After making pumpkin bread in an earlier post, I was inspired to try out more pumpkin recipes. 

Well, cookies naturally come to my mind.  When I think about pumpkin cookies I think about my friend’s pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting.  The recipe I used is another take on a pumpkin cookie.  These are loaded with chocolate, cherries, and oats.  

These cookies are the flavors of fall in your mouth.  Perfect for the Thanksgiving holiday…and a lot easier to eat than a slice of pie :)

The recipe I used called for white chocolate chips, but I used bittersweet instead because that was all I had on hand. 

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

• 2 cups flour (I used whole wheat)
• 1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup white chocolate chips (I used bittersweet, but any kind of chocolate chips would work)
• 1 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped
• ½ cup chopped nuts, such as walnuts (optional)

- Preheat over 350 degrees

- Combine flours, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, spice and salt in medium bowl

- Beat butter and sugars in large bowl until fluffy

- Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla to butter mixture.  Mix well.  Add flour mixture and combine until incorporated.

- Fold in chocolate chips and cherries

 - Bake 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned.  cool on sheets for 2 minutes and then cool on wire racks completely

**Get creative and experiment with the mix-in’s by adding dark chocolate, nuts, different types of dried fruits or raisins.  which ever combinations you like!