Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Yes, it counts if you get your recommended servings of vegetables in baked goods and these pumpkin oatmeal cookies are a delicious way to do just that. This one bowl recipe is perfect if you have kids who want to help bake and the outcome is sure to be a hit. The cookies are easily made gluten free and vegan, and are naturally low in sugar. You might want to double the recipe to have a few in the freezer for easy breakfast cookies or to add in lunch boxes. I included a few fun optional add-ins in place (or combined) with chocolate chips, too. Enjoy!

Yield: 12 large cookies

Prep time: 10 minutes

Bake time: 22 minutes

Ingredients

2 and 1/2 cups rolled oats (use GF oatmeal if you are wanting the cookies to be gluten free)

1 and 1/4 cup pumpkin puree (different than pumpkin pie filling)

2-3 Tbsp maple syrup

1 Tbsp ground flax seed and 2 and 1/2 Tbsp water for 1 flax egg (see below for flax egg description)

OR 1 regular egg if you eat eggs

2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon with a pinch of nutmeg and ginger if you have it)

1 tsp vanilla or 1/2 tsp almond extract

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips (most chocolate chips are GF)

Other optional add-ins: 1/2 cup almond slices, 1/2 cup walnut pieces, 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins. I recommend using 1 or 2 of these in place of chocolate chips. If you do many more add-ins you may need to bake these more like granola bars.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. If using a flax egg, make it now by combining 1 Tbsp of ground flax seed and 2 and 1/2 Tbsp of warm water in a small bowl. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes to thicken it. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients and gently stir to combine. Using a spoon and your hands create 12 cookie shapes on your cookie sheet. You'll want to shape these like cookies before you put them in the oven because they will not spread much. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes and let cool for 3-4 minutes before eating.

*A flax egg is simply ground flax seed combined with warm water to create a paste consistency that works great as an egg substitute and adds protein and fiber in recipes.

Note on time: I think you could get away with baking these for less time, but I like the light crisp I got with 20 minutes (and one batch even longer) in the oven.