Pumpkin Cowboy Cookies

Yields: 15 cookies

These chewy cookies are perfect for any pumpkin lover! They’re full of hearty oats, cozy spices, and plenty of chocolate. Even better, they’re perfectly sweet and taste like regular indulgent cookies—not healthy at all! Leftovers will keep for at least one week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator (if they last that long!).

1 cup (100g) instant oats (measured like this and gluten-free if necessary)
¾ cup (90g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp (14g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
¾ cup (183g) pumpkin purée, room temperature (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup
2 tbsp (14g) finely chopped pecans
2 tbsp (10g) shredded unsweetened coconut
2 tbsp (28g) miniature chocolate chips, divided

Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, pumpkin, and vanilla. Stir in the maple syrup. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the pecans, coconut, and 1 ½ tablespoons of chocolate chips.
Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet, and flatten to your desired thickness and width using a spatula. Gently press the remaining chocolate chips into the tops. Bake at 325°F for 11-14 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Notes: It’s extremely important to measure both the oats and flour correctly using this method or a kitchen scale. Too much of either will dry out the cookies and leave them crumbly instead of chewy.

Instant oats are also known as quick-cooking or minute oats. They come in large canisters, just like old-fashioned oats. They are not the ones in the small flavored packets of oatmeal. To make your own, add the same amount of old-fashioned oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-12 times.

For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free instant oats and the following gluten-free flour blend: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (17g) brown rice flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends will also work, if measured like this.

It’s important to cut the pecans to be very small, no larger than the size of miniature chocolate chips, to ensure that the cookies bake evenly. Any nuts may be substituted for the pecans.

Shredded sweetened coconut may be substituted for the unsweetened.

For more tips and answers to all other questions, including substitutions, see my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ page.

{gluten-free, vegan, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}

Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2016/11/13/pumpkin-cowboy-cookies/