• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Slightly oil the paper with cooking oil spray. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, stir the dry ingredients together: rolled oats, plant-based protein powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spices. Whisk until all the dry ingredients are evenly combined. Set aside.
• In another bowl, add cooled, melted coconut oil, unsalted almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree. Whisk all the wet ingredients together until smooth.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
• Stir to bring the ingredients together, and stir in chocolate chips halfway. Keep going until the dough is moist, but stick together. You may have to use your hand to squeeze the ingredients together.
• If it is too dry, add one tablespoon of extra pumpkin puree or a splash of melted coconut oil.
• Use a cookie dough scoop to grab the pumpkin cookie dough, and use the palm of your hand to press and pack firmly the batter in the scoop.
• If the sides crack, wet your hands and press/rub the sides to smoothen the edges and pack the cookies.
• Release the cookie dough on the prepared baking sheet and press on top to flatten.
• Repeat until you form 8 large protein cookies, leaving half a thumb of space between each cookie.
• Bake at 350°F (180°C) on the center rack of your oven until golden brown on the edges - about 17-19 minutes.
• Cool down on the baking sheet without touching the cookies for 15 minutes. They need to rest on the cookie sheet to firm up. Don't touch them, or they may fall apart when warm.
• Slide a spatula under each cookie to gently transfer them to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely at room temperature before storing.

Storage

• Store the protein oatmeal cookies in a cookie jar or airtight sealed container in the fridge for up to four days. Freeze for up to one month. Thaw at room temperature.