Remember when I made a pumpkin swiss roll and I told you that I couldn’t get enough pumpkin? Well since then I’ve had a ton of pumpkin spice lattes, I’ve bought a felt jack-o-lantern garland to hang in the window, and now I’ve made these pumpkin oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips and cranberries. My recommendation, buy one can of pumpkin puree and and you’ll have enough pumpkin for both this recipe and the roll. That’s the perfect way to get your fill of pumpkin flavored foods!
These cookies are lovely because they taste and smell like all the best part of the holidays. Making these, and baking these, made me feel like I was walking through a Christmas market drinking cider. They evoke a sense memory that is soothing and makes me feel like I’m snuggled in a blanket. But in all honesty, they don’t taste too strongly of pumpkin. It’s no matter though because in addition to pumpkin there are chocolate chips, dried cranberries, pumpkin pie spice, and molasses (which is called dark treacle here). See, it has all the yummy flavors of autumn.
The cookie batter is little weird because it is soft and sticky. It is less easy to manage than a regular chocolate chip cookie batter. It also calls for melted butter, and I’m not sure why because I didn’t create this recipe, it’s from Sally’s Baking Addiction. The thing about the melted butter is, when I melted it and it cooled it the cookies came out thicker and more cakey. When I melted the butter, but mixed it hot, the cookies came out thinner and softer. I don’t really know the science of why this works, but this is my observation. I just started my job at the Science Museum, so I feel a little bad not knowing the science and just asking us all to accept some sort of baking mystery. But, I did do some research and it seems like other bakers have had the same experience. What I remember from making gluten-free cookies is that melted butter helps wet what could be a dry mixture and help activate the protein structures. How that makes the cookies spread, I don’t know. I’ll look into it and get back to you.
If you try it, let me know how it goes for you. But, do with this information what you will, the main effect is on texture. The delicious flavor is there regardless. Also, for those visual learners among you, check out the difference in texture in the photos below.
What’s most important thought, is that you make these cookies. You should definitely make them if you’re having people over! Your home will smell amazing and everyone will be happy because there will be cookies.
Messy level: Ordinarily I would give basic drop cookies 1 spoon, since they are easy to mix in a bowl or two. These cookies are two spoons because the batter is sticky and so it gets all over your hands as you put the cookies on the sheet to bake. Also, molasses is a pain to measure and pour. A good tip is to spray your measuring spoon with some cooking spray, then pour in the molasses. The molasses will slip right out and won’t be stuck in the spoon!
- 2 cups + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 heaping tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp salt
- 1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 8 oz unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup dark molasses
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- chocolate chips and dried cranberries - a combo up to a total of 1½ cups.
- Preheat oven to 350°/180°.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- If you'd like the cookies thicker, melt the butter now. If you want them thin, don't melt the butter yet.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Once well mixed, fold in the oats.
- If you want your cookies thin, melt the butter now.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the butter, molasses and both sugars.
- Once combined, stir in the egg.
- Now add the pumpkin and vanilla to the sugary-egg mixture.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix.
- Add in your chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
- Scoop about 1-2 tbsp of dough onto the prepared sheets. Give the batter enough space to spread.
- Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets.
These sound amazing! I think I’ll have to try them out for our office cookie swap!