These Pumpkin No-Bake Cookies are one of my favorite ways to make a pumpkin dessert without turning on the oven. They combine pumpkin puree, creamy peanut butter, quick oats, and pumpkin pie spice for a soft, chewy cookie that's quick to prepare and easy to make ahead.
The first cookies I learned how to make as a kid were no-bake cookies, and I haven't stopped making them since!
Here are a few reasons why:
- No oven required: Much like a traditional no-bake cookie, this pumpkin version comes together entirely on the stovetop and finishes with a short sit at room temperature on the kitchen counter.
- Full of pumpkin-peanut butter flavor: Pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice give these cookies plenty of fall flavor while keeping the classic peanut butter flavor everyone loves about no-bakes.
- Simple ingredients: You only need a handful of kitchen staples.
If you like easy pumpkin desserts, these cookies are a great addition to your fall recipe rotation. I especially love making them to enjoy after a big bowl of beef and sweet potato chili, baked ziti, or Dutch oven mac and cheese.
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Key Ingredient Notes
- Sugar - Use white granulated sugar or cane sugar.
- Milk - Stick with 2% or whole milk for the richest flavor.
- Peanut butter - Normally I prefer natural peanut butter, but for no-bake cookies, conventional processed peanut butter helps the cookies firm up better.
- Pumpkin puree - Libby's 100% pure pumpkin puree has the best texture and pumpkin flavor.
- Pumpkin pie spice - Pumpkin pie spice gives the cookies their warm, pumpkin-spiced flavor. Use your favorite blend, or make your own with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Quick oats - Use quick-cooking oats rather than old-fashioned rolled oats. Quick oats are thinner and give the cookies a softer bite.
Don't let that leftover pumpkin puree go to waste! Use it to make a batch of my pumpkin zucchini muffins.
Step-by-Step Instructions with Photos
Before you get started, make sure all your ingredients are measured and ready. No-bake cookies come together quickly, and timing is everything!
- Add the sugar, butter, and milk to a medium-sized saucepan and warm over medium-low heat to melt the butter and dissolve the sugar.
- Stir continuously to prevent it from burning, and adjust the heat up or down as needed.
- Once combined, increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
- Boil for a full minute, stirring continuously.
- Turn the heat back down to low, and add the peanut butter, pumpkin puree, vanilla, pumpkin pie seasoning, and salt.
- Mix until smooth and creamy.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the quick oats, one cup at a time, stirring after each addition.
- Use a ¼-cup measuring cup to form the mixture into cookies.
- Drop each cookie onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Let the cookies sit at room temperature for about an hour to firm up.
Pumpkin isn't just for desserts! Use up leftover pumpkin puree to make my savory pumpkin ricotta mac and cheese.
Helpful Tips
- Measure everything first: This recipe moves along quickly. Having each ingredient measured out and ready to add makes the process go much more smoothly.
- Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling: Pumpkin pie filling contains added sugar and spices. Using it would change the flavor of the recipe.
- Don't skip the 1-minute boil: The boil affects how well the cookies set. Skipping it can lead to runny, sticky cookies that don't firm up. Once the mixture reaches a rolling boil, set a timer for one minute.
- Cool before serving: The cookies will be soft and wet when you first scoop them onto the baking sheet. Let them set at room temperature for at least one hour before serving.
More Easy Fall Recipes
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Pumpkin No-Bake Cookies
These Pumpkin No-Bake Cookies are one of my favorite ways to make a pumpkin dessert without turning on the oven. They combine pumpkin puree, creamy peanut butter, quick oats, and pumpkin pie spice for a soft, chewy cookie that's quick to prepare and easy to make ahead.
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
- 1 ¾ cups granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 3 cups quick oats
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. Before starting, make sure all your ingredients are measured and ready. These cookies come together quickly, so having everything prepared makes the process much smoother.
- Add the butter, sugar, and milk to a medium-sized saucepan and warm over medium-low heat until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, stirring continuously. Adjust the heat as needed to prevent the mixture from burning.
- Once the butter mixture reaches a rolling boil, boil it for one full minute. Use your oven timer so you know you're boiling for the full minute.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the pumpkin puree, peanut butter, vanilla extract, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir until the peanut butter and pumpkin puree are melted and smooth.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the quick oats one cup at a time, stirring after each addition.
- Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to form the cookies. Gently shape them into round, flattened discs as you drop them onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Let the cookies sit at room temperature for about one hour to firm up.
Nutrition
Notes
- Normally, I prefer natural peanut butter, but for no-bake cookies, conventional processed peanut butter helps the cookies firm up better.
- Use quick-cooking oats rather than old-fashioned rolled oats. Quick oats are thinner and give the cookies a softer bite.
- Don't skip the 1-minute boil. The boil affects how well the cookies set. Skipping it can lead to runny, sticky cookies that don't firm up. Once the mixture reaches a rolling boil, set a timer for one minute.
- The nutrition information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice.
Brianna May says
Yum! Love that these are no bake.
Nora says
Those cookies turned out perfectly! So delicious! Have to make them again soon! Thanks for sharing!
Leslie says
GENIUS!! What an incredibly, easy, delicious recipe to make for the fall! This is high up there on my must try list this Autumn!
Michelle says
We inevitably have a warm week or two at the end of September when it's too hot to do anything involving the oven. I love that you can make these cookies and feel like you're enjoying a baked treat without actually having to bake them. Thanks for the recipe!
Natalie says
Brilliant idea. Sometimes I hate turning the oven and this is the perfect solution for my cravings. I'm going to give this a try, definitely. Yum!