Pumpkin Cheesecake Oatmeal Cookies
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Yields: 15 cookies
 
This fun recipe is perfect for pumpkin lovers! It’s full of cozy spices, and that sweet cheesecake drizzle makes the chewy cookies even more irresistible. They’ll keep for at least a week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator—if they last that long!
  • 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
  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
Notes: It’s extremely important to measure both the oats and flour correctly using the spoon and level method or a kitchen scale. (I highly recommend the latter, and this is the inexpensive kitchen scale that I own!) Too much of either will dry out the cookies and leave them crumbly instead of chewy.

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}
Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2016/09/15/pumpkin-cheesecake-oatmeal-cookies/