These pumpkin oatmeal cream pies with buttercream are perfect for Fall: made with browned butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, and pumpkin purée, with added chunks of dark chocolate. Two cookies hug a center of fresh buttercream, flavored with vanilla and cinnamon, giving you the perfect sweet bite. These are soft, thick and dreamy. Bring these pumpkin oatmeal cream pies to Halloween, Friendsgiving or just enjoy with a big cup of coffee.
Equipment needed to make pumpkin oatmeal cream pies
Here’s what you need to make these cookies:
- paper towels – to blot the pumpkin purée and absorb excess moisture
- small saucepan – to make our browned butter for the base of our cookies
- large mixing bowl – to combine our cookie batter
- Whisk – to mix our wet ingredients.
- rubber spatula – to mix the dry ingredients into the batter
- parchment paper – to line our baking sheet to prevent sticking.
- 2 Large baking sheets – I like to use two pans to rotate in and out of the oven. I use Williams Sonoma Gold touch sheets.
- wire cookie cooling rack – optional, but speeds up the cooling process of your cookies.
- KitchenAid stand mixer or electric mixer (with whisk attachment) – the stand mixer is helpful to make buttercream as you will definitely need something high speed. A hand mixer works too.
- sifter or mesh strainer – helpful to remove clumps from powdered sugar before adding to your buttercream.
Ingredients to make pumpkin oatmeal cream pies
Here’s what to add to your grocery list:
- 1 15 ounce can of pumpkin purée – be sure not to get pumpkin pie filling! Organic pumpkin purée is specifically delicious.
- 4 sticks of unsalted butter – for both the oatmeal cookies and the buttercream
- granulated sugar – for the pumpkin oatmeal cookies
- brown sugar – for the pumpkin oatmeal cookies
- powdered sugar – for the buttercream
- 1 egg
- vanilla extract – I also like to use vanilla bean paste.
- 2 cups of old fashioned oats – not steel cut! We want the full oats!
- all purpose flour
- baking soda
- salt
- ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. You could also opt for pumpkin pie spice.
- A bag of dark chocolate chips or chunks
- Heavy cream – I use a couple tablespoons of this for the buttercream.
Tips for making pumpkin oatmeal cream pies
Blot your pumpkin – this probably sounds weird, but it’s necessary. Pumpkin purée is full of water, and we want to soak up some of that so it doesn’t make the batter too wet. Since this is an oatmeal cookie, we want something with structure that can hold together. All you have to do is spoon it onto a bunch of paper towels, smooth it out and wrap it up. Let it sit for a while and let the towels soak up the moisture.
Flatten the cookies a bit – when you make your cookie balls and place them on the baking sheet, use your fingers or a spoon to flatten them into round discs. The cookies need some assistance to help them with spreading, and I found that this helps.
Let your cookies cool – the cookies can’t be warm when you frost them, unless you want a runny mess. Let them come to room temperature before assembling.
How to make pumpkin oatmeal cream pies with buttercream
Step 1
Blot the pumpkin. This is helpful to reduce the moisture in the pumpkin, which will change the bake of the cookie. To do so, place some paper towels in a bowl or on a plate. Measure out the pumpkin purée and plop it on the paper towels. Smooth out slightly with a spoon. Top the the pumpkin with more paper towels and wrap it gently. Let it sit for about fifteen minutes and allow the paper towels to soak up water.
Step 2
Brown the butter. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the unsalted butter. Stir frequently and wait for the butter to bubble, foam and turn golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. It will smell nutty and sweet. Remove from the stovetop and pour the butter into a heat-proof bowl, making sure to scrape any brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to cool down to room temperature. It should thicken a little bit.
Step 3
Make the cookie batter. Preheat the oven to 350℉ and place a rack in the center. In a bowl, whisk together the browned butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Once well combined, whisk in the vanilla and egg. Then add the pumpkin purée and whisk until homogenous (just turn over the paper towels and it will plop out pretty easily).
Step 4
Add the dry ingredients. Dump in the all purpose flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. With a rubber spatula, mix together the batter until the flour is half absorbed. Then add the dark chocolate chips and fold in until the flour has just absorbed and no more white remains. Do not over mix, as it will make the cookies tough.
Step 5
Chill. Your batter will be a bit wet, so place the batter bowl in the fridge to chill for about 10-20 minutes. This will make it easier to form cookie balls.
Step 6
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a spoon, scoop tablespoon-sized balls of cookies and place about six on a pan a time. Using your fingers, gently squash the dough down a little into a flatter, circular cookie to help it spread in the oven.
Step 7
Bake. Place the cookie sheet in the middle rack (do one pan at a time) of the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies look just set. Remove the pan from the oven and let cookies cool for five minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire cooling rack to continue resting until completely cooled.
Step 8
Make the buttercream. In a stand mixer or with an electric mixer, beat your unsalted butter on medium speed for about a minute until it’s nice and whipped. Sift in the powdered sugar and add the vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Beat together on medium speed until well combined and whipped, about four minutes. Then add the cream, one tablespoon at a time, beating on high in between each addition until the cream is absorbed and the frosting is whipped. If it looks wet, just give it a minute to come back together and fluff up.
Step 9
Assemble. Using a knife or spoon, add a dollop of frosting to the center of one cookie. Gently press another cookie on top until the cream spreads and bulges around the edges. Repeat until all are frosted. Enjoy!
Storing for later
These cookies are fine to leave in an airtight container at room temperature for up to seven days. They will start to dry out, so it’s best to eat them sooner!
Other recipes to try
If you liked these pumpkin oatmeal cream pies with buttercream, check out these other recipes:
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies: A Guide
Bourbon Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream Sandwiches
Giant Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
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Pumpkin Oatmeal Cream Pies with Buttercream
Equipment
- paper towels to blot pumpkin puree
- small saucepan to brown butter
- large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- rubber spatula
- parchment paper
- 2 Large baking sheets
- wire cookie cooling rack
- stand mixer or electric mixer (for frosting)
Ingredients
For the pumpkin oatmeal cookies
- 1¼ cup pumpkin purée
- 16 tbsp unsalted butter browned and cooled
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1⅔ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground clove
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips
For the buttercream filling
- 16 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
For the pumpkin oatmeal cookies
- Blot the pumpkin. Place some paper towels in a bowl or on a plate. Measure out the pumpkin purée and plop it on the paper towels. Smooth out slightly. Top the the pumpkin with more paper towels. Let it sit for about fifteen minutes and allow the paper towels to soak up the excess moisture.1¼ cup pumpkin purée
- While the pumpkin sits, brown the butter. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the unsalted butter. Stir frequently and wait for the butter to bubble, foam and turn golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. It will smell nutty and sweet. Remove from the stovetop and pour the butter into a heat-proof bowl, making sure to scrape any brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to cool down to room temperature.16 tbsp unsalted butter
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and place a rack in the center. In a bowl, whisk together the browned butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Once well combined, whisk in the vanilla and egg. Then add the pumpkin purée and whisk until homogenous.1¼ cup pumpkin purée, ½ cup granulated sugar, ⅔ cup brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 16 tbsp unsalted butter
- Dump in the all purpose flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. With a rubber spatula, mix the batter together until the flour is absorbed. Do not overmix. Then add the dark chocolate chips and fold in once more.2 cups old fashioned oats, 1⅔ cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground nutmeg, ½ tsp ground clove, ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips
- Place the batter bowl in the fridge to chill for about 10-20 minutes. This will make it easier to form cookie balls.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a spoon, scoop tablespoon-sized balls of cookies and place around six cookies on the pan at a time. Using a spoon or your fingers, gently squash the dough down a little into a flatter, circular cookie to help it spread in the oven.
- Place the cookie sheet in the middle rack (do one pan at a time) of the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies look just set. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for five minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire cooling rack to continue resting until completely cooled.
For the buttercream filling
- Make the buttercream frosting. In a stand mixer or with an electric mixer, beat your unsalted butter on medium speed for about a minute until it's nice and whipped. Sift in the powdered sugar and add the vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Beat together on medium speed until well combined and whipped, about two minutes. Then add the cream, one tablespoon at a time, beating on high in between each until the cream is absorbed and the frosting is whipped.16 tbsp unsalted butter, ¼ cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 pinch cinnamon, 1 pinch salt, 2 tbsp heavy cream
- Using a knife or spoon, add a dollop of frosting to the center of one cookie. Gently press another cookie on top until the cream spreads and bulges around the edges. Repeat until all are frosted. Enjoy!
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