If you love a soft, cakey cookie with plenty of cozy fall flavor, these maple iced pumpkin oatmeal cookies are going to be right up your alley. They’re tender and cakey rather than crisp or chewy, with rolled oats, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice baked into every bite. Then, they’re dipped in a sweet maple icing. Yum!
These maple iced pumpkin oatmeal cookies are the kind of cookie that feels made for a crisp fall afternoon. They’re easy to make, don’t require any complicated decorating, and have that soft, cakey texture that makes you want to reach for another one.
If you think these sound good, you’ll love our maple cinnamon rolls and mini snickerdoodle cookies.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Soft and cakey: These cookies have a tender, cakey texture that makes them different from a typical chewy oatmeal cookie.
- Packed with fall flavor: Pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice make every bite warm and cozy.
- Sweet maple icing: The simple maple icing adds a sweet finish without overpowering the pumpkin flavor.
- Easy to make: The dough comes together with simple ingredients and a hand mixer.
- Perfect for fall: These are made for cozy afternoons, holiday cookie trays, and weekend baking.
- Rolled oats add texture: The oats give the soft cookies a little bit of heartiness and texture.
- No complicated decorating: Just dip the tops in maple icing and let it set.
- Great with coffee: The pumpkin and maple flavors pair beautifully with a hot cup of coffee or tea.
- Perfectly spiced: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice give the cookies plenty of warmth without going overboard.
Key Ingredients
You’ll find a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Pumpkin puree: Adds cozy pumpkin flavor while helping keep the cookies soft and tender.
- Rolled oats: Give the cookies a hearty texture and a little extra chewiness in every bite.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg & pumpkin pie spice: Bring all the warm, cozy fall flavors that make these cookies taste like autumn.
- Maple icing: Adds a sweet, cozy maple finish that pairs perfectly with the pumpkin and warm spices.
- Maple extract: Gives the icing a concentrated maple flavor that makes the cookies extra special.
Variations
- Add chopped pecans: Pecans would add a delicious nutty crunch that pairs beautifully with maple and pumpkin.
- Add walnuts: Chopped walnuts would also work well if you prefer them over pecans.
- Add raisins: Stir some raisins into the dough for a classic oatmeal cookie addition.
- Add chocolate chips: Mini chocolate chips would add a little chocolate flavor without overpowering the pumpkin.
- Make the icing thicker: Use slightly less milk if you want a thicker maple icing on top.
- Add extra maple flavor: Add a little more maple extract to the icing if you want a stronger maple taste.
- Add more spice: If you love warm spices, increase the cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice slightly.
- Add a sprinkle of cinnamon: Dust a little cinnamon over the maple icing before it sets for an extra finishing touch.
How to Make Maple Iced Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
1: Mix the dry cookie ingredients and set aside.
2: Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Then, mix in the sugar, followed by the remaining wet ingredients.
3: Mix the wet and dry ingredients until just combined.
4: Scoop dough rounds onto a prepared baking sheet.
5: Bake until the edges are lightly browned. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
6: Whisk the icing ingredients until fully combined. Then, dip the top of each cooled cookie in the maple icing. Place back on the wire rack and let the icing set. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Use room-temperature butter: Softened butter beats more easily and helps create the light, cakey texture.
- Beat the butter well: Give the butter about 3 minutes to become light and fluffy before adding the sugars
- .Use room-temperature eggs: They blend more easily into the butter mixture.
- Don’t overmix: Mix the dough just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
- Use a cookie scoop: A 2-tablespoon scoop helps keep the cookies a consistent size so they bake evenly.
- Don’t overbake: Pull the cookies when the edges are just starting to brown so the centers stay soft and cakey.
- Cool completely before icing: Warm cookies will cause the maple icing to become too thin and runny.
- Whisk the icing well: Make sure there are no lumps of powdered sugar before dipping the cookies.
- Dip instead of spreading: Dipping the tops creates an easy, even layer of maple icing without needing any fancy decorating tools.
- Let the icing set: Give the cookies time on the wire rack for the maple icing to firm up before stacking or storing them.
Maple Iced Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookie FAQs
These cookies are soft, tender, and cakey rather than crisp or chewy. Pumpkin puree adds moisture, while the whipped butter and leavening help create their light, soft texture.
You can, but the texture will change. Rolled oats provide the hearty oatmeal texture intended for these cookies, while quick oats are smaller and more finely processed and can make the cookies softer and less textured.
Use slightly less milk than the recipe calls for. Add the milk gradually until the icing is thick enough to coat the tops of the cookies without running off.
Add a very small amount of milk at a time and whisk thoroughly after each addition. It is much easier to thin icing gradually than to correct icing that has become too runny.
A simple powdered-sugar glaze can take anywhere from roughly 30 minutes to longer depending on how thick it is and the humidity in your kitchen.
Overbaking is the first thing to check. This recipe calls for removing the cookies when the edges are just beginning to brown; baking much longer can reduce the soft, cakey texture.
Bake them for about 10-12 minutes, watching for edges that are just beginning to brown. The cookies should remain soft rather than becoming deeply browned.
Let the icing on the cookies set. Then, store them in an airtight container in single layers separated by wax paper at room temperature for up to 4 days.
You can freeze these cookies with or without the icing for up to 3 months. Place the cookies in single layers separated by wax paper in a freezer-safe container and defrost at room temperature.
These Iced Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies are Perfect With
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Maple Iced Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
Maple Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
- 2 teaspoons maple extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet(s) with parchment paper. Set aside.
Cookies
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice.
- In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Next, add the sugars and beat until well combined.
- Add the eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin puree and beat until mixture is fully incorporated.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
- Using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, place dough balls on the prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges start to slightly brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Maple Icing
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the powdered sugar, milk, and maple extract.
- Whisk until fully incorporated and no lumps of sugar remain.
- Once the cookies have completely cooled, dip the tops of each cookie in the maple icing and place back onto the wire rack to let the icing set. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use room-temperature butter: Softened butter beats more easily and helps create the light, cakey texture.
- Beat the butter well: Give the butter about 3 minutes to become light and fluffy before adding the sugars
- .Use room-temperature eggs: They blend more easily into the butter mixture.
- Don’t overmix: Mix the dough just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
- Use a cookie scoop: A 2-tablespoon scoop helps keep the cookies a consistent size so they bake evenly.
- Don’t overbake: Pull the cookies when the edges are just starting to brown so the centers stay soft and cakey.
- Cool completely before icing: Warm cookies will cause the maple icing to become too thin and runny.
- Whisk the icing well: Make sure there are no lumps of powdered sugar before dipping the cookies.
- Dip instead of spreading: Dipping the tops creates an easy, even layer of maple icing without needing any fancy decorating tools.
- Let the icing set: Give the cookies time on the wire rack for the maple icing to firm up before stacking or storing them.
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