Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

The cookies are entirely too simple, perfect for fall and completely adaptable to your tastes. They can be made with only a handful of ingredients...ingredients you very well may have lurking in your pantry right now. Great for Halloween or Thanksgiving get-togethers or just for this afternoon.

All you need is cake mix, canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling), chocolate chips, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. I'm a big fan of Betty Crocker cake mixes. I always stock up when they're on sale.

Add the cake mix, entire can of pumpkin and spices in a large bowl. I can't give you an exact amount of the cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. I just sprinkled it in. You need to go with your own tastes. You could also include All Spice. I don't like that particular flavor so I didn't. And if you're not sure about how much to add you could skip the spices and use Spice cake mix instead of yellow. I did also add a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Sir until combined. This batter doesn't contain raw eggs so taste it now if you'd like to judge your level of spice. Or if you're like me and not afraid of raw eggs in batter you've already dug in without thinking.

Add in chocolate chips and stir one more time.

 I started by using a cookie scoop to place the batter on the parchment lined cookie sheet. 

Pop these guys in a 350° oven for 15-20 minutes. Check after 15 minutes to see if they're golden on the bottom edges. They will not be brown like a normal chocolate chip cookie. You're looking for something I would call a dry appearance. You don't want to overbake.

And about 18 minutes later these guys come out. Notice anything? They are still the exact same shape as when they went in.

There's no butter so they don't spread. I wasn't sure if this would be a good or a bad thing so for the next batch...

I used the spoon drop method to achieve a flatter cookie before baking.

But to be honest both cookies were the same, soft and chewy on the inside. I think the cookie scoop method made prettier cookies but if you don't have one by all means use two spoons and just drop that dough.

These cookies are great right away and still good for the next three days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

But I wasn't done. I had some extra dough. And since this cookie dough didn't flatten I thought it'd be perfect for stuffing something inside of it like the Oreo stufffed chocolate chip cookies I've made, but yet to share the recipe. Shame on me. But I didn't have any Oreos...

...but my mom is my neighbor and she had these sandwich cookies. I created my own Oreo cookie.

Plopped a scoop of batter on top and bottom of the faux oreo and pinched the dough together then baked for 20 minutes.

Yep, I was right. This cookie recipe is a perfect one for baking cookies or candies inside of.

Happy Fall, y'all! And please give these cookies a try. Use your favorite cake mix flavor and add ins. Maybe chocolate cake mix with nuts instead of chips? After I took a plate to my mom she's already planning her own: spice cake with mini chocolate chips. Enjoy!