Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

I can’t resist putting pumpkin into all kinds of goodies during the fall. Pumpkin pie is a classic, and pumpkin soup is a great choice for something savory, but there are all kinds of other pumpkin goodies to make if you get a little creative. A batch of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies is a great way to use up a little bit of leftover pumpkin puree if you have some sitting around after making other pumpkin recipes. The easy-to-make cookies fill both a pumpkin and a chocolate craving, and don’t need much pumpkin to have a fall flavor.

The cookies are soft and chewy, but not cakey, and they are just packed with chocolate chips. Pumpkin has a fairly mild flavor, so I added traditional pumpkin pie spices – cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg – to the cookie dough to draw more attention to it. The spices really add character to the cookies and blend well with the chocolate. You can still taste the oatmeal in the cookies, too, which adds a nice nuttiness to the mix. I prefer quick cooking oatmeal in these cookies and find that you get the best texture in the finished cookies with it. If you only have whole rolled oats, simply pulse them in the food processor a few times to break them up a bit.

I definitely recommend using semisweet or dark chocolate chips with these cookies for the best results, as milk chocolate can be a little too sweet with the pumpkin and the spices. Nuts would be a great addition, however, and could add a nice crunchiness to the cookies. To add the nuts, just replace about a half cup of the chocolate chips with chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts. This cookie recipe can be doubled easily if you want to make a big batch, and the cookies store well for several days when stored in an airtight container.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (pref. homemade)
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups quick cooking oatmeal
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugars until fluffy. Beat in the egg, followed by the pumpkin puree and the vanilla extract. Working by hand, stir in the flour mixture and the oatmeal until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for about 11-13 min. Cookies will be lightly browned at the edges when done. Don’t be tempted to over-bake them in the hope of browning them more, or they can dry out.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 4-5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 2 dozen.