Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Spicy Pumpkin Cookie Recipe, Vegan & GF Options

Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies: One of the best cookie recipes to make in the fall, with fresh pumpkin. But feel free to use butternut squash instead, or canned pumpkin.

The divine combo of spices, pumpkin & dark chocolate, along with the light texture, makes these the best pumpkin chocolate chip cookies any time of year.

Vegan & GF Options with directions below

Prep time: 30 minutes, plus 4 hours of chilling the dough

Baking time: 12 - 15 minutes

Makes 3 dozen 2 inch cookies

Nutrition Data, 45g Serving (1 cookie): 168 cal, 24g carb, 8g fat, 107mg sodium, 1g fiber, 2g protein, Estimated glycemic load 16

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Vegan Version: Substitute vegan margarine such as Earth Balance for butter. Substitute 1 Tbsp ground flax seeds mixed with 1/4 cup water for the 2 eggs. Make recipe as directed.

Healthier Version: Substitute 1 cup coconut sugar for the white and brown sugar. Use 2/3 cup coconut oil in place of the butter or earth balance. Increase the amount of pumpkin by 1/3 cup. Not necessary to chill the dough.

GF Version: Substitute 3 cups all purpose gf flour mix and add 1 tsp xanthan gum (Bob's Red Mill makes a corn free variety). If you don't want to use xg, add 1 Tbsp psyllum husks to the gr flax seed and increase the water to 1/3 cup. GF versions does not need to be chilled.

Spicier Version: Double the cinnamon and ginger and add 1/4 tsp. of cloves to the flour mixture.

Nutty Version: Add 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts to the cookies.

Directions:

In a small bowl mix together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, set aside
In a large mixing bowl cream butter with white and brown sugar
Cream in eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin puree
Beat flour mixture into butter mixture until fully incorporated
Stir in chocolate chips
Cover dough tightly and chill in refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper
Scoop cookies onto cookie sheet
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until cookies are browned around the edges and set in the middle
Allow to cool completely before removing from cookie sheets
Best if eaten within one or two days

Recipe Tips:

Shorten the chilling time by freezing the cookie dough for half-an-hour and then freezing the unbaked cookies on the cookie sheets for 10 minutes before baking.

For the Vegan and GF versions, there is no need to chill the dough.

I recommend using parchment paper if you can. The cookies are less likely to get too brown on the bottom.