Healthy Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

These pecan oatmeal cookies are full of that pumpkin spice flavor we all love, have a soft and chewy texture, plus a wonderful crunch. They are guaranteed to disappear from the cookie jar in no time.

Thanks to the oats, it’s also a whole grain and gluten-free option that everyone can enjoy.

The Best Pecan Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

Pecan oatmeal cookies are a yummy fall treat with the flavors of pumpkin spice, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. They have a hearty and moist texture that makes them taste indulgent, but it’s a delicious cookie recipe made with oats!

You can also customize this recipe by swapping the chopped pecans with walnuts, dried cranberries, or semi-sweet chocolate chips if you like bits of melted chocolate in your cookies.

Pecan Oatmeal Cookie Ingredients

Take a look at the list and double-check your pantry because I bet you have everything you need to bake these pecan oatmeal cookies: 

• Old-fashioned oats: this recipe uses old-fashioned oats to make oat flour the base for the cookies and additional whole oats stirred in for texture.  
• pumpkin puree: we can get away with not using butter thanks to the pumpkin puree, it’s a great ingredient to cut down on oil and butter for healthier baking.
• brown sugar: just enough to make these cookies sweet, but not too sweet. You can also use coconut sugar or regular white sugar. 
• egg: the binding agent that holds this recipe together. 
• baking powder and salt: to give the cookies a ‘lift’. Make sure your baking powder is fresh! 
• pumpkin pie spice: Don’t have pumpkin pie spice? Swap for ½ teaspoon cinnamon.  
• chopped pecans: adds a nice crunch to the cookies.

You’ll have a bit of pumpkin puree left, so here are more delicious recipes with canned pumpkin leftovers. 

If you’re looking for healthier treats that are made with better ingredients and still taste like dessert, check out my Clean Treats Cookbook. 

How to Make Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

These pecan oatmeal cookies are a cinch to make. Here’s what to do: 

1. Get the oven hot
   Preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 
2. Grab your blender
   Yes, add one cup of oats to the blender jar, cover, and process until the oats form a fine powder. Congratulations- you’ve made homemade oat flour. 
3. Chop some pecans
   Fold the remaining oats and those chopped pecans into the dough. 
4. Grab a cookie scoop
   Scoop and drop the dough onto the baking sheet. You can also use a regular tablespoon. 
5. Give them some shape
   Use your hands or the back of the spoon to flatten and spread each mound into the shape of a cookie. The dough is a little stickier than regular cookies dough, this it okay and to be expected! 
6. Bake to perfection
   Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, remove the cookies from the oven, and cool down to room temperature for 5 minutes before serving. 

Oatmeal Pecan Cookie Texture

These oatmeal pecan cookies are super moist thanks to the pumpkin pureé but still have the hearty texture quintessential to oatmeal cookies.

The chopped pecans add a little crunch, but you can also stir in semi-sweet chips if you like bits of melted chocolate in your cookies.

Tips for the Best Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

Let’s face it; baking is a science; however, it’s not complicated if you know the right tips and tricks. Apply any of these tips below to help these pecan oatmeal cookies turn out just right! 

Don’t underbake
While 13 minutes seems like a long time for cookies, remember this dough has about 1 cup of pumpkin and it’s made with oats which are less absorbent than flour. 

Don’t swap the sugar for honey
While they are both a form of sweetener, sugar is a dry ingredient, and honey is a wet ingredient. Replacing honey for sugar will cause the cookies to run thin. 

Use old-fashioned oats
The whole flakes give these cookies a heartier texture. If all you have is quick-cooking oats, add an additional ¼ cup to the recipe.

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