
Ashley
These look great! Do you think I could make the batter the night before and bake them in the morning?
Sara
Hi Ashley - I think making the batter the day before and them making them would work just fine. I would try to let the batter sit at room temp for 30 minutes or so, just to soften so you can easily form them into the cookies shapes. Let me know how it goes 🙂 Excited for you to try them!
Ashley
Thanks for your fast response, Sara! Based on what you said, I mixed up the wet and dry ingredients separately the night before. It was easy to combine while the oven preheated in the morning.
These cookies are really good. I made them for my sons 2nd birthday and him and his sister both loved them. Cookies for breakfast! I should have double the recipe like you suggested. I used craisins instead of chocolate chips but they still thought they were amazing. Iwill definitely make these again. Thank you.
Sara
So glad they turned out for you and your kiddos loved them... "cookies" for breakfast are the best 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how they turned out!