During my first quarter at college, I signed up for a nutrition seminar. Held once a week and led by one of the graduate students in the department, about ten of us freshmen met in a small classroom inside of the engineering building to learn about the different careers and specialties within the field.
The girl in charge tried to keep the sessions fairly stress-free and somewhat fun, so as Thanksgiving approached, along with a huge slew of midterms in our chemistry and calculus courses, she planned for us to spend one evening baking holiday treats. (Healthier ones… It was a nutrition class, after all!) As homework, we each emailed her two recipes, and she bought the groceries for four of those.
On that particular Wednesday evening, we met in one of the kitchens in the nutritional sciences building instead of our usual classroom, and we each took charge of one part of the recipe preparation. Some students chopped chocolate and nuts, others measured and mixed ingredients, and the rest set timers and washed dishes.
The graduated student had selected the pumpkin cookie recipe that I sent in, along with peanut butter kiss cookies, classic chocolate chip cookies, and a special egg-free and dairy-free oatmeal cookie recipe from a girl on a vegan diet. As a fairly adventurous baker, I looked over that girl’s shoulder as she started preparing the dough.
In addition to typical ingredients like flour and baking powder, she poured in olive oil, applesauce for sweetness, and handfuls of walnuts, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, dried cranberries, and carob chips for texture. After incorporating everything into the bowl, she dropped spoonfuls onto the baking sheet, and when they came out of the oven, the cookies stayed completely spherical without spreading a single millimeter.
Although other students hovered around the trays of the other three more traditional treats, the graduate student and I bravely sampled one of those egg-free and dairy-free cookies. At the end of the evening, I silently cheered when the graduate student suggested that the girl took all of her cookies home to enjoy herself since they were the only ones she could eat.
I’m sure you know by now how much I love my oatmeal cookies… But those were just… Different. And not sweet at all. They almost reminded me of birdseed turned into something you’d eat for breakfast!
But I had a feeling that if I combined the oatmeal component of her cookies with the pumpkin part of mine, that would be an absolutely irresistible treat. And finally, way too many years later, I did just that and created a new recipe for these Pumpkin Cheesecake Oatmeal Cookies! Soft, chewy, perfectly sweet with a vanilla cheesecake drizzle… And just 95 calories!
Bliss. Pure cozy autumn bliss. ?
This is the next installment of my clean eating oatmeal cookies recipe series. Have you tried any of those others yet? They’re some of the most popular recipes on my blog—and for a good reason! They’re chewy and taste every bit as delicious as traditional oatmeal cookies, but they contain no butter, refined flour or sugar.
Just like the others, this recipe begins with whole wheat flour (or gluten-free, if you prefer!) and instant oats. Instant oats are also called “quick cooking” or “one-minute” oats, and they’re sold in canisters right next to the old-fashioned oats at the grocery store.
It’s extremely important to measure both the flour and oats correctly, using either the spoon and level method or a kitchen scale. Too much of either ingredient will dry out your cookie dough and make the cookies taste cakey instead of chewy. This is especially true for the oats—they act like little sponges and soak up all the moisture from your cookie dough! For this reason, I highly recommend a kitchen scale. This is the one that I own, and it has been the best $20 I’ve ever spent. I use it every day and for every recipe that I publish here because it ensures my treats turn out with the perfect taste and texture every time I make them.
The pumpkin purée plays two roles in your cookie dough. It provides flavor (I’m sure you guessed that already!), and it replaces the eggs. Yes, this cookie dough doesn’t contain eggs, so it’s perfectly safe to eat raw! (Which is almost dangerous if you’re like me and love sneaking spoonfuls of dough from the bowl for taste tests…) Make sure you buy regular pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie mix. The latter contains refined sugar, which we’re avoiding!
Instead, you’ll sweeten these cookies with pure maple syrup. Remember to buy the good stuff! Avoid pancake syrups or sugar-free syrups; those contain corn syrup or artificial ingredients. The only ingredient on the label should be “maple syrup.” It generally comes in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs, and I’ve also bought it in bulk online here at a cheaper price.
To make the cheesecake drizzle, you’ll start with Greek yogurt cream cheese. I found mine at Safeway (their own Lucerne brand), and many Walmart stores stock this brand as well. You can also substitute well-softened Neufchâtel or regular cream cheese in a pinch.
You’ll use one of my favorite ingredients to sweeten the drizzle: vanilla crème stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that’s clean eating friendly, and it’s highly concentrated. You only need about 8 drops to sweeten the entire drizzle! This is the kind that I buy because I love its warm vanilla flavor and don’t notice any strange aftertaste like with some other stevia products. You can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, but I almost always buy it online here. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
Time for cookies! And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your cookies and feature them in my Sunday Spotlight series!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Oatmeal Cookies | Print |
- for the cookies
- 1 cup (100g) instant oats (measured like this and gluten-free if necessary)
- ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- ¾ cup (183g) pumpkin purée, room temperature (not pumpkin pie mix)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup
- for the drizzle
- 1 tbsp (14g) Greek yogurt cream cheese, softened
- 1 tsp nonfat milk (or more, as needed, for a thinner consistency)
- 8-12 drops vanilla crème stevia, or adjusted to taste
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- To prepare the cookies, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, pumpkin, and vanilla. Stir in the maple syrup. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated.
- Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet, and flatten to about half of their original height using a spatula. Bake at 325°F for 10-13 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Just before serving, prepare the drizzle by stirring together the cream cheese, milk, and stevia in a small bowl. Transfer the mixture to a zip-topped bag, cut off a tiny piece of one corner, and drizzle on top of the cooled cookies.
Instant oats are also known as quick-cooking or minute oats. They come in large canisters, just like old-fashioned oats. They are not the ones in the small flavored packets of oatmeal. To make your own, add the same amount of old-fashioned oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-12 times.
For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free instant oats and the following gluten-free flour blend: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (17g) brown rice flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum.
Either well-softened Neufchâtel (⅓-less fat) cream cheese or regular cream cheese may be substituted for the Greek yogurt cream cheese.
Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
You may substitute 1 ½ teaspoons of pure maple syrup, honey, or agave for the vanilla crème stevia. If you use this substitution, omit the milk as well.
For a vegan version, use the coconut oil option, this dairy-free cream cheese in place of the Greek yogurt cream cheese, and any non-dairy milk in place of the nonfat milk.
For more tips and answers to all other questions, including substitutions, see my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ page.
{gluten-free, vegan option, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
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You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♥ Pumpkin Pie Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
♥ The Ultimate Healthy Soft & Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
♥ Pumpkin Pie Protein Cookies
♥ Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
♥ The Ultimate Healthy Pumpkin Pie
♥ Pumpkin Spice Latte Energy Bites
♥ Pumpkin Spice Latte Protein Overnight Oats
♥ …and the rest of Amy’s pumpkin recipes!
Hi Amy, I have a question on the pumpkin puree. I have fresh pumpkin puree without any sweetener from my garden. Can I use that instead of the organic one you list? How much? Can I use regular sugar for the stevia and how much do I use?
I am not fond of artificial sweeteners because I have Fibromyalgia and they do not agree with me.
Thanks Pattie
Yes, your pumpkin purée from your garden should work! You’ll need 1-2 teaspoons of sugar, depending on how sweet you’d like the drizzle. I can’t wait to hear what you think of the cookies Pattie! 🙂
Hi Amy,
Can I replace the maple syrup in the cookies with pure agave without affecting the texture too much?
Thanks,
I answer that question on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ page, which is linked to in the Notes section underneath the Instructions. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the cookies Laura!
Thank you, Amy! Glad to know I can substitute equal amounts of pure agave or honey for the maple syrup in this recipe as well as in your other oatmeal cookie recipes. These are next on my to-bake list!
You’re welcome Laura! I’m so excited to hear what you think of them! 🙂
I love that little story behind these cookies! They look so delicious, and combine 4 of my favourite things – pumpkin, cheesecake, oatmeal, and cookies!!?
It’s incredible how pumpkin can work so beautifully in many baked goods. Although, the first time I used pumpkin puree to make a pumpkin pie, I forgot to add the sugar! We ended up with quite a savoury pie, but topped it with plenty of whipped cream and some ice cream! For my second attempt, I used condensed milk, so the pie turned out so delicious!
For when I next make pumpkin pie, I am DEFINITELY going to use your healthy pumpkin pie recipe – it looks brilliant!
It seems as though I’m going to have to buy many cans of pumpkin this Autumn…? x
That sounds just like one time when my mom made pecan pie… And she forgot the sugar too! It was basically scrambled eggs with pecans. Not quite your traditional US Thanksgiving dessert! 😉 I’ve already bought out one grocery store’s entire inventory of pumpkin, so it sounds like we’re in the same boat Katie! I can’t wait to hear what you think of my pumpkin pie recipe when you try it! ♥
Ahaha, we’ve all done it at some point I guess!? I used up my last can of pumpkin when I made your pumpkin overnight oats recipe yesterday (so delicious!), so I need to go and buy some more. Perhaps I should make the pumpkin pie tomorrow, to mark the beginning of Autumn (Fall)!!☺
Awww, you’re such a sweetheart Katie!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the overnight oats! 🙂 I’m a firm believer that you can never have too much pumpkin… I tend to over-buy to get me through the months where grocery stores no longer stock it! 😉
Can i use regular white flour
I’m assuming you’re the same Lori that asked this on Facebook? If so, I hope you found the answer! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookies Lori!