With store shelves filled with candy and kids looking forward to a night of snacking, sometimes it seems impossible to offer a treat that has both a sweet appeal and a healthy kick. These Easy Pumpkin Oat Cookies satisfy the sweet tooth while providing nutrition in the form of oats, pumpkin and craisins. Great for the season and for the holiday table, these treats freeze well and can be served at parties or tucked into a lunch box long after the ghosts and ghouls are gone.
Easy Pumpkin Oat Cookies
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie puree)
½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 cups oat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup flour (whole wheat flour also works well)
1 cup unsweetened craisins
½ to 1 cup mini chocolate chips or vanilla chips (optional)
¼ cup milk (if necessary)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl combine salt, soda, cinnamon and flours and set aside. Cream together butter, pumpkin and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix to combine. Fold in craisins and chocolate if desired. If dough is too dry, which can happen with whole wheat flour, add milk one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved.
Drop full tablespoons of the batter onto an ungreased cookie sheet and cook 9-12 minutes until browned on the edges.
These cookies do not spread flat but are ball cookies. They can be pressed down with the bottom of a clean glass when they come out of the oven if a flatter cookie is desired.
— Jana Stocks Brown
Jana Brown is a writer, wife and mother. She blogs at kitchenwitchesblog.com. Twitter: kitchenwitchesb