Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ok, I admit it.  I have a sweet tooth!   Because of this I like to find healthy options to satisfy it, and I love knowing that I'm giving my kids a healthier alternative to sugar.  It's fall right now which means lots of pumpkin recipes!  These cookies are a hit with my family!  I also love that this is only a small batch recipe.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

(www.eatcleanrecipes.com)

Ingredients

1/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil, melted (liquid)
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup almond meal (almond flour)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate or chocolate chips

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In medium bowl stir together pumpkin, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla until well blended.

Add oats, almond meal, cinnamon, and salt; mix well. Stir in chocolate.

Use small cookie scoop or a tablespoon measure to drop mounds of cookie dough onto parchment-lined baking baking sheet. Flatten cookies with your fingers. (This helps the cookies bake more evenly.)

Bake 13 to 18 minutes until bottoms are browned. (Ovens vary, so adjust bake time as needed. It’s better to slightly overbake than underbake these cookies.) Cool completely on baking sheet.

Makes 16 small cookies

Tip: The dough isn’t as stiff as traditional wheat flour cookie dough, but it should hold together when you scoop and mound the dough on the baking sheet. If the dough appears too dry to hold together, try stirring in an additional tablespoon pumpkin.