Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
These oatmeal cookies taste like the epitome of fall with all of their pumpkin and spices, and it’s hard to say no to extra chocolate! They’ll stay chewy for at least 5 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator—if they last that long!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (100g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
- ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- ¾ cup (183g) pumpkin purée
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp (28g) dark chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp (14g) miniature chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Whisk together the oats, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, pumpkin purée, and vanilla. Stir in the maple syrup. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the dark chocolate chips and ½ tablespoon of miniature chocolate chips.
- Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet, and flatten to the desired thickness and width using a spatula. Gently press the remaining miniature chocolate chips into the tops. Bake at 325°F for 11-14 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
Notes
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE: It’s extremely important to measure both the oats and flour correctly using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That's the one I own and love!) Too much of either will dry out the cookies and make them cakey or dry, instead of chewy. This is especially true of the oats; they act like little sponges and soak up lots of moisture from the cookie dough.
OATS NOTES: Instant oats are also known as quick-cooking or one-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 rolled oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-12 times or until the oats are about ⅛ of their original size.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the regular whole wheat flour. (I’ve also included even more flour options on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page!)
SPICES NOTE: If you prefer, you can substitute 2 ½ teaspoons of store-bought pumpkin spice for the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
PUMPKIN NOTES: Use regular canned pumpkin purée (like this!), not pumpkin pie mix! The only ingredient should be "pumpkin." Make sure it's at room temperature before you mix it with the melted butter or coconut oil too!
SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup. (See my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page for additional sweetener options!)
CHOCOLATE CHIP ALTERNATIVES: Semi-sweet chocolate chips may be substituted for the dark chocolate chips, if you prefer.
GLUTEN FREE OPTION: For a gluten-free version, use certified gluten free instant oats and the following gluten free flour blend: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) brown rice flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten free flour blends (like this one!) should also work, if measured like this.
EGG FREE, DAIRY FREE + VEGAN OPTION: Use the coconut oil option or stick-style vegan butter (like this!), and use vegan-friendly chocolate chips (these are my favorite!).
HOW TO STORE: Keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep for at least 5 days (if not longer!) when stored like this.
For answers to all other questions, including substitutions and tips, see my Oatmeal Cookies FAQ Page.
{gluten free, dairy free, egg free, vegan, clean eating, low fat}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amyshealthybaking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.