Perfectly chewy, lightly-spiced oatmeal chai cookies are the ultimate comforting fall dessert! These are packed with nutty pecans and sweetened with brown sugar for notes of caramelized flavor.
They’re easy to make (no electric mixer required!), and you probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry.
Spiced Pecan Oatmeal Cookies
I don’t think I truly appreciated oatmeal cookies until recently, when I actually started making them myself at home. Personally, I notice a huge difference between homemade and store-bought!
These oatmeal cookies are spiced with a homemade chai spice mix of cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg. (But if you don’t have all those spices, no biggie – the cookies will still taste delish).
The pecans are a fall-inspired addition that add a nice crunch. They really compliment the chewy oatmeal cookie texture.
For another fun take on the classic oatmeal cookie, try these oatmeal white chocolate raspberry cookies!
Recipe Ingredients
A few notes on the ingredients in these oatmeal pecan cookies:
- Old-fashioned oats (or rolled oats) are best here for the right texture and structure. I don’t recommend using quick oats or steel-cut oats, as they won’t yield the same texture.
- This recipe uses brown sugar for a chewier texture and a hint of caramelized flavor. If you’re really in a pinch, white granulated sugar should work – but the texture won’t be quite the same.
- I added chopped pecans here, but feel free to use walnuts instead (or leave out the nuts if you prefer).
- We’re using a homemade chai spice mix with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Feel free to throw in a sprinkle or two of ground cardamom too, if you have it!
For holiday baking, you might also like these ginger molasses crinkle cookies or these chocolate chip pomegranate cookies!
How to Make Oatmeal Chai Cookies
To make these cookies, start by whisking together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. (This includes the homemade chai spice mix!)
In a separate bowl, vigorously whisk the melted butter and brown sugar (to help the sugar dissolve). Then, whisk in the rest of the wet ingredients (room-temperature egg and vanilla extract).
Next, sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir gently with a spatula until just combined. Fold in the chopped pecans and oats.
Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Next, use a cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto two sheet pans lined with parchment paper. (I used a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop with heaping scoops). Make sure to leave enough space for the cookies to spread!
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-15 minutes. The bottoms should just be lightly browned when you take them out.
There you have it: chewy oatmeal cookie bliss!
Storage Tips
Let the cookies cool completely. Then, place them in an airtight container and store on the counter for up to 4 days.
How to Make Homemade Chai Spice
For these cookies, I wanted a lightly spiced flavor that wasn’t overpowering. But, if you want them extra-spiced, feel free to up the spice amounts.
To make the homemade chai spice, mix together 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp cloves, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. If you have cardamom, feel free to add 1/4 tsp of that, too.
If you want a bit of a kick to your cookies, add a little extra ginger. Or, if you love cinnamon, add more of that. Whatever you prefer!
More Mix-In Ideas
Here are more delicious mix-in ideas for oatmeal cookies:
- raisins, dried cranberries, or other dried fruit
- walnuts (instead of pecans)
- dark chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips
- shredded coconut
- butterscotch or peanut butter chips (if not using chai spices)
I love how these chewy chai cookies invoke such a cozy feeling. They’re especially perfect for rainy days or curling up with a book by the fireplace!
If you make these chai oatmeal cookies, I’d love if you shared your thoughts with a rating and comment below.
More cookie recipes to try:
- Iced Lemon Mascarpone Cookies
- Almond Butter Cookie Bars
- No Bake Nutella Thumbprint Cookies
- Flourless Coconut Peanut Butter Cookies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
More pecan desserts:
- Chocolate Avocado Truffles with Pecans
- Pecan Sweet Potato Blondie Bars
- Chai Custard Toast with Pecan Icing
Oatmeal Chai Cookies with Pecans
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled to measure)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp cloves
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg (at room temperature)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ cups old-fashioned oats
- ⅔ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit (176° Celsius). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, vigorously whisk melted butter and brown sugar. Whisk in egg and vanilla extract until combined.
- Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir with a spatula until just combined (no flour streaks). Fold in oats and pecans.
- Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto the two prepared cookie sheets, spacing the dough balls apart evenly. (A 1.5 or 2-tablespoon scoop should yield 18-24 cookies.)
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until just golden on the bottom and slightly under-baked looking in the center. Let cool, then enjoy!