I don’t know if we should be telling you this but…these cookies are inspired by dog biscuits.
It’s true! Allow us to explain.
We recently created a recipe for simple, nutritious peanut butter dog treats, and we of course had to sample them. “Not bad,” we thought. And we wondered what would happen if we sweetened them a bit and turned them into cookies.
Spoiler alert: MAJOR WIN. As in, one of our favorite and EASIEST pumpkin recipes to date! Let us show you how!
How To Make These Breakfast Cookies
This 30-minute recipe is gluten-free, vegan, naturally sweetened, and comes together in a food processor! Hooray for fewer dishes!
Vibrant pumpkin purée is blended with wholesome oats for plenty of fiber, peanut butter for healthy fats, roasted peanuts for crunch, maple syrup for natural sweetness, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice for that fall flavor kick, and vanilla + salt for flavor balance.
For dry ingredients we kept it simple: JUST OATS! Oats are blended into a “loose flour” for ease. (And nutrition!) Just 1 cup of rolled oats provides more than 8 grams of fiber and 10 grams of protein!
Once blended, the texture should be slightly tacky and easy to form into cookie dough balls. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet, slightly “smoosh,” and bake.
While the cookies are baking, we suggest you make a Pumpkin Spice Matcha Latte and curl up with a good book, or call a dear friend or family member. It’s the perfect “waiting for my cookies to bake” activity, if you ask us.
Or dancing. Dancing is always a good idea.
This is the type of cookie that makes you want to go back for another! The pumpkin spice flavor marries perfectly with nutty, salty peanut butter. And the roasted peanuts add a delicious crunch. Swoon!
We love these cookies with a cup of tea, coffee, or ice cold almond milk. Make a batch to enjoy throughout the week, or bring to a fall book club or party! Cozy vibes will ensue.
More Pumpkin Recipes!
- Miso Pumpkin Risotto with Crispy Sage
- Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats
- Pumpkin Spice Cake Bites (No-Bake!)
- 1-Bowl Pumpkin Muffins (V+GF)
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Pumpkin Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats (ensure certified gluten-free as needed)
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin purée
- 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts (or sub chopped pecans)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt (omit if using salted peanut butter/peanuts)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and lightly grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the oats to a food processor and process until finely ground — about 30-45 seconds. They don’t need to be as finely ground as oat flour but should be close. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until combined.
- Use a cookie scooper (like this one) or tablespoon to measure out 1 ½ Tbsp amounts of dough to gently roll into balls. Arrange on the baking sheet and press down gently with the palm of your hand or a lightly oiled glass to smash slightly. They won’t spread much, so it’s okay if there’s not much space between the cookies.
- Let cool fully before storing in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Elizabeth says
I love this one in many ways. Great straightforward GF vegan no added oil and low glycemic cookie recipe & all ingredients mixed in food processor. My husband and increasingly food fussy 2yo granddaughter loved them.
I will likely double and freeze my next batch. Thank you for this recipe 😊
We’re so glad you and your family enjoy them, Elizabeth. Thank you for sharing! xo
Susan says
Trying to simplify for a cooking class, could I skip the food processor step, not grinding the oats?
Hi Susan, yes, but we’d recommend making the oat flour (by grinding oats in a blender) before the class and using that as an ingredient instead of oats. We’d also recommend roughly chopping the peanuts for best texture. Hope that helps!
Kim says
I am not making this recipe because I am looking for a recipe that uses sourdough discard but I had to scroll down here and say: I was looking for this recipe BECAUSE I just made the dog treat equivalent (with sourdough)! Ain’t nothing wrong with that.
Jolly says
I had some almond butter I wanted to use up, so I followed another reviewer’s suggestion to sub that in for the PB and I also used pecans instead of peanuts. They turned out fantastic! My dough was a little too tacky to roll into balls, but it wasn’t an issue to just spoon them onto the sheet and gently shape them. I LOVE that they are lower in sugar than most cookies and still satisfied my sweet tooth. I look forward to making another batch with the recipe as written next time.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy them, Jolly! Thank you for sharing your experience! xo
Lacey says
These are amazing as is. They are also out of this world with almond butter and pecans. Thank you so much for a healthy pumpkin cookie!
We’re so glad you enjoy them, Lacey! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Avneet Kaur Dhanoa says
Deeeeeelicious!
Diana says
Wonderful recipe! I made it as written. The combination of flavors is perfect and the cookies are not too sweet. This has become a favorite vegan and oil free breakfast recipe in our house.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Diana. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Joanne says
Hi there. Just wondering if I could use freshly mashed or puréed pumpkin instead of canned?
Hi Joanne, that should work!
Christine says
Wow, these are delicious!!! I’m pretty sure I’ll be making them again soon. Had to sub out the peanut products due to food allergy, but it worked great with sunbutter and chopped pecans. Awesome!
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Christine!
Maria says
I finally made these DELICIOUS cookies without the food processor and by following your advice and they came out PERFECT. Thank you again for sharing such a wonderful recipe!!
AMAZING! Thank you for sharing your experience, Maria!
Jean says
I first made a similar version of these cookies for my dog and his friends (from your recipe also) and then got jealous. So I decided to make these for myself. I think they were a bit too peanut buttery for my taste, but that’s just a personal preference. My dog, and his friends, are now hounding (!) me for more cookies, so they seem to like p.b. just fine.
Thanks so much for sharing, Jean!
Maria says
I don’t have a food processor at the time. Can I use a blender?
Thank you
Hi Maria, we think this cookie dough might be too thick for a blender. You may want to blend the oats in the blender on their own, chop the peanuts by hand, and then mix everything together in a bowl. Hope this helps!
Maria says
Thank you for your reply. At first, that’s what I thought I could do. Thanks again. I will let you know the results
lynn says
Do you think molasses could be used in this recipe?
Hi Lynn! We think the flavor of molasses might not work in this recipe, but let us know if you do some experimenting!
Emilye says
These are so good when you want something to satisfy that soft cookie craving. I used applesauce instead of maple syrup and added cacao nibs. Soft, chewy, toothsome and fragrant from the peanut butter – yum! Thanks a lot for this simple and delicious recipe :)
Yay! Thanks, Emilye!
Genevieve mary duenas says
I made this with my toddler and I love that is fast, simple and was safe to eat the raw dough.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Genevieve. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Maria says
Can I sub honey for maple syrup?
Hi Maria, we haven’t tested it with honey, but it might work! Let us know if you try it!
Kimberley says
These sound amazeballs but to cut down on the carbs would it be possible to substitute the oats for almond flour or almond meal?
Hi Kimberley, we haven’t tested it that way, but it might work! Let us know if you try it! We always suggest to note the texture of the dough in the photos when changing up the flours! Almond flour doesn’t absorb liquid like oat flour so you may need to use quite a bit more. Maybe try a mixture of oat and almond first!
Monica says
Made them this morning. They were delicious, absolutely perfect for a sunny fall Toronto day.
Not overly sweet, crunch from the peanuts, just yummy.
Thank you for sharing
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Monica. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Bakingbiking Mom says
So yummy! I added vegan chocolate chips for some extra sweetness
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing!
Marta says
My sons love these cookies. I made two batches on Monday, today it’s Wednesday and all cookies are gone. So, I made more…
Great for an energetic breakfast, although my sons eat them every time they go to the kitchen.
Thanks for the recipe!
Woohoo! So glad you’re all enjoying these cookies, Marta. Thanks for the great review!
VICKY says
These are amazing! So soft and fragrant perfect for coffee and milk, the kids also loved them! Thank you for coming up with yet another incredible easy fast and healthy option. This will be my go to breakfast for a while!
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Vicky! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Kate says
These are very easy and delicious. I love the seasonal recipe! One thing I would change if I make them again is that I would add the peanuts at the end because I would prefer them to be chunkier rather than blend down as much as they did. Otherwise, wouldn’t change anything!
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Kate! xo
Natalie says
Wow, these are so good! We will definitely be making these every year!
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy them, Natalie. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Eden says
These are amazing! Very subtle but lovely pumpkin flavour.
I made them three times in two days 😋
The third batch I subbed tahini and mink sweetener with a dash of maple syrup, and while the original is the best, the tahini was a nice alternative.
I will be making these all fall and winter long!!
Eden says
Oops meant to a say “monk fruit sweetener”
So glad you enjoyed these cookies, Eden! Thanks for sharing your modifications!
Christen says
Love!
Yay! Thanks, Christen!
Christine says
Thanks for the recipe. A great Fall cookie. I used pecans and a brand name commercial peanut butter since I didn’t have natural peanut butter. Everyone liked it.
Yay! So glad everyone enjoyed. Thanks for the great review, Christine!
Sinead says
These are great. I used walnuts instead of peanuts/pecans because that’s what I had, and agave + a tbs of brown sugar because maple syrup is expensive like liquid gold here (an admirably low number of substitutions, given the way I usually roll). They are tasty and comforting and just the right amount of sweet, and I like that they are solid enough to be filling. The dog biscuit recipes had a stroke of genius with pb + pumpkin and knowing that you based these on a dog biscuit recipe somehow makes them even better!
Thanks so much for the review and for sharing your modifications, Sinead! We’re so glad you enjoyed these :)
Randy Kaplan says
Hi, can I sub out the 1 C rolled oats for 1 C Oat flour?
Hi Randy, that should work. Yes!
McKenzie says
These are so yummy and so simple to make! I subbed cashew butter and pecans for the PB and peanuts. They turned out great and are perfect with a cup of coffee or tea :)
Woohoo! So glad you enjoyed, McKenzie!
Caroline says
Hi! I have a request for a recipe: big, monstrous chocolate chip cookies. Not kitchen sink cookies – i mean like the ones from levain bakery.
I’m sure you could find a way to veganify them!
Yum! Thanks for the idea, Caroline!
Jan says
These were lovely! I am really cutting down on sugar so these are super good. I iced 1/2 the batch with a powdered sugar icing for my husband and he loves them. To flatten them easily, I moistened my fingers with a bit of water and that was quick. Thank you for a wonderful recipe that I can enjoy without feeling left out!
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the great review, Jan. So glad you both enjoyed!
Kasey says
I made these today and they were delicious and a great way to use up some extra pumpkin purée from another recipe. I did add in Lily’s dark chocolate chips. The pumpkin/peanut butter combination is so good!
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Kasey!
Kristi Hanson says
Love all your recipes! Do you think I could substitute the peanut butter for a different nut butter?
Hi Kristi! That might be okay, but we haven’t tested it. The peanut butter does add flavor, so they may not be as flavorful with another nut butter.
C says
What is the texture of the cookie. Like Soft /doughy /chewy or crunchy ?
The texture is soft!
Tracy says
Yum! Made these tonight and the pumpkin peanut butter combination is delicious! I used peanuts but then had regrets about not using pecans, so I added some chopped pecans on the top before baking. Looking forward to having one as a midmorning snack tomorrow!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Tracy. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
jacquie says
thanks so much for the suggestion.
Samantha says
Can I use oat flour instead of processing oats as I happen to have in my cupboard.
Hi Samantha, If using oat flour, we’d suggest starting with less and working your way up until the dough resembles the photos. We’d estimate you’ll need ~2/3-3/4 cup since it’s more absorbent. Let us know how it goes!
Alyssa says
These are 100/10 👏🏼 I used mini chocolate chips instead of peanuts and woah…these are delicious!! One of my new favorite Fall treats!
Whoop! We’re so glad to hear it, Alyssa! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Kate says
Is there a way to make homemade pumpkin puree please? We don’t really have it in New Zealand!
Yes! We have a recipe here.
Nina Mathis says
Pumpkin puree is not a thing Sweden, would it be possible to substitute with apple puree?
Hi Nina, that might work, but we haven’t tested it. We also have a recipe for pumpkin purée here. Let us know if you try it!
Holly says
Can you use steel cut oats?
Hi Holly, we think you’d need to grind it into oat flour first if using steel cut oats since they are so hard. We haven’t tested making oat flour from steel cut oats, but it might work in a powerful blender.
Emma says
My son is allergic to peanut butter. Could almond butter be easily substituted? I suppose I’d also look to sub the peanuts for another nut or chocolate chips.
Hi Emma, you can definitely substitute another nut butter!
jacquie says
This look great and i would love to try them but i don’t have a food processor so can i use oat flour instead?
thanks.
Hi Jacquie, that should work! We’d suggest using 2/3-3/4 cup, starting with 2/3 cup and adding more until the dough looks similar to the photos. Let us know if you try it!
Adriana Noya says
I love all your recipes. Thank you!! Is there any way to include more desserts/cookies that actually have whole wheat flour in them? I am allergic to many of the substitutes (oats, almond flour) and I find that gluten is excellent for you if you are not allergic to it (nutritionfacts.org). I would love to see more recipes for the general crowd or at least comments on how to sub for regular whole wheat flour. Thanks!
Hi Adriana, thank you for the feedback! Currently most of our team is gluten-free so it’s a bit challenging to develop recipes with wheat flour since we wouldn’t be able to taste test them as a team. We’ll definitely keep that in mind for the future though!
Rose says
Hi, I purchase my oat flour already milled. So how much would I need for this recipe? Would it still be one cup??
Looking forward to trying the recipe and will rate then. (Might invite some raisins to the party!)
The oats shrink down a bit, so maybe 2/3-3/4 cup. We’d suggest starting with less and working your way up until the dough resembles the photos. Raisins are definitely welcome to the party! Let us know how it goes, Rose!
Karen says
Curious if this recipe can be made with gf flour in place of the oats or a mix with almond flour? I don’t have oats at home yet have all the other ingredients and would love to give it a go!
Thanks! Cannot wait to try this and will add the mini choc chips ; ).
Hi Karen, we haven’t tested it that way, but it might work! Let us know if you try it! We always suggest to note the texture of the dough in the photos when changing up the flours!