Pumpkin Oat Chip Cookies

Oklahoma City has finally joined the civilized world…WE GOT A TRADER JOE’S, Y’ALL!! I’m so freaking excited. I decided not to venture to the new grocery store on the very first day of its opening, so I went the next day…and it was well worth it. Even though the small building was packed, the lines flowed quickly. I had researched the best and worst things to buy at Trader Joe’s (best: frozen foods, olive oil, snacks; worst: produce, fish) so I came armed and ready to shop.

I only wanted to pick out a few things to try, plus I had to get back to work (bleh for working on a Sunday) so I ended up with the Fig butter, green tea mochi ice cream, and their frozen macaroni and cheese.

I love homemade mac n’ cheese, but this frozen one was the bees knees! It was sooooo cheesy and decadent and delicious. A few of my coworkers and I gobbled up the mochi ice cream, which was pillowy and perfect. I haven’t tried the fig butter yet because I’m awaiting the perfect bread to smear it onto.

So, my first impression of Trader Joe’s: amazing. Obviously, I won’t do ALL of my grocery shopping there, but it’s a nice spot to get some grocery items on the cheap. I can’t wait to try out their endless supply of different olive oils next time.

Now, onto cooking…we are in the very last day of Squash September. Can you believe it?! A whole entire month has just flown by. I managed to inundate you all with a decent amount of squash recipes, and hope to have the same success next year! So here’s the final Squash September recipe of 2016…a chewy, chocolatey, pumpkin cookie that is sure to be devoured by your family.

Pumpkin Oat Chip Cookies

• Servings: About 4 Dozen
• Time: 40 mins
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

A thick, chewy cookie made up of oats, pumpkin puree, chocolate chips and pecans.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups quick oats
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep baking sheets by lining with parchment paper. Set aside while you make the cookie dough.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Set aside.
3. In a bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar for about 2-3 minutes until mixture is creamy. Make sure to stop your mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally, too.
4. Add egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree to the stand mixer bowl. Continue mixing, set on a low speed, until well combined. Slowly add in your bowl of dry ingredients, while mixing at a low speed. Add the chocolate chips and pecans, reserving about 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips to add to the tops of the cookies. Mix until dough is well combined, again scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Let batter rest for about 5 minutes.
5. Scoop dough out about 2 tablespoons at a time and drop onto your prepared baking sheets, making sure cookies are about 2 inches apart. Press a couple of chocolate chips into the tops of each cookie and then bake for 12-14 minutes. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Step-By-Step Instructions

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, oats, baking soda, and salt. Prep baking sheets by lining with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Stir dry ingredients until well combined. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and both sugars on low speed, about 2-4 minutes until creamy.

Gradually add in vanilla, egg, and pumpkin puree, continuing to mix on low speed until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Slowly add bowl of dry ingredients and then add chocolate chips and pecans. Let dough set for 5 minutes.

Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of dough and drop onto prepared cookie sheet, making sure cookies are about 2 inches apart. Press a few chocolate chips onto the tops of the cookies and then bake for 12-14 minutes.

Let cookies cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool fully. Store in an airtight container.

Oh yeah! Do you like the new stand mixer? Rob got it as an early birthday gift for me, and I’m in love! I’ve always wanted one, but never dared buy it. My life is so much easier now that I have a stand mixer. I won’t get carpal tunnels creaming butter and sugar ever again 🙂