Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Another Pumpkin Cookie Recipe?

I'll let you in on a secret. Whenever I come across two more recipes in Grandma's box that are similar but not exactly the same, I will usually make the one that looks the best and call it good. I might have been tempted to do this with the two pumpkin cookie recipes in Grandma's box, but the recipe pictured above was different enough from the Pumpkin Cookies I had already made that it deserved its own test. 

Here's why: this one had oats, something I didn't recall ever seeing in a standard pumpkin cookie recipe. Also, it was made with oil instead of the shortening or butter that Grandma's cookie recipes usually contained. 

 I was intrigued, but also concerned. Not only did this one call for pumpkin, which would bring a lot of moisture to the cookie dough, but it also had applesauce. Adding both wet ingredients seemed like overkill to me, so I decided to hold off on the applesauce and add it only if the dough was especially dry. As you will see, that turned out to be a good call. 

How to Make Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies 

Just in case things didn't go well, I scaled down the recipe so that I wouldn't waste ingredients. First, I added the pumpkin, sugar, and brown sugar to a bowl. 

I then added the eggs and oil, whereupon it dawned on me that I didn't need a hand mixer for combining the ingredients. My Danish whisk would work just as well. (Not an affiliate link.)

In under a minute, I'd stirred those ingredients together and had moved on to the flour and other dry ingredients. I put them into a sieve set over the bowl because Grandma always sifted her flour. 

I then added the oats and stirred everything together with my whisk. These cookies were coming together fast. 

Lastly, the recipe called for raisins. However, I had decided to take these cookies (if they were good) to an event the next evening, where I knew at least one raisin hater would be. I do like chocolate chips with my pumpkin baked goods, so I stirred in an equal amount.  

And that was the dough done in less than five minutes.  

The dough seemed to be the right consistency without adding the applesauce, so I pulled out my medium scoop and portioned the dough onto a lined cookie sheet. 

I put them into the oven to bake, and they came out beautifully fall colored. They had spread just the right amount, which made me wonder what they would have looked like if I'd added the applesauce.   

I let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for several minutes before taking them off. It was time for a taste, and a few photos. Turned out, they were so photogenic that I couldn't stop snapping pictures of them in different poses.  

Of course, it's one thing to be an attractive cookie, another thing completely to be a delicious cookie. Could they possibly be both? 

The Verdict on Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

My first impression was that the oil and oatmeal made a huge difference in these cookies when compared to the Pumpkin Cookies recipe I'd already tested. While those were a mile high, soft, and cakey, these were thin, chewy, and pleasantly fudgy in the middle. Their subtle pumpkin-and-spice flavor marked them as fall cookies just as much as their striking color. So, yes: they were both beautiful and delicious. 

If someone were to force me to choose, I would take these Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies over the other Pumpkin Cookies, but they're both yummy in different ways. They each deserve a place on anyone's list of fall-inspired treats.