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When you think about decorating holiday cookies, Halloween is probably not the holiday that comes to mind. That might change after you hear about these Halloween pumpkin cookies. When it comes to the best fall desserts, this one is by far my son’s favorite.

Halloween Pumpkin Cookies

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These Halloween pumpkin cookies are a perfect dessert option in October when you’re ready to start baking pumpkin recipes.

They taste so good, and kids have a blast decorating them. In fact, decorating these Halloween cookies makes for a great Halloween party activity.

I used them at a school Halloween party with 1st graders. Decorating them was one of their rotation activities. Then, at the end of the party, the kids ate them while watching It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. The kids went crazy for them!

Ingredients Needed for Pumpkin Halloween Cookies

• Pumpkin – When you bake these cookies, you’ll shape them to look like pumpkins, but they couldn’t be pumpkin cookies without actual pumpkin.
• Oatmeal – While these are pumpkin cookies, they are more pumpkin oatmeal cookies. When purchasing the oatmeal, make sure to purchase the quick-cooking kind.
• Flour – In baking, flour helps give the framework and texture to the cookies.
• Baking soda – Baking soda gives the cookies a light and airy texture.
• Cinnamon – Cinnamon and pumpkin recipes go hand in hand. This spice really adds to the flavor of the cookies.
• Salt – Salt contributes in many ways when it comes to baking. It helps to enhance the flavor, creates a better dough structure, helps promote browning and caramelization, plus helps the cookies have a longer shelf life.
• Butter – Butter adds a richness to the flavor, influences the texture of the cookies, and also plays a part in leavening and browning.
• Brown sugar – When baking, brown sugar can help by adding both moisture and chewiness to cookies. Plus, it adds a rich caramel to the overall flavor.
• Sugar – Sugar helps by adding both sweetness and flavor. Plus, it helps create a tender texture.
• Egg – Eggs are used in baking because they provide binding and structure to cookies. They also provide moisture, richness, and color.
• Vanilla extract – By adding vanilla extract, the cookies will have an enhanced flavor.

Baking Accessories

Baking is always easier when you have the right tools on hand. Here are some accessories from Amazon to help you make these pumpkin cookies. Make sure you have two mixing bowls on hand!

GLAD Mixing Bowls with Pour Spout, Set of 3 | Nesting Design Saves Space | Non-Slip, BPA Free, Dishwasher Safe Plastic | Kitchen Cooking and Baking Supplies, Sage GreenHamilton Beach 6-Speed Electric Hand Mixer with Whisk, Traditional Beaters, Snap-On Storage Case, 250 Watts, WhiteGoodCook Everyday Nonstick Carbon Steel 13” x 9” Baking Sheet Set, 3 Pack – Standard-Sized Carbon Steel Cooking Pans, Bakeware Set, Cookie Sheets for Baking, Oven Pan SetTILUCK Measuring Cups & Spoons Set, Stackable Cups and Spoons, Nesting Measure Cups with Stainless Steel Handle, Kitchen Gadgets for Cooking & Baking (Black)

How to Make Halloween Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

These pumpkin oatmeal cookies are easy to make, but they do take some time. Especially if you’re decorating them all by yourself. The recipe does yield around 20 cookies, though, so you get a lot out of one batch.

The first thing you need to do is add the flour, oatmeal, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to a bowl and stir them together. Then set the bowl with the flour mixture to the side.

The next thing you need to do is to cream the butter with an electric mixer. While not necessary, I like to get the butter out before I get to this step (15 minutes or so) to give the butter time to soften. That allows this step to go a little faster.

Next, add both types of sugars, the egg, and the vanilla extract to the bowl with the creamed butter. Then mix the ingredients together.

Now it’s time to combine both bowls of ingredients. Take the bowl with the flour mixture and pour it into the bowl with the creamed butter mixture. Then mix everything together.

Just a quick note: At this point, the batter often becomes thick and clumpy, so it can get a little more difficult to mix at this step, especially if you’re mixing by hand.

For the last step, you need to add the pumpkin to the batter. Finish by mixing it in.

Now it’s time to start baking the cookies! To make the cookies, place 1/4 cup of the batter onto a greased cookie sheet. Then use a spoon to move the batter around to give the cookie batter a pumpkin shape. Basically, you want the bottom to be round with a bit of a stem at the top. The batter will shift some during baking, so don’t spend forever shaping the cookies.

When you’re happy with the shape of the cookies, place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. I find that 20 minutes is usually long enough, so I would suggest checking on them at that time.

How to Shape the Pumpkin Cookies

Still a little unsure about how to get the pumpkin cookies shaped? To help, I made a short video showing exactly how I go about shaping my cookies.

Supplies Needed for Decorated Pumpkin Cookies

Over the years that we have made these cookies, we have used an array of different items to decorate them. Below is a list of our most used items, but know that these are simply suggestions. What you want to use is totally up to you and your family’s tastes. You can even simply use what you have in the pantry.

• Colored Frosting Tubes – These can be used both as a way to attach the other ingredients or as a decoration on their own. The large decorating icing works best, but the small tipped tubes can be good for simply decorating with. The colors I recommend are orange, green, yellow, and black, but you can use any colors that you like.
• Peanut Butter – This is another great option as an adhesive for the decorative ingredients. Plus, the peanut butter flavor is actually really good with these cookies.
• Decorative Ingredients – You’ll use one of the adhesive items above to attach these items to the cookies. You can use as many or as few of these as you want.
  • M&Ms
  • Chocolate Chips
  • Rasisins
  • Peanuts

How to Decorate Pumpkin Cookies

There is no denying that these cookies taste really good. Still decorating them is half the fun! Kids just love giving these pumpkins faces and turning them into fun jack-o’-lanterns.

How you want to decorate each cookie is totally up to you. I typically just give my cookies a face, and sometimes I’ll decorate the pumpkin stem. On the other hand, I’ve seen kids use their cooking like a blank canvas and create a decorative picture in that space.

To decorate the pumpkin oatmeal Halloween cookies, simply place colored frosting or peanut butter in the locations you want to add decoration to. Then you can place the candy, raisins, etc., onto the frosting or peanut butter. Sometimes it’s fun to just leave the colored frosting on its own, too.

Once you’re done decorating each cookie, set it to the side and give the frosting time to dry before placing them in a sealed storage container.

Fun Ways to Plate Your Halloween Pumpkin Cookies

Whether you’re serving these cookies at a party or just putting them out for the family, it’s fun to put them on a themed plate. Here are some fun Halloween plates on Etsy.

How Long Can I Store Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies?

These cookies have a decent shelf life, which is extremely helpful since one batch makes so many. If stored in an air-tight container, you can store these oatmeal pumpkin cookies for two to three weeks.

Yield: 20 Cookies

Pumpkin Halloween Cookies

Print

Fun Halloween cookies made with real pumpkin and oatmeal. Give each cookie it's own Jack-O'-Lantern face using frosting, peanut butter, and fun toppings!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Flour
• 1 Cup Oatmeal, Quick Cooking
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Cup Butter
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 Cup Pumpkin, Packed Solid

Instructions

1. Mix flour, oatmeal, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and then set aside
2. Cream butter with an electric mixer
3. Add in both sugars, egg, and vanilla to the creamed butter
4. Pour the flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix together
5. Add in the pumpkin
6. Drop 1/4 cup of batter onto a greased cookie sheet. Move the batter around to create a pumpkin shape
7. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes
8. Once cooled, decorate the cookies to look like jack-o'-lanterns. Use an adhesive ingredient like colored frosting or peanut butter to attach topping items like M&Ms, chocolate chips, raisins, and peanuts

Notes

• Get the sticks of butter out about 15 minutes before you need them to allow them to soften.
• These cookies spread out quite a bit during baking, so they get pretty large. Make sure to plan for this by leaving a lot of space around each cookie when you add the batter to your cookie sheet.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  ADECTA Cookie Storage Containers 4-Layer Stackable with Lids & Handle | BPA-Free Cookie Storage Containers, Cookie Carrier with Lid and Handle, Cookie Storage Container for Baked Goods, Snacks, Travel
• 
  Cuisinart Stand Mixer, 12 Speed, 5.5 Quart Stainless Steel Bowl, Chef’s Whisk, Mixing Paddle, Dough Hook, Splash Guard w/ Pour Spout, White Linen, SM-50, Manual
• 
  FRIDAY NIGHT 2 Pcs Halloween Cupcake Stand 1-Tier Spider Web Cardboard Dessert Holder Cake Serving Tray Birthday Party Supplies Decoration

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

20

Serving Size:

20 Cookies
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 216Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 196mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 1gSugar: 19gProtein: 2g

I hope your kids love these pumpkin oatmeal Halloween cookies as much as the kids I’ve given them to have! Happy baking, and a happy, fun, and spooky Halloween!

More Fall Desserts

Looking for some more yummy desserts to make for the fall season? Try some of these dessert recipes that are perfect for both fall and Halloween!

• Halloween Mousse
• Pumpkin Brownies – (from The Monday Box)
• Pumpkin Pie Popcorn
• S’mores Candy Corn Bars