A few weeks ago, my friend Odette and I planned to meet up for coffee late one Friday morning. She picked out a cute local shop, one I had never been to, situated on a bustling street tucked in between a gas station and small gardening nursery.
As soon as I stepped inside, I spotted Odette’s smiling face, talking with another patron while standing behind a stroller, her two energetic kids bouncing in its seats. After ordering an iced latte for her and a plain black iced coffee for me, we found two chairs in a quiet corner of the café.
Conversation flowed easily, even with her three-year-old daughter sweetly offering to paint Odette’s nails every few minutes with toddler-friendly glitter polish. We chatted about healthy lifestyles, working from home, traveling, social media… Basically, our conversation bounced around as much as her adorable happy-go-lucky daughter!
When her kids’ tummies started rumbling, we realized we should probably head out so she could get them lunch. I walked her to their car parked a few blocks away in the residential streets behind the coffee shop, and before we took off, I handed her a bag of homemade goodies.
It’s me… How could I not share baked treats??
That little package included these Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies! They have the sweetness of muffins and the same irresistibly chewy texture of traditional cookies… And they’re full of hearty oats, warm spices, and cozy pumpkin—so they basically taste like pumpkin pie {with chocolate chips!} for breakfast!
Odette texted me a day or two later to say that her family loved these cookies… And that they disappeared incredibly fast! That’s the best kind of compliment! 🤓
Just like the rest of my healthy oatmeal cookie recipes, both regular dessert-style ones and my breakfast cookies, these start with whole wheat flour (or gluten-free, if you prefer!) and instant oats (like this!). Instant oats are also called “quick-cooking” or “one-minute” oats, and they’re smaller and thinner than traditional rolled oats.
It’s extremely important to measure the flour and oats correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. Too much of either will make your cookies taste bready or cakey, especially the oats. They act like little sponges and soak up lots of moisture from your cookie dough! I highly recommend this kitchen scale that I own (it only cost me $20!). I use it to make every recipe that I share with you because it ensures my treats turn out with the perfect taste and texture every time I make them!
You’ll also need a generous amount of pumpkin purée (like this… not pumpkin pie filling!). Pumpkin season is my favorite time of the “food” year! Its comforting flavor combined with cozy spices… Pure bliss! And in this recipe, the pumpkin also replaces the eggs, so the cookie dough is safe to eat raw! If you want to sneak a taste… Or three… I won’t judge!
To sweeten these cookies, you’ll use pure maple syrup (like this!), but you’ll only add half the amount of my dessert oatmeal cookie recipes. Using less gives them the sweetness level of muffins—and that makes them perfectly acceptable for breakfast! Then you’ll stir in a little unsweetened cashew milk (it’s thick and creamy and sooo good!) to give the cookie dough enough moisture.
Now it’s time to add mini chocolate chips! I love using minis because they ensure every bite contains chocolate… Which is very important to a chocoholic like me! (These are my current favorite!) And remember to flatten the cookie dough before popping your baking tray in the oven because these cookies don’t spread while baking!
How does that look for a yummy (and healthy!) breakfast treat?? 👌🏻 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 breakfast cookies and feature them in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies | Print |
- 1 cup (100g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
- ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- ¾ cup (183g) pumpkin purée, room temperature (not pumpkin pie mix!)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60mL) pure maple syrup, room temperature
- ¼ cup (60mL) unsweetened cashew milk, room temperature
- 2 ½ tbsp (35g) miniature chocolate chips, divided
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together the coconut oil, pumpkin, and vanilla. Stir in the maple syrup and milk. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in 2 tablespoons of miniature chocolate chips.
- Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet, and flatten to the desired thickness and width using a spatula. Gently press the remaining miniature chocolate chips into the tops. Bake at 325°F for 9-11 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
Instant oats are also known as quick-cooking or one-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 or until the oats are about ¼ to ⅛ of their original size.
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 (15g) brown rice flour, and ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends will also work, if measured like this.
Any milk may be substituted for the unsweetened cashew milk.
For answers to all other questions regarding substitutions and tips, see my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page.
{gluten-free, vegan, clean eating, low fat}
View Nutrition Information
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
♡ Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Cookies
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
♡ Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Soft & Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy oatmeal cookie recipes!
I would love to add a protein boost with the vanilla whey protein powder I have. Can I just add it or do I need to replace some of the ingrediebts? Thanks!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Caitlyn! Baking with protein powders can be a bit tricky (it’s why I have an entire FAQ page dedicated to that here!). Because every brand of protein powder behaves differently, I can’t guarantee that substituting some of your whey powder for flour will turn out. It tends to make doughs overly sticky and harder to work with! 😉 If you do try these cookies, I’d love to hear what you think of them!
What happens if the milk and maple syrup are cold from the fridge rather than room temp?
If they’re cold, straight from the fridge, then they’ll cause your melted butter or coconut oil to immediately re-solidify. Since I rarely remember to remove the milk and maple syrup from the fridge in time, I just pour them in a microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl and pop that in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, or until they’re at room temperature (or above)! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookies Karen!
Thanks! We made them this afternoon and they were a hit! My picky four year old chose them as his bedtime treat, so they are definitely kid approved too!
That means so much to me Karen! Thank you for sharing that with me! 🙂
can you use old fashioned – five minute cooking oats?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Ruth! I’ve actually answered that already in the Notes section underneath the Instructions. It can be easy to miss! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookies!
thank you for responding to my question, but so basically you do need to use the instant oats or five minute oats made to be instant? I just like the five minute oats in recipes rather than the pulverized instant oats 🙂
My oatmeal cookie recipes work best with instant oats, Ruth! You’re welcome to sub your five-minute oats if you prefer, but the texture won’t be the same. 🙂