Sourdough Pumpkin Iced Oatmeal Cookies

These sourdough pumpkin iced oatmeal cookies are thick, chewy, and perfect for fall. Made with sourdough discard and pumpkin puree, these soft spiced cookies go from bowl to table in under an hour.

Quick and easy to make, these soft pumpkin oatmeal cookies are made with sourdough discard and topped with warmly spiced maple icing. They’re simple yet full of the flavors of fall!

This is an easy, no-wait sourdough cookie recipe. There’s no fermentation time or waiting for dough to chill. You can whip up a batch of these cookies for an after-school snack, party dessert, or weekend treat.

Looking for more pumpkin sourdough recipes for your fall baking? Try my classic sourdough pumpkin coffee cake and the popular muffin version. That’s right, sourdough pumpkin coffee cake muffins. These are a reader favorite for a reason!

Scroll down for the recipe card, followed by detailed step-by-step instructions (with photos).

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Sourdough Pumpkin Iced Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

Sourdough Pumpkin Iced Oatmeal Cookies

Annabelle

These sourdough pumpkin iced oatmeal cookies are soft, chewy, and perfect for fall. Made with sourdough discard, pumpkin puree, and topped with spiced maple icing.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 18 cookies

Ingredients

  

Sourdough Pumpkin Cookies

• 1 cup salted butter room temperature
• 1 cup white sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar packed
• 1 egg yolk room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon molasses do not use blackstrap molasses, use light or dark molasses
• ½ cup sourdough discard
• ¾ cup pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 & ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 & ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups quick oats

Spiced Maple Icing

• ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ⅔ cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
• ½-1 Tablespoon milk

Instructions

 

Sourdough Pumpkin Cookies

• Preheat oven to 350℉ (177℃). Place oven rack in the center of the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a kitchen stand mixer fitter with a paddle attachment, combine room temperature butter and sugars. Cream together on medium-high speed for 2 minutes.
• Add the egg yolk, vanilla extract, molasses, sourdough discard, and pumpkin puree. Mix to combine, stopping halfway to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
• Add the salt, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and mix. Add the flour ½ cup at a time and mix. Add the oats 1 cup at a time and scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all ingredients are evenly mixed together.
• Use a large spoon or cookie scoop to roll balls of cookie dough. Place a few inches apart on the baking pan lined with parchment paper. Place pan on the center rack of the oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes until cookies are puffed up and golden, with the edges set and the centers slightly underdone. Allow to rest on the baking pan for 5 minutes after removing from the oven before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool.
Key tip: Don't over bake! The secret to soft, chewy cookies is to slightly underbake them.

Spiced Maple Icing

• When cookies are cool, make the icing by combining the pumpkin pie spice and powdered sugar in a bowl. Add the maple syrup and ½ Tablespoon (1 & ½ teaspoons) milk. If you want the icing thinner, add a little bit more milk. If the icing gets too runny, add more powdered sugar to thicken it to your desired consistency.
• Once the cookies are cool, scoop a little icing on top of each cookie and spread it around with the spoon. Allow the icing to cool and harden. Then serve and enjoy!

Notes

• Molasses – Do not use blackstrap molasses for this recipe or your cookies will be bitter. Use light or dark molasses for baking. Grandma’s Original Unsulphered Molasses is a good brand to use.
• Oats – I use quick oats for this recipe because the result is a softer, fluffier cookie. You can use old fashioned oats if you wish. Just pulse them in a food processor or blender first to break them up.
• Pumpkin – Use pumpkin puree from a can for this recipe. 
• Baking – Don’t over bake these cookies! You do not want them to get dried out and crispy. Bake them for 12 minutes to start and then check on them. When ready, they will be puffed up and golden, with the edges set and the centers slightly underdone. 

I love the changing of seasons, especially when the mornings get cooler and the leaves start to turn. Fall ushers in a new rhythm of baking in my kitchen. Flavors get richer; I reach for my spice cabinet more often.

These sourdough pumpkin iced oatmeal cookies reflect that shift. They are warmly spiced without being overpowering. I paired a soft, chewy pumpkin cookie with a spiced maple icing for the perfect balance of sweet and warm spice.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• It’s delicious and showcases the best of fall flavors. The combo of pumpkin, oats, and maple just have all the homey, nostalgic flavors of cozy season.
• It’s an easy sourdough discard recipe. There’s no long fermentation time or overnight rise. Just mix the dough, scoop, and bake. 
• It makes large, soft cookies. Sometimes oatmeal cookies can get thin and crispy. Not this recipe. I made sure this recipe is the perfect pairing of a chewy and soft oatmeal cookie. A pumpkin cookie needs to be soft, in my opinion!

Important Ingredients

Sourdough pumpkin iced oatmeal cookies use basic pantry staples. Take note for:

• Oats – I recommend using quick oats for this recipe. It will create fluffier, chewier cookies. You can use old-fashioned (rolled oats) if that’s what you have on hand. But pulse them in a food processor or blender first to break them up.
• Molasses – Do not use blackstrap molasses for this recipe or your cookies will be bitter. Use light or dark molasses for baking. Grandma’s Original Unsulphered Molasses is a good brand to use.
• Pumpkin – Use pumpkin puree from a can for this recipe. You can save the rest of the pumpkin puree from the can in the fridge and make another batch of these cookies soon.
• Vanilla extract – Maybe I’m biased, but there is nothing like the flavor of homemade vanilla extract. I think it levels up any sweet treat recipe. Any kind of vanilla extract will do, but if you want to kick it up a notch, use homemade. I like this recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen.

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card above.

How to Make Sourdough Pumpkin Iced Oatmeal Cookies (Step by Step)

Mix Cookie Dough

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350℉ (177℃). Place oven rack in the center of the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Step 2: In a kitchen stand mixer fitter with a paddle attachment, combine room temperature butter and sugars. Cream together on medium-high speed for 2 minutes.

Step 3: Add the egg yolk, vanilla extract, molasses, sourdough discard, and pumpkin puree. Mix to combine, stopping halfway to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Step 4: Add the salt, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and mix. Add the flour ½ cup at a time and mix. Add the oats 1 cup at a time and scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all ingredients are evenly mixed together.

Step 5: Use a large spoon or cookie scoop to roll balls of cookie dough. Place a few inches apart on the baking pan lined with parchment paper.

Place pan on the center rack of the oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes until cookies are puffed up and golden, with the edges set and the centers slightly underdone. Allow to rest on the baking pan for 5 minutes after removing from the oven before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Make Spiced Maple Icing

Step 1: When the cookies are cool, make the icing by combining the pumpkin pie spice and powdered sugar in a bowl. Add the maple syrup and ½ Tablespoon (1 & ½ teaspoons) milk. If you want the icing thinner, add a little bit more milk. If the icing gets too runny, add more powdered sugar to thicken it to your desired consistency.

Step 2: Once the cookies are cool, scoop a little icing on top of each cookie and spread it around with the spoon. Allow the icing to cool and harden. Then serve and enjoy!

How to Make Ahead

Key tip: These sourdough pumpkin cookies will start to get soft overnight from the icing soaking into them so I recommend adding the icing the day you’ll be serving them.

To make ahead, bake the cookies according to the recipe. Allow to fully cool and store in an airtight container overnight. The next day, add the spiced maple icing and allow it to harden before serving.

How to Serve

These sourdough pumpkin iced oatmeal cookies are perfect for an after-school snack with a glass of milk. Or serve alongside a cup of coffee or tea for a cozy treat.

How to Store

These sourdough pumpkin cookies will start to get softer once they are topped with the icing, so I recommend adding the icing the day you want to serve them. Then store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Looking for more sourdough oatmeal cookie recipes? Try my sourdough iced oatmeal cookie bars and  sourdough oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars. My sourdough peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars roll 3 of your favorite cookies into 1 thick and chewy cookie bar!

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