Often orange is associated with the fall season as the green summer leaves change to beautiful orange, yellow, and red colors. Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are the perfect snack to be shared during fall for Halloween and Thanksgiving festivities. The cookies are moist and flavorful, and easily made for allergy sensitive people. The pumpkin keeps the cookie moist if gluten free flour is used, and few will realize that you have substituted a gluten free flour blend! For those with dairy allergies, this recipe is dairy free when the gluten free flour blend does not contain a milk powder, and dark chocolate chips are used in place of milk chocolate chips. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 ½ dozen

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups flour ( gluten free optional, I use Cup4Cup gluten free flour blend)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice…if you do not have this spice in your pantry, substitute:
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves

Wet Ingredients (plus sugars):

• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 – 15-ounce can of pumpkin
• 1/3 cup coconut oil melted (if you do not have coconut oil in your pantry, substitute shortening)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Chips:

• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare your baking pan(s) by lining them with parchment paper.
2. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
3. Mix the wet ingredients as follows in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment: white sugar, brown sugar, egg, and pumpkin for about 3 minutes on medium speed until light and incorporated. Then, slowly pour the coconut oil into the bowl with the mixer running on low speed. Mix in the vanilla until incorporated.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until fully combined. If using gluten free flour, do NOT over mix, just mix until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Drop 1-2 tablespoons onto lined baking sheet(s). Bake for 16-18 minutes until set (underbaking these cookies will result in ‘wet’ cookies – do NOT underbake). Store in an airtight container if not enjoyed the same day! Bon Appetit!

Note: These cookies can be dairy free, in addition to gluten free, if the flour blend does not contain milk powder, and dark chocolate chips are used instead of milk chocolate chips.  Check with the person to see the severity of their allergies always!

This recipe has been adapted from a recipe by meaningfuleats.com.