Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chunks and Cranberries
These easy, soft Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chunks and Cranberries are sweetened with maple syrup (the batter is refined sugar free!) and 100% whole grain, with old fashioned oats and whole wheat flour as the base. Packed with warming cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice, these are a tasty and healthy fall cookie you'll want to make all season long!
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet (or two) with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
In a medium or large bowl, whisk together the melted butter (1/2 cup - I like to melt it right in the bowl to save on dishes), maple syrup (1/2 cup), 1 egg, pumpkin puree (1/2 cup), and vanilla extract (1/2 teaspoon).
Add the baking soda (1/2 teaspoon), cinnamon (1 teaspoon), pumpkin pie spice (1/2 teaspoon), and salt (1/4 teaspoon). Whisk together until well combined.
Add the oats (3/4 cup) and the whole wheat flour (1 cup) and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
Fold in the chocolate chunks (1 cup) and the dried cranberries (1 cup) with a wooden spoon.
Drop by rounded spoonful on prepared baking sheet(s). Optional: add more chocolate chunks and dried cranberries to the tops of the cookies before baking. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. Allow to cool for 3-5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
Pumpkin cookies tend to be a bit fluffier and more "cake-like" than your typical cookie. This means they won't spread out as much when baking, and will be a little thicker and quite soft. Don't worry that you did something wrong with this recipe if this happens to you - it's supposed to happen!
These cookies can be frozen in an airtight bag or container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the microwave for 15-20 seconds for a perfect warm cookie.
I used maple syrup to sweeten mine. This, mixed with the dark or semi-sweet chocolate and dried cranberries, makes it sweet but not too sweet. If you want a sweeter cookie, use brown sugar in place of the maple syrup. This will also make them a bit chewier.
The dough will be a bit looser than other cookie dough, more like a thick muffin batter. This is fine - and a cookie scoop may make your life a bit easier when spooning the dough onto the baking sheet.
The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.