Cookies

February 26, 2023

Pumpkin Trail Mix Cookies

Pumpkin Trail Mix Cookies are the perfect fall cookie. Pumpkin, warm spices, oats, and autumnal trail mix add-ins come together in this tender, tasty cookie. 

These Pumpkin Trail Mix Cookies are an update on a cookie I made often with my grandma when growing up. I’ve added some of my grown-up favorite trail mix additions, like pecans and pumpkin seeds, along with sweet bites from dried cranberries and chocolate chips. The added protein and healthy fats from the nuts and seeds, along with the fiber from the oats and pumpkin, almost make these cookies breakfast-worthy (almost, *wink*wink*).

And these cookies make a fairly large batch, making them perfect for sharing. Take them into the office, share with your neighbors, mix them up for a harvest party - they’re a hit everywhere they go! Pumpkin Trail Mix Cookies are sure to become your go-to seasonal cookie for autumn. 

Ingredients assembled for Pumpkin Trail Mix Cookies
Assemble your ingredients.

Stages of making the cookie dough
Cream together butter and sugars until fluffy, then add remaining wet ingredients and mix until well combined. Add dry ingredients, then trail mix add-ins.

Cookie dough scooped onto a baking sheet, then baked cookies from the oven
Use a cookie scoop (or tablespoon) to drop rounded scoops of cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, then bake the cookies.

Finished cookies on a wire rack to cool, plus five cookies stacked on a plate  to serve
Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container with pieces of parchment in between layers, as these cookies are very moist and may stick together when stacked.

Pumpkin Trail Mix Cookies arranged on a long wood serving platter
Pumpkin Trail Mix Cookies are a yummy fall-inspired snack!

Two cookies, one with a bite taken out, with a small bottle of milk next to them
Betcha can't have just one.

Pumpkin Trail Mix Cookies

Pumpkin Trail Mix Cookies are the perfect fall cookie. Pumpkin, warm spices, oats, and autumnal trail mix add-ins come together in this tender, tasty cookie.

Author:

Kira Freed - The Joyful Plateful

Prep:

15

min

cook:

15

min

total:

30

min

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, beat together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy. 
  3. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree to the butter-sugar mixture, and beat again  until everything is well combined. 
  4. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined. 
  5. Add the pecans, pepitas, cranberries, and chocolate chips, and fold until evenly distributed in the cookie dough. 
  6. Using a tablespoon, drop rounded spoonfuls of cookie dough on the cookie sheet (12 per batch). Bake at 350 degrees F for 14-16 minutes. 
  7. Remove cookies from the oven, and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool.
  8. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container, with parchment or wax paper between the layers (these cookies tend to be moist and stick together without it!). 

Yield: 4 dozen 

Thanks for contributing to our community! Your comment will appear shortly.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
March 19, 2024
Hannah
Sounds sooooo yummy. I will definitely prepare this