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This is a chewy, (not cakey) and moist cookie that has just the right amount of pumpkin spice.
Makes about 2 dozen 3” cookies
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 1/4 cups rolled oats, old-fashioned
1 cup chopped pecans, *toasted
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dark chocolate morsels + more for tops of cookies
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened but still cool
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions; heat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice in medium bowl. In second medium bowl, stir together oats, pecans, cranberries, and chocolate morsels.
In mixer, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until no sugar lumps remain, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add pumpkin puree and vanilla and beat on medium-low speed until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl; with mixer running at low speed, add flour mixture; mix until just combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer still running on low, gradually add oat/nut mixture; mix until just incorporated. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.
Use a 3 T (50mm) cookie scoop to portion out dough and place on parchment-lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Gently flatten each dough ball scoop to 1 inch thickness. Stud top of each dough ball with 3 – 4 additional chocolate morsels. Bake both baking sheets 10 minutes. After 10 minutes rotate sheets front to back and top to bottom, then continue to bake 5 more minutes until cookies are brown on edges and have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will seem underdone). Do not overbake. Cookies will firm up to a chewy texture as they cool on baking sheet and wire rack.
Cool cookies on baking sheets 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.
Notes:
Pumpkin puree replaces the egg in this recipe. Transfer leftover canned pumpkin puree to an airtight container where it will keep in the refrigerator for a week to 10 days after opening.
Using all brown sugar in this recipe makes for a moister and chewier oatmeal cookie. You can substitute quick oats for old-fashioned oats, which will result in a slightly less chewy cookie.
*To toast nuts:
Spread the nuts in even layer on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes, stirring halfway through baking time so they don’t burn. When you can smell them, they’re done. Remove from baking sheet to cool.
Using a different size cookie scoop other than 3T/50mm will affect baking times, adjust accordingly.
Cookies will keep for 4 - 5 days stored in an airtight container or zipper-lock plastic bag, but they will lose their crisp exterior and become uniformly chewy after a day or so.