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Why You’ll Fall in Love with These Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies

These aren’t just any cookies; they’re a celebration of health, convenience, and delicious fall flavors. Here are just a few reasons why these pumpkin breakfast cookies will become a new favorite in your home:

• Irresistible Fall Flavors: Every bite transports you to a cozy autumn day. The warm notes of cinnamon perfectly blend with the sweet, earthy essence of pumpkin spice, creating a comforting taste that’s simply delightful. It’s all the joy of fall baking, wrapped up in a convenient cookie.
• Effortless One-Bowl Preparation: Say goodbye to stacks of dirty dishes! Just like my easy gluten-free dairy-free waffles, this cookie recipe is designed for minimal cleanup. All the ingredients come together in a single bowl, making the baking process quick, simple, and perfect for even the busiest mornings or novice bakers.
• Packed with Clean Eating Ingredients: You won’t find any refined flours or excessive sugars here! These cookies are crafted with whole grains like oats and oat flour, ensuring a nourishing start to your day. Plus, they boast an excellent nutritional profile, offering a significant boost of fiber, protein, and healthy fats from the ground flaxseeds and natural peanut butter. It’s wholesome goodness you can feel good about.
• Perfect for Meal Prep: These cookies are incredibly convenient for busy schedules. Whip up a batch (or double it!) at the beginning of the week, and you’ll have a healthy, pre-portioned breakfast or snack ready to go. They hold up beautifully, making morning routines smoother and healthier.
• Kid-Friendly and Approved: Getting kids to eat a nutritious breakfast can be a challenge, but these cookies are a guaranteed hit. They taste like a treat, but you’ll know they’re packed with real food, helping your little ones start their day on the right foot with essential nutrients.

Ingredients & Substitutions: Crafting Your Perfect Pumpkin Cookie

Creating these wholesome pumpkin breakfast cookies starts with selecting the right ingredients. Here’s a visual guide to what you’ll need, followed by some specific notes and substitution ideas to ensure your baking success.

A complete list of ingredients and their exact amounts can be found in the detailed recipe card below. These notes offer additional guidance for selecting high-quality components and making simple adjustments.

• Rolled Oats (Old-Fashioned Oats): These provide the ideal texture and hearty base for our cookies. If you’re baking for someone with a gluten sensitivity or celiac disease, it’s crucial to use certified gluten-free oats. While oats are naturally gluten-free, they can often be cross-contaminated with wheat during processing in shared facilities. Opting for certified options ensures safety and peace of mind.
• Canned Pumpkin: Ensure you are using pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling contains added sugars and spices, which would alter the flavor and health profile of these cookies. Always double-check the ingredient list; the only ingredient should be “pumpkin.”
• Peanut Butter: This ingredient adds healthy fats and protein, contributing to the rich texture and satiety of the cookies. You have flexibility here; feel free to use any natural nut butter you prefer, such as almond butter or cashew butter. If you need these cookies to be nut-free due to allergies, sunflower seed butter (SunButter) is an excellent substitute that maintains a similar consistency and nutritional value.
• Oat Flour: I personally love using homemade oat flour because it’s a whole grain and incredibly easy to make from rolled oats. If you don’t have oat flour on hand, you can substitute with regular all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or a gluten-free all-purpose blend. Again, if gluten-free is a necessity, make sure your oat flour (or chosen substitute) is certified gluten-free.
• Maple Syrup: This natural sweetener provides just the right amount of sweetness without any refined sugars. Its subtle caramel notes also complement the pumpkin and spices beautifully.
• Eggs: Act as a binder, holding all the ingredients together and contributing to the chewy texture. (See FAQ for vegan substitution.)
• Pumpkin Pie Spice & Cinnamon: These ground spices are essential for that signature fall flavor. Feel free to adjust the quantities to your preference, adding a little extra if you love a bolder spice profile.
• Baking Powder & Fine Sea Salt: Crucial for the cookies’ rise and to balance the flavors, enhancing the overall taste.
• Chocolate Chips: A delightful addition that makes these cookies feel even more like a treat. Opt for high-quality, dairy-free, or lower-sugar options if desired.

Clean Food Tips for Optimal Health:

• I highly recommend using organic oats. Unfortunately, like many grains, conventional oats are often sprayed with glyphosate (a controversial herbicide linked to increased cancer risk and potential hormone disruption) just before harvesting. Choosing organic significantly reduces your exposure.
• When selecting chocolate chips, look for brands with minimal ingredients: ideally just sugar, chocolate liquor (cocoa mass), and cocoa butter. Avoid those with artificial flavors, excessive added sugars, or unhealthy oils. My personal favorite brands for clean chocolate chips include Equal Exchange Organic Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, Hu Chocolate, and Pascha.
• For nut butter, always aim for varieties that contain just one or two ingredients: the nuts themselves, and perhaps a touch of salt. Steer clear of brands that include added oils (like palm oil) or sugars. Costco’s organic peanut butter is a fantastic, clean option, and Once Again is another excellent choice known for its quality and simplicity.

Step 1: Before you begin, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Then, in a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together all your wet ingredients until smooth and well combined.

Step 2: Add the remaining dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet mixture (holding back the chocolate chips for now). Mix thoroughly until the oats are fully incorporated and a thick, uniform “dough” has formed. Make sure there are no dry pockets.

Step 3: Gently fold in the chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the cookie dough. Don’t overmix at this stage.

Step 4: Using a spring-loaded cookie scoop (a heaping 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie works best for consistent sizing), scoop balls of dough onto your prepared cookie sheet, leaving a little space between each.

Step 5: These cookies won’t spread much in the oven, so take a moment to shape them. Lightly wet your hands and gently flatten each dough ball into your desired round cookie shape. This step ensures a perfect, uniform cookie every time.

Step 6: Bake your cookies in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes, or until the edges appear set and the cookies are semi-firm to the touch. Once baked, allow them to cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack.

Expert Tips for Perfect Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies

Unlock the secrets to baking the most delicious and perfectly textured pumpkin breakfast cookies with these helpful tips from a seasoned home baker:

• Double the Recipe for Easy Meal Prep: This recipe yields 12 cookies, which can disappear quickly! I highly recommend you double the recipe. Having extra on hand makes breakfast or snack time incredibly convenient throughout the week, and they freeze beautifully for even longer enjoyment.
• Customize with Additional Add-ins: While chocolate chips are a delicious standard, feel free to get creative! For a more hearty and nutrient-dense cookie, try incorporating other wholesome additions like chopped walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), or unsweetened craisins. If you’re looking to reduce added sugars further, you can even omit the chocolate chips entirely.
• Tame Sticky Dough with Wet Hands: The cookie dough will be quite sticky, which is normal for a moist, healthy cookie. To prevent it from clinging to your hands while shaping, simply lightly wet your hands with water before flattening or forming the dough balls into their desired cookie shape. This simple trick makes the process much easier and cleaner.
• Utilize a Spring-Loaded Cookie Scoop: For consistent cookie size and effortless portioning, a spring-loaded cookie scoop is your best friend. A 2-tablespoon sized scoop works perfectly for this recipe, ensuring uniform cookies that bake evenly.
• Enhance with a Coconut Butter Glaze: For an extra touch of decadence and a hint of sweetness, consider drizzling some homemade coconut butter glaze over the cooled cookies. It adds a lovely aesthetic and an additional layer of flavor.
• Don’t Expect Spreading: Unlike traditional cookies, these breakfast cookies will hold their shape during baking. This means the shape you form them into on the baking sheet is the shape they will keep. So, ensure you flatten them sufficiently if you prefer a wider, thinner cookie.

Is pumpkin puree the same as canned pumpkin?

Yes, absolutely! Pumpkin puree and canned pumpkin are indeed the same product – 100% pure cooked pumpkin. However, it’s essential to distinguish this from pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling is a pre-mixed product that contains added sugars, spices, and sometimes other ingredients, designed for convenience in making pies. For this recipe, and for most healthy pumpkin recipes, you should always use plain pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin) where the only ingredient listed is “pumpkin.” This allows you to control the sweetness and flavor profile of your cookies.

What’s the difference between a breakfast cookie and a regular cookie?

The primary difference lies in their nutritional composition and intended purpose. Breakfast cookies are specifically designed to be a more wholesome and nutrient-dense option suitable for the first meal of the day or a healthy snack. They are typically made with a focus on whole grains (like oats), healthy fats (from nuts or seeds), fiber, and protein. Crucially, they contain significantly less sugar, oil, and/or butter compared to a classic dessert cookie. The goal of a breakfast cookie is to provide sustained energy and satiety, whereas a regular cookie is generally a sweet treat without the same nutritional focus.

Can I make these pumpkin breakfast cookies vegan?

Yes, these pumpkin breakfast cookies can easily be adapted to be vegan-friendly! The main ingredient to substitute is the eggs. You can effectively replace the two eggs with an egg substitute, such as two flax eggs (made by mixing 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed meal with 5-6 tablespoons of water and letting it sit to thicken). Additionally, ensure that the chocolate chips you choose are certified dairy-free and vegan. Excellent vegan chocolate chip options include Equal Exchange and Enjoy Life. With these simple adjustments, you can enjoy a delicious plant-based breakfast cookie.

Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies

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Equipment

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  1 Mixing bowl
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  1 Baking sheet

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition Information

(Based on 12 servings)

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