Easy, but incredibly delicious, these fall inspired no bake cookies take just 15 minutes to make. Despite only having 6 ingredients, these cookies are perfectly spiced in every bite.
Tuesday October 5, 2021
(4.75 stars from 20 reviews)
Butter Oatmeal Pumpkin Pumpkin Spice Sea Salt Caramel Chips
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These cookies are so quick and easy, I am going to keep this post quick and easy too. Six ingredients, 15 minutes, one pot, and some patience as they set in the fridge is all you need to make these delicious fall cookies! I promise these will become your new favorite no-bake cookie. Even my husband (who doesn't really like pumpkin -- yes really) agreed that these are amazing. I worked really hard to make sure these pumpkin spice no bake cookies were as easy as possible while still being absolutely delicious and I have to say, after many failed attempts, I nailed it.
One word: delicious. More specifically a delicious, perfectly spiced, pumpkin pie flavored oatmeal cookie. They have a soft, chewy texture without being gloopy or sticky. Imagine an oatmeal cookie crossed with a pumpkin pie with subtle notes of caramel, but better - way better.
There are only 6 ingredients:
butter - this is the base of the cookie and helps them set
brown sugar - I like to use brown sugar as it gives a deeper flavor and has more moisture to help keep the cookies chewy
pumpkin - canned pumpkin works great for this
sea salt caramel chips - the secret ingredient in these cookies that makes them a step above the rest; you can also use butterscotch, white chocolate or your favorite baking chips
oats -this is the main part of the cookie - quick oats work best
pumpkin pie spice - gives the delicious flavor of fall with one easy spice blend - cinnamon can be subbed, or your favorite fall spice blend will work great too
These are the easiest cookies you will ever make
step one: squeeze the pumpkin out to remove excess moisture (this is very important; if you do not remove excess moisture your cookies will not set properly)
step two: add the squeezed pumpkin to a large sauce pan along with butter, sugar, baking chips and pumpkin pie spice and stir and heat until just starting to simmer, stirring often to prevent burning. Mixture should be smooth and sugar should be dissolved
step three: remove from heat; stir in the oatmeal until well coated
step four: carefully drop by heaping tablespoon onto lined baking sheets and allow to chill in fridge for 20 minutes, or until the cookies are solid (mixture will be quite hot so be carefuly not to touch it!)
I use a triple layer of paper towel and gather my pumpkin inside and gently squeeze to get the majority of the liquid out. the pumpkin will be close to half its volume when finished and it should look slightly pasty. Be careful not to squeeze too much because the paper towel can rip. If this happens you can always cover with another layer of paper towel. This is a very important step and it is absolutely worth it to take the time to squeeze the pumpkin. Without proper moisture removal these cookies were very sticky and messy even after sitting in the fridge overnight.
You need some sort of baking chip to help these firm up; I find chocolate takes over the flavor slightly but in a pinch chocolate chips could be used. Other options that won't overpower the pumpkin spice flavor include butterscotch, white chocolate, or even cinnamon chips if they are available in your area.
These cookies are fresh for about 4-5 days when kept in an airtight container in the fridge. Extra cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container. Cookies are best enjoyed straight from the fridge or at room temperature, however they will be softer.
(4.75 stars from 20 reviews)
Using paper towel, gently squeeze out extra moisture from the pumpkin; you will have roughly half to two thirds of the pumpkin left after squeezing
Add the pumpkin to a large sauce pot over medium heat along with sugar, butter, baking chips, and pumpkin pie spice
Heat until mixture starts to simmer, about 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently
Remove from heat, add the oats and stir until fully coated
Drop cookie mixture by heaping tablespoon onto a lined baking sheet, then refrigerate until set, about 20-30 minutes
Would steel cut oats work ?
Large flake, instant, or minute oats all work but steel cut will be too chewy/crunchy I think for this recipe as they aren't really cooked just coated in hot sugar
Had to add some milk to the sugar mix, it seemed too thick. Had no idea you can squeeze so much liquid out of pumpkin puree. Liked using cheese cloth, but that was still messy. GENTLY needs to be stressed. Haven't chilled mine yet, but will. Put crystalized ginger on some, walnuts on some, and cinnamon on the rest. Taste like a moist oatmeal cookie. I can't really detect the pumpkin. Grandson swallowed his whole and said "Good!'. I don't think he chewed. He is 15.
it does seem thick until the sugar melts; Glad they were a hit at your house either way!
Unfortunately they turned out too sugary.
Sorry you didn’t enjoy them, they are a rather sweet cookie!
I'll be honest...I was a bit dubious about whether this recipe would be to me liking, but I thought I'd give it a shot. I was making a number of treats for a Halloween event at the hospital where my daughter works, so I figured this would add one more item. I followed all the directions, and squeezed out the pumpkin using two ply coffee filters as someone else recommended. I did that several times to get out all the moisture. I also needed a decent quantity so I doubled the recipe. I then used a 1 ounce cookie scoop to portion out the dough, and then pushed down slightly on each scoop to give it a little spread. This made the cookies more uniform. I finished with some halloween sprinkles which I then pushed in by placing a baggie on my hand. THE VERDICT: These were most EXCELLENT. Wow! The flavor is delicious. I've already eaten three and I haven't even bagged them. I like them cold, so I'm packing them in an insulated bag for the party tomorrow.
Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! I’m so glad you liked them. I can’t wait to try the coffee filter trick it really seems to be the way to do it!
Absolutely. The challenge with paper towels is they are perforated at frequent points, so they are prone to split. I'd use two filters for about 1/3 of the can, gently squeeze and then when it was saturated, do it a second time. Repeat for next portion... Update on the results: my daughter was handing out the cookies this morning and people loved them as a breakfast treat.
Do they have to be dropped in ball form or can I smoosh them flat more like a cookie? Does it matter?
I’ve made them both ways! Doesn’t matter the shape you choose.
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