Pumpkin-Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Let me be very honest with you--I wasn't too sure about pumpkin and chocolate together.  I really wasn't.  However, I've seen pumpkin-chocolate THIS and pumpkin-chocolate THAT so I decided that since many others seemed to like it, I'd give it a try.  Then lo and behold, this recipe popped up on one of the fellow food bloggers that I follow.  Fate was practically begging me to try this combination!

 {Pumpkin-Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies}

 {Leaning tower of cookie goodness!}

 {To get the pretty chocolate chips on the outside, just press some in the dough before baking}

This cookie practically changed my fall recipe line-up; it's getting added every year from now on!  Even The Hubby said that he wasn't too sure about how they would turn out because he said it was a weird combination; for the record, he ate about a dozen cookies.  Like most oatmeal cookies, letting them sit for about 24 hours (if you can manage it!) really deepens the flavors.

Two years ago:  Beef and Cabbage
Three years ago:  Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin-Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies
from Cooking Classy

Makes 4 dozen cookies (yield will vary according to the size of the cookie)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups packed light-brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg (local), room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin puree
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger for 30 seconds, set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until creamy. 
4. Blend in egg, and then blend in vanilla extract and pumpkin puree. 
5. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until combined. 
6. Mix in chocolate chips and pecans (if you want some chocolate to show through set some aside to press into tops before baking). 
7. Let batter rest 5 - 10 minutes (this just gives the oats some time to absorb the liquids so batter isn't so sticky and cookies don't spread so much). 
8. Scoop dough out 2 tablespoons at a time (I used a 1 1/2-inch cookie scoop, which I recommend using for evenly shaped cookies and fill it heaping), and drop onto baking sheets, spacing cookies 2-inches apart. 
9. Bake in preheated oven 12 - 14 minutes or until edges begin to turn golden. 
10. Allow to cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 
11. Store in an airtight container. 

Since this recipe made quite a large amount of cookies, I took about 2 dozen to work.  Three hours--that's how long they lasted.  I set them out about 10 AM, and when I walked by about 12:45 PM (to grab one for a mid-afternoon snack) they were GONE!  Everyone who had one sent me an email that they were fantastic, and they really really were!

Pin It