Healthy Flourless Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Protein Cookies

 
I’m partnering with PEScience to bring you today’s recipe! I absolutely love their protein powders. They taste amazing and are great for baking recipes, too!

A couple of weeks ago, I stopped by the store to grab groceries and pick out Halloween candy for the trick-or-treaters. With a fairly small neighborhood and only a few kids, I scoured the aisle for a small bag of mixed sweets… I really didn’t want to end up with too many tempting leftovers!  

As I pulled one of the more reasonably sized packages off of the shelf, I glanced to my left and spotted the store’s display of cute fall home décor, and in that moment, a light bulb went off in my head. “I can actually decorate my house!” I excitedly thought to myself.

After renting during and after college for so many years, and all of those apartment complexes’ strict stipulations about nail holes and décor (and fines!), I grew accustomed to living with fairly bare walls… But now that I own my house, I get to set the rules!
 

 
Like a child on Christmas morning, I explored every single item in the store’s autumn décor aisle, yet I still showed some restraint and only ended up with a handful of them in my shopping cart: rectangular signs that read “Gather” and “Hello Autumn,” a pumpkin-shaped wooden piece with “blessed” scripted across the front, and a bouquet of tangerine-colored fake flowers.

My dog keeps jumping up into my outdoor planter boxes as the spot for her morning naps, thus crushing all of my real flowers… So I figured the fake ones would at least last more than a few days!
 

 
Yet one of my favorite finds was a little square wooden block, meant for a bookshelf or fireplace mantle, with a piece of cloth pinned to the front with the phrase “Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice” scripted on it in the colors of rich tangerine and faded eggplant. I brought it home and set it on my dark wooden serving tray alongside dainty decorative candleholders (a Christmas present from my parents last year!) in one corner of my kitchen.

Now, every time I walk into my kitchen, I see that cute little corner and sign and smile… And I usually start craving pumpkin treats as a result!
 

 
So last week, I baked these Healthy Flourless Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Protein Cookies to satisfy those cravings! They’re supremely soft and chewy, just the way I love my oatmeal cookies, even though they contain no eggs or flour. They’re also filled with plenty of sweet pumpkin and spice flavors — basically like pumpkin pie in cookie form!

Definitely my idea of a delicious autumn treat! (And maybe my wooden sign’s, too!)
 

QUICK OVERVIEW – HEALTHY FLOURLESS PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL PROTEIN COOKIES

Difficulty: Mainly easy, including for many beginner bakers.

Taste: Festive, cozy, and sweet with lots of warm spices and morsels of chocolate set against a backdrop of comforting pumpkin and oats.

Texture: Supremely moist, soft, and chewy.
 

KEY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY FLOURLESS PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL PROTEIN COOKIES

Let’s talk about what ingredients you’ll need to bake your own batch of these healthy flourless pumpkin chocolate chip oatmeal protein cookies! Since you’re probably familiar with common staples like baking powder, salt, and vanilla extract, we’ll mainly cover the more interesting items.

Protein powder. A little back story before we get started… Every fall, I receive the same question on Instagram, Facebook, and right here on my blog when people come across my classic pumpkin chocolate chip oatmeal cookies recipe. “Can I add protein powder to these??” I did some recipe testing in my own kitchen, and now I have an answer for you…

YES!

So in these healthy pumpkin oatmeal cookies, you’ll replace the flour with PEScience Gourmet Vanilla SELECT Protein Powder. It’s low fat and low carb with zero added sugars, and it contains real vanilla beans. You can actually see the teensy black vanilla bean flecks in the protein powder, which give it a rich and truly irresistible vanilla flavor. I’m obsessed!

I was a little bit hesitant at first when I replaced all of the flour with PEScience Gourmet Vanilla SELECT Protein Powder. Sometimes, protein powders give cookies a gummy texture or weird aftertaste…

But not this one!! PEScience’s protein powder yielded cookies with the exact same soft and chewy texture as in my classic flour-containing oatmeal cookie recipe, and those vanilla bean bits added such a rich flavor. Zero doubts anymore — you can definitely add this protein powder to your healthy pumpkin oatmeal cookies with amazing results!

Hint: You can find PEScience products near you using their handy store locator here!

Tip: Many protein powder brands and products behave differently, especially in baking recipes, so they’re not necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for each other. I’ve covered this in more detail on my Protein Powder FAQ Page, and I highly recommend reviewing that before beginning!
 

 
Oats. Of course, you’ll also need some other ingredients to make your flourless pumpkin oatmeal protein cookies… Like instant oats! Instant oats are also called “quick cooking” and “one minute” oats. No… They’re not the ones that come in individual packets with flavors like maple brown sugar or apple cinnamon.

Just like old-fashioned rolled oats, instant oats only contain one ingredient: oats. The main difference? They’re smaller and thinner than traditional old-fashioned rolled oats, which means they soften faster and give your cookies the best moist and chewy texture.

Hint: This is why I use instant oats to make virtually all of my healthy oatmeal cookie recipes, as well as my healthy oatmeal muffin recipes and healthy oatmeal snack cake recipes. They yield a fantastic texture in all of these!

Tip: If you’d like to make your healthy flourless pumpkin oatmeal protein cookies gluten-free, then substitute certified gluten-free instant oats. They work perfectly!

Spices. Next, you’ll need spices. I made my own homemade pumpkin pie spice from cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

You could easily substitute store-bought, if you’d like. I know how handy those pre-mixed jars can be! Because I’ve found that many of those taste one-dimensional where the cinnamon strongly dominates, with very little flavor from the other spices, I just prefer to make my own blend for a better, cozier, and more balanced taste.

Hint: Pumpkin pie spice is sometimes shortened to “pumpkin spice” — but the name simply refers to the spices used to make pumpkin pie. There’s no pumpkin involved!

Unsalted butter or coconut oil. While many traditional cookie recipes call for ¼ to ½ cup, you merely need 1 ½ tablespoons of unsalted butter or coconut oil to make these. That really helps keep your flourless pumpkin oatmeal protein cookies low calorie and low fat! Yet they’re still just as beautifully soft and chewy…
 

 
Pumpkin. Because the pumpkin purée provides the rest of their soft and chewy texture! Remember to use regular pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie mix. The latter contains sugar and other ingredients, which can change how it behaves in baking recipes!

Tip: Pumpkin purée is also called “100% pumpkin” and “100% pure pumpkin,” so if you don’t see anything marked “pumpkin purée” at the store, look for cans labeled with one of these other names. Here in the US, shops often stock pumpkin purée on the baking aisle, rather than with the other canned fruits and vegetables, so check there first!

Sweetener. Instead of granulated sugar, you’ll sweeten your healthy pumpkin oatmeal protein cookies with pure maple syrup. It’s the kind that comes straight from maple trees! The only ingredient on the label should be “maple syrup,” and it usually comes in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs (like this!).

Tip: Skip the pancake syrups and sugar-free maple syrup! These include other ingredients, which also affects how they behave in baking recipes. This is particularly true of sugar-free maple syrup. It’s generally water-based, which makes your oatmeal cookies turn out bready and dry. Stick with real, true, 100% pure maple syrup for the best taste and texture!

Chocolate chips. Of course, we can’t forget the chocolate chips! As a big chocoholic, they’re one of my favorite parts of these pumpkin protein cookies. I use a combination of dark chocolate chips and mini chocolate chips. The dark chocolate chips add a big burst of chocolate, while the mini chips ensure every bite contains a morsel of chocolate. I love that little trick!

No eggs? Like I mentioned earlier, these flourless pumpkin chocolate chip oatmeal protein cookies contain no eggs. The pumpkin replaces them, so these cookies are naturally egg-free!
 

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY FLOURLESS PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL PROTEIN COOKIES

With that assortment of ingredients now sitting on your counter, let’s go over how to make the best flourless pumpkin oatmeal protein cookies! As promised, this recipe is easy and straightforward. I also wanted to share some tips to ensure your cookies turn out beautifully soft, chewy, and flavorful!

Measure correctly. As basic as this sounds, this is the most important step in the recipe. How you measure the ingredients yields a huge difference in your cookies. It can make or break both their taste and texture!

For the oats, use this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Do NOT scoop the oats directly from their container with your measuring cups. I know how tempting that is! Unfortunately, it can end up adding 1 ½ times as many oats, which throws off the ratio of dry and wet ingredients. Those extra oats soak up moisture from the dough, which then yields cakey, bready, crumbly, or dry cookies. Yet if you measure them properly, your cookies will turn out perfectly soft and chewy!

For the pure maple syrup, use measuring cups — not a kitchen scale! Although many scales offer a fluid ounces or mL option, this only works for liquids with a density of precisely 1.0g/mL (like water). Unless you want to look up the density of your exact maple syrup and do the math to convert it from mL to grams, measuring cups are more accurate. (Faster too!)

Chill. Because this flourless cookie dough is stickier than in my classic pumpkin oatmeal cookie recipe, you must chill the cookie dough before baking. This helps it stiffen so it doesn’t stick to your spatula as much when you transfer it to the baking sheet.
 

 
Drop + shape. And yes, you’ll need a spatula because… These healthy pumpkin oatmeal protein cookies don’t spread at all. They’ll look the same before and after baking — just no longer raw! — so you need to flatten the cookie dough before popping the pan in the oven. It takes a little extra effort, but I promise these cookies are worth it.

Hint: Because someone always asks… Nope, I don’t use any special tools to make my cookies look so round! Just these mini spatulas (aren’t they cute??) and a little patience to smooth out the cookies’ edges into nice circular shapes.

Bake. If you’re anything like me, you’ll plop down right in front of the oven, eagerly watch the tray, and impatiently wait for the timer to ring. Thank goodness these cookies finish baking relatively quickly! They’re ready to come out of the oven when the centers still look slightly squishy and underdone. The residual heat from the hot metal pan will cook those centers all the way through while you let the cookies rest before transferring them to a wire rack.

This is my #1 tip for the best soft and chewy oatmeal cookies! If you wait to pull them out until the centers felt firm and fully baked, your cookies would turn out overdone with a cakey, bready, or dry texture. Yet if you remove them a few minutes sooner, when the centers appear a teensy bit squidgy, they’ll be irresistibly soft and chewy. (And stay that way for virtually an entire week… If they last that long!)

Reshape (optional). This only affects their appearance — not their taste or texture! The moment you remove the tray from the oven, grab a dinner or butter knife and gently nudge any lopsided bits back into place to make your cookies look perfectly round. The dough is still malleable when you initially pull them out, but work fast because it sets very quickly!
 

FAQS ABOUT HEALTHY FLOURLESS PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL PROTEIN COOKIES

Are these flourless pumpkin oatmeal protein cookies gluten-free, egg-free, high protein, low fat, or low calorie?
Yes — to everything! When made according to the recipe, these healthy pumpkin oatmeal protein cookies are naturally high protein, egg-free, low fat, and low calorie (compared to many traditional recipes!). Because they contain no flour, opting for certified gluten-free oats means they’re also gluten-free.

Can I use old-fashioned rolled oats?
In a pinch — but pop them in a food processor or blender first! Pulse a few times or until they’re ⅛ to ¼ of their original size. This makes them much closer to the size of instant oats, so your cookies will have a similar soft and chewy consistency.

Can I substitute a different protein powder?
I specifically designed this recipe for PEScience Gourmet Vanilla SELECT Protein Powder. Many protein powder brands and products behave differently, especially in baking recipes, so they’re not necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for each other. (This is especially true for whey-based and plant-based powders!) I’ve shared more about this on my Protein Powder FAQ Page, along with additional helpful hints and tips, so I highly recommend reviewing that before beginning.

If you decide to experiment, measure by the number of grams per scoop of your particular protein powder as a starting point. (For example, if your protein powder is 28g per scoop, instead of the 31g per scoop of PEScience’s Gourmet Vanilla, you’d add 84g instead of 93g.)

Or just omit the protein powder?
Although omitting it entirely won’t work, you can replace it with flour! Regular whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, and oat flour (gluten-free if necessary!) all perform really well and yield delicious results.
 

 
Will store-bought pumpkin pie spice work?
Absolutely! I realize how easy and convenient those pre-mixed jars can be.

What about a different sweetener?
Sure! Honey and agave both work beautifully.

Or regular chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate chips?
Of course! If those are the kind that already sits in your pantry — or the ones you prefer — no need for a special trip to the grocery store. Regular semisweet chocolate chips are fine!

Can I use homemade pumpkin purée?
I haven’t tried, so I’m not personally sure. If you do end up experimenting, would you leave me a comment at the bottom of this post? I’d love to hear how it goes!

My cookies turned out cakey, bready, or dry. Do you know why?
There are a few common culprits. Too many oats, too much protein powder, or not enough sweeter will all yield that result. Double check you’re measuring each of these properly (and see the “Measure correctly” header in the “How to Make Healthy Flourless Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Protein Cookies” section above for more info!).

Next, substituting a different protein powder can have this effect, especially if it’s plant-based. Those protein powders are much more absorbent, which greatly throws off the ratio of wet and dry ingredients. (Check out my Protein Powder FAQ Page for more details and tips!)

Finally, overbaking these cookies will also make them cakey, bready, or dry. Try pulling them out of the oven a few minutes earlier, and see the “Bake” header in the “How to Make Healthy Flourless Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Protein Cookies” section above for more visual cues about how to tell when your cookies are done baking.

What’s the best way to store these healthy flourless pumpkin chocolate chip oatmeal protein cookies? And how long will they last?
Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep for at least four days, if not closer to a week or more… If they last that long! These flourless pumpkin oatmeal protein cookies also freeze really well.

Tip: I love to reheat individual cookies in the microwave on 30% power until they’re warmed all the way through. They practically taste freshly baked after doing that!
 

 
How yummy do they look?? 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 healthy flourless pumpkin chocolate chip oatmeal protein cookies!

Healthy Flourless Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Protein Cookies

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 15 cookies

These soft and chewy oatmeal cookies are full of fall flavors! Sweet pumpkin, warm spices, rich vanilla, indulgent chocolate… And they have a protein boost, too! What’s not to love?? Leftovers will keep for at least four days (if not closer to a week or more!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator — if they last that long!

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients 

• 1 cup (100g) instant oats (measured like this and gluten-free if necessary)
• 3 scoops (93g) PEScience Gourmet Vanilla SELECT Protein Powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 ½ tbsp (21g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• ¾ cup (183g) pumpkin purée (room temperature – and not pumpkin pie mix!)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup (room temperature)
• 2 tbsp (28g) dark chocolate chips
• 1 tbsp (14g) miniature chocolate chips, divided

Instructions

• Whisk together the oats, protein powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil or butter, pumpkin purée, and vanilla. Stir in the maple syrup. Add in the oat mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the dark chocolate chips and ½ tablespoon of miniature chocolate chips. Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
• Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet, and flatten to ⅜" thick using a spatula. (See Notes!) Gently press the remaining miniature chocolate chips into the tops. Bake at 325°F for 10-13 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

Notes

IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s extremely important to measure the oats correctly using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much will dry out the cookies and make them cakey, bready, crumbly, or dry, instead of soft and chewy.

 

IMPORTANT PROTEIN POWDER NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: This recipe was specifically designed for PEScience Gourmet Vanilla SELECT Protein Powder. To find it at a store near you, use their handy store locator here — or order it online here!

 

Most protein powders behave differently in baking recipes, especially when it comes to absorbing moisture. If you substitute a different whey-based protein powder, measure by the grams per scoop of your particular protein powder. You may need to add more protein powder if the cookie dough is too wet -OR- milk (any type will work!) if the cookie dough is too dry.

 

Do not substitute plant-based protein powder; it tends to be much more absorbent and generally results in dry, crumbly cookies. (See my Protein Powder FAQ Page for more info!)

 

IMPORTANT FLAVOR NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: For a stronger spice flavor, increase the cinnamon by ¼ to ½ teaspoon, and increase the nutmeg and ginger by ⅛ teaspoon each. (Also, I highly recommend Saigon cinnamon! It’s really affordable, and it tastes slightly stronger, richer, and sweeter than regular cinnamon. It’s practically the only kind I now use in my baking!)

 

IMPORTANT BAKING NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: These cookies don’t spread. They’ll look the same before and after baking (just no longer raw!).

 

Do not over-bake these cookies! They’re ready to come out of the oven when the centers still feel slightly soft and underdone. The heat from the warm baking sheet will continue to cook the centers all the way through while you let the cookies rest for 10 minutes after pulling the pan from the oven.

 

STEP 3 NOTE: If the cookie dough is still somewhat sticky after chilling, be patient while flattening it with the spatula on the prepared baking sheet. The somewhat sticky texture results in very soft and chewy cookies. I promise these cookies are worth the effort!

 

OATS NOTES + ALTERNATIVE: Instant oats are also known as “quick cooking” or “one-minute” oats. They’re smaller and thinner than old-fashioned rolled oats and generally come in large canisters or bags, just like old-fashioned rolled oats. They are not the ones in the small flavored packets of oatmeal.

 

In a pinch, to make your own, add the same amount of old-fashioned rolled oats to a food processor or blender, and pulse 10-12 times or until the oats are about ¼ to ⅛ of their original size.

 

SPICES ALTERNATIVE: If you prefer, 2 ½ teaspoons of store-bought premade pumpkin pie spice may be substituted for the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. (See the “Spices” header in the “Key Ingredients to Make Healthy Flourless Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Protein Cookies” section above for why I prefer to make my own!)

 

PUMPKIN NOTES: Pumpkin purée is also called “100% pure pumpkin” or “canned pumpkin.” For the best results, the only ingredient on the label should be “pumpkin.” I don’t recommend substituting pumpkin pie mix because it contains other ingredients, which affects the way it behaves in baking recipes.

 

I haven’t tried using homemade pumpkin purée, so I’m not personally sure how that will work. If you do, would you leave me a comment below? I’d love to hear how your cookies turned out!

 

PURE MAPLE SYRUP ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup. Regardless of which you use, make sure it’s at room temperature. If chilled, it will re-solidify the melted butter or coconut oil.

 

I don’t recommend substituting sugar-free maple syrup. Because it’s often water-based, it makes these cookies cakey or bready.

 

EGG-FREE OPTION: No modifications needed.

 

GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Use certified gluten-free instant oats.

 

HOW TO STORE: Store leftover oatmeal cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should last at least four days, if not closer to a week (or more!). Once baked and fully cooled, these oatmeal cookies also freeze really well!

 

For tips and answers to all protein powder related questions (including substitutions!), please see my Protein Power FAQ Page.

 

For answers to all other questions regarding substitutions and tips, see my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page.

 

{gluten-free, egg-free, clean eating, low fat, higher protein}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points

This post was sponsored by PEScience. To find their products near you, use their handy store locator here! As always, all text, photographs, opinions, and recipe are my own.
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Healthy Pumpkin Pie Protein Cookies (no oats!)
♡  Healthy Pumpkin Pie Protein Overnight Oats
♡  Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Protein Balls
♡  Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
♡  Healthy Flourless Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
♡  Healthy Flourless Chocolate Chunk Brownie Bites
♡  Healthy & Extra Fudgy Practically Flourless Brownies
♡  Healthy Practically Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
♡  …and all of Amy’s healthy higher protein recipes and healthy pumpkin recipes!