These easy soft pumpkin cookies are thick, tender, and moist inside, made with wholesome ingredients like pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and oats. Ready in 30 minutes, with no eggs, butter, or mixer needed. Perfect for breakfast, snacking, or freezing for later!
For more easy pumpkin baking, try our pumpkin oatmeal muffins, Greek yogurt pumpkin cake, or vegan pumpkin muffins.
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Why you’ll love our soft pumpkin cookies!
I know a recipe is a keeper when Louise eats it for breakfast seven days in a row. 😂 And that’s exactly what happened with these easy soft pumpkin cookies with maple syrup! They’re thick, tender, wonderfully moist inside, and full of warm pumpkin spice and little pockets of dark chocolate.
Made with real pumpkin puree, rolled oats, maple syrup, and a little oil, they’re a more wholesome take on traditional cookies. No butter, no eggs, and no refined sugar in the base dough. Just simple pantry staples and plenty of cozy fall flavor. 🎃
And here’s the best part: no mixer, no chilling, no rolling, and no flattening. Just scoop the dough onto parchment paper and bake. They hold their shape beautifully, staying soft and moist inside.
We now make a double batch and freeze the extras. Just 30 seconds in the microwave, and you’ve got a warm, soft pumpkin cookie ready for breakfast, snacking, or a little something sweet. 🍁
P.S: If you love easy homemade cookies, don’t miss our almond butter chocolate chip cookies, almond croissant cookies, and Italian almond cookies.
Ingredients
Full ingredients and substitutions are in the recipe box below.
- Pumpkin puree: Use pure canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. Homemade pumpkin puree works too, as long as it’s thick and not watery.
- Maple syrup: Naturally sweetens these maple pumpkin cookies with a lovely caramel flavor. Substitute honey or agave syrup. Alternatively, replace it with ½ cup (100 g) brown or granulated sugar.
- Vegetable oil: Keeps the cookies soft and moist. Use light olive oil, avocado oil, or another neutral vegetable oil instead.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and rounds out the pumpkin flavor. Substitute almond extract, using a smaller amount.
- All-purpose flour: Gives these eggless pumpkin cookies their tender structure. Try white whole wheat flour or a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour.
- Rolled oats: Add fiber and a pleasant, hearty bite. Both old-fashioned and quick oats work well.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Brings that classic fall flavor. Substitute cinnamon with a pinch of nutmeg and ginger.
- Baking soda: Helps the cookies stay tender. Best not to substitute.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the spices. Fine sea salt or table salt both work.
- Mini dark chocolate chips: Add little pockets of chocolate throughout these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Substitute raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped walnuts or pecans.
How to Make Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Step 1. Mix the wet ingredients
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line one large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
Step 2. Make the dough
Add the flour, rolled oats, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt to the same bowl.
Stir with a spoon until you have a thick, soft, and sticky dough, then fold in the mini dark chocolate chips.
Don’t overmix. Stop stirring as soon as you can’t see any dry flour.
Step 3. Scoop the cookies
Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough directly onto the prepared baking sheet.
Tip: Keep a cup of water nearby and dip the scoop into it after each cookie. This prevents the sticky dough from sticking to the scoop and makes portioning much easier.
You can fit 15 to 16 cookies on one large baking sheet because they don’t spread. No need to roll or flatten them! Their rounded shape gives them a wonderfully thick, soft center.
Step 4. Bake and cool
Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 16 to 18 minutes, until the tops look set and no longer wet.
Let the cookies cool directly on the baking sheet. They’re delicious slightly warm, when the centers are soft and moist and the chocolate chips are still a little melty.
Just avoid eating them straight from the oven while they’re still hot.
Tips
- Use pure pumpkin puree: Not pumpkin pie filling, which already contains sugar and spices. Canned pumpkin works best because it’s thick and consistent.
- Don’t add extra liquid: Pumpkin and maple syrup provide plenty of moisture. The dough should be thick, soft, and sticky, not runny.
- Don’t overmix: Stir just until the flour disappears to keep the cookies soft and tender.
- Use a cookie scoop: It makes portioning the sticky dough easy and helps the cookies bake evenly.
- Keep a cup of water nearby: Dip your cookie scoop in water after each cookie to prevent sticking and keep the scoop clean.
- Don’t flatten the cookies: They barely spread in the oven. Keeping their rounded shape gives them a thick, soft, moist center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Homemade pumpkin puree works well, but make sure it’s thick and not watery. Excess moisture can make the cookies too soft or gummy.
Yes, try a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour instead of all-purpose flour and use certified gluten-free oats. The texture may vary slightly.
Absolutely! Both work well. Old-fashioned rolled oats give the cookies a heartier texture, while quick oats make them slightly softer.
Pumpkin contains a lot of moisture, so these cookies are naturally soft and slightly cakey rather than crispy or chewy. That’s exactly what makes them so tender!
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months. We love making a double batch and freezing the extras. Just microwave a frozen cookie for about 30 seconds, and it’s wonderfully soft and warm again!
More Easy Breakfast and Snack Recipes
- Healthy Breakfast Cookies
- Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies
- Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
- Baked Apple Oatmeal Cups
- Banana Oatmeal Muffins
- Banana Oatmeal Bars
- Oatmeal Raisin Energy Balls
- No Bake Oat Bars
If you try this Soft Pumpkin Cookies Recipe please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it turned out in the comments—we love hearing from you.
Easy Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Maple Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup vegetable oil or a light olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup rolled oats old-fashioned or quick oats
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup mini dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Mix the wet ingredients: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup pumpkin puree, ⅓ cup maple syrup, ¼ cup vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth.
- Make the dough: Add 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup rolled oats, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt.Stir with a spoon until you have a thick, sticky dough, then mix in ½ cup mini dark chocolate chips. Avoid over-mixing.
- Scoop the cookies: Use a cookie scoop to drop the dough directly onto the baking sheet. Keep a cup of water nearby and dip the scoop in after each cookie to prevent sticking.You can fit 15 to 16 cookies on one large baking sheet because they don't spread. No need to roll or flatten them!
- Bake and cool: Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 16 to 18 minutes, until the tops look set.Let the cookies cool directly on the baking sheet. They're delicious slightly warm, but avoid eating them straight from the oven while they're still hot.
Notes
- Pumpkin puree → Thick homemade pumpkin puree. Avoid pumpkin pie filling.
- Maple syrup → Honey or agave syrup. Alternatively, replace it with ½ cup (100 g) brown or granulated sugar.
- Vegetable oil → Light olive oil, avocado oil, or another neutral vegetable oil.
- Vanilla extract → A smaller amount of almond extract.
- All-purpose flour → White whole wheat flour or 1:1 gluten-free baking flour.
- Rolled oats → Old-fashioned or quick oats.
- Pumpkin pie spice → Cinnamon with a pinch of nutmeg and ginger.
- Baking soda → No substitution recommended.
- Salt → Fine sea salt or table salt.
- Mini dark chocolate chips → Raisins, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, or pecans.
- Use pure pumpkin puree: Not pumpkin pie filling. Canned pumpkin gives the best consistency.
- Don’t add liquid: The dough should be thick, soft, and sticky, not runny.
- Don’t overmix: Stir just until the flour disappears for soft, tender cookies.
- Use a cookie scoop: For evenly sized cookies. Dip it in water after each scoop to prevent sticking.
- Don’t flatten: The cookies barely spread, keeping their thick, soft, moist centers.
- Storage: Keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature or 5 days in the fridge. Freeze for up to 3 months and microwave for 30 seconds to enjoy warm.
Nutrition
Don’t Lose This Recipe
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Hi! We are Nico & Louise
We're here to share easy, healthy, and delicious recipes 🌿✨.
Welcome to our blog, we are glad you are here.
Can’t believe I have finally found this pumpkin mini chocolate chip cookie recipe. I hadn’t seen it for about 15 years! Love them.
So happy to hear that you like these cookies, Kelly!! It’s a new fall favorite treat in our home now 🥰
Thank you for taking the time to comment here. Warmest,
Louise