Easy Halloween Oat Cookies – Pumpkin, Pecans & Chocolate

I hope you’re ready for the Halloween – or fall – version of my signature chocolate chunk oat cookies, because here they come! Naturally, I had to bake something with pumpkin – when I think of October or Halloween, I always think of pumpkin, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

This recipe is essentially the cookie version of my favorite pumpkin bread, the one I shared earlier for All Hallows’ Eve. But these little treats bake much faster, fit perfectly into busy autumn days, and make a sweet snack for in-between moments. They’re also wonderful to hand out to trick-or-treaters or to surprise someone you love with a sweet homemade gesture.

These cookies are soft and cozy, lightly spiced, and filled with melty dark chocolate. The oats give them a hearty bite, the pumpkin keeps them tender, and toasted pecans (if you use them) add an extra warm crunch. They taste like the scent of October – cinnamon, pumpkin, and chocolate. And truly, they shouldn’t be restricted to just this one month. Who says they can’t be enjoyed in November as well? With a cozy hot chocolate or a pumpkin spice latte, they taste great on every day of fall!

For 20-25 small or 10-12 large cookies you’ll need:

• 240 g pumpkin or 120 g pumpkin purée
• 60-80 g pecans, depending on how nutty you like your cookies (optional)
• 200 g dark chocolate
• 150 g butter (room temperature)
• 170 g raw cane sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla sugar or extract
• 1 egg
• 160 g flour
• 200 g rolled oats
• 2 tsp cinnamon (+ 1 more if you’re making the pumpkin purée yourself)
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt

Recipe:

I. Make the pumpkin puree (optional step)

• Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F).
• Remove the seeds, stringy fibers, and skin from the pumpkin. Make sure you have at least 240 g of flesh. Baking reduces water content, so start with a little extra – you want to have enough for your pumpkin purée later. And if you have leftovers, you can use them for a soup, in a pasta sauce, or even stir the in your oatmeal the next morning.
• Cut the pumpkin into thumb-wide cubes and season with a teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of salt.
• Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until soft.
• Let the pumpkin cool to room temperature and blend it with a hand or stand mixer until smooth.
• Weigh out 120 g of the puree for the cookies.

II. Toast the pecans (optional)

• If using pecans, I recommend toasting them – it’s not necessary, but it adds aroma and crunch, ant it’s worth the extra few minutes.
• Keep the oven at 180 °C (350 °F).
• Spread the pecans on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast them in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
• Once they’re cool enough to handle, chop them roughly.

III. Make the cookie dough & form the cookies

• Reduce the oven heat to 160°C (320°F).
• Chop the dark chocolate and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, sugar, and vanilla extract or sugar with a stand or hand mixer on high speed for 1-2 minutes, until creamy. Reduce the speed to low.
• Crack the egg into the bowl and mix on medium-high until fully incorporated. Mix in the pumpkin purée on low speed until combined.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the oats, flour, spices, and salt. Gradually add thia dry mixture to the batter. Mix until just combined – using a spatula by hand makes it easier to avoid overmixing, which can make the cookies dense or dry, so I recommend doing it the old-fashioned way.
• Fold in the chopped chocolate and pecans (if using).
• Form dough balls that weigh about 40-50 g each (or 80-100 g for large cookies). Place them on two parchment-lines baking sheets with some space between them. Gently press each ball down just a little – they’ll spread in the oven.

III. Bake & serve your cookies

• Bake the cookies for 14-18 minutes at 160°C (350°F). They should look set at the edges and slightly soft in the center. They firm us as they cool. If the centers still look shiny or wet, bake them for 2-3 more minutes, watching closely.
• Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a rack or tray.
• Serve them slightly warm with the dark chocolate chunks still soft or completely cooled. They’re perfect with a cozy hot chocolate or a pumpkin spice latte.

Notes:

• The cookies keep well in an air-tight container for 3-4 days.
• If you don’t like pecans but want some crunch, try walnuts or hazelnuts instead.
• You can also freeze the cookie dough after making balls. Once you’re ready to bake them just bake them in the preheated oven as described in the recipe – you only need to add 1 more minute baking time.