Fall is a lovely season in New York–crisp air, crunchy leaves, brilliant colors. It’s time to change out your summer wardrobe for warmer pieces, swap out your salad and grilling for casseroles and soups, and of course time to enjoy all things PUMPKIN–especially these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.

When Walmart asked me to share something special with you all for fall, these cookies are the first thing that came to mind. Mmm. For years these cookies have been a fall favorite treat at my house. 15 years to be exact! There is a short story to how I came into possession of this Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.

You see–when I was pregnant with my first child (Princess) I was very excited. I wanted to learn everything I could about babies since I hadn’t really spent much time with them. I read books, watched TV shows, and searched out information online. One of the best sites I found at the time for prenatal information was Babycenter.com. Of course they had stuff for sale, but they also had a newsletter you could sign up for that was keyed to your stage of pregnancy, so each week I’d get emails telling me how the baby was developing inside me. They also had forums, and you could join a group based on your due date. I was due in April–so I joined a group of ladies who all were due in the first half of April–the “Early April Angels”. It was nice to be able to commiserate with someone who knew JUST how swollen your feet felt, who started feeling their babies kick at around the same time as you did, and who all were just a bit nervous about their first child.

Of course we shared about more than just our pregnancy. One day a lady mentioned making Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. I was intrigued. This was 15 years ago, before the advent of “Pumpkin Everything”. I had never tasted pumpkin and chocolate together before. I asked for her recipe and she shared, cautioning me to be sure I purchased 100% pumpkin and NOT the pumpkin pie filling.

One batch of these delicious cookies and Yankee Bill and I were hooked! We make them every year and both Princess and Buddy have grown up with Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies just as much a part of fall as the changing of the leaves.

My original paper copy of the recipe eventually got tattered and I recopied it to a recipe card. You can tell it’s a favorite recipe when the card is all stained with pumpkin.

As with many recipes, my favorite part is the batter. Mmm. I’ve got to be careful or I’ll eat half a dozen cookies in dough form before they ever make it to the oven!

To make these cookies head out to your local Walmart and pick up your favorite brand of chocolate chips (I like Ghiradelli when I’m feeling a bit fancy) and a can of 100% pumpkin. Not Pumpkin Pie Mix. You’ll only use a cup of the pumpkin, so either plan on making more than one batch, or use up the rest later in the week with Pumpkin Pancakes or Pumpkin Black Bean and Tamale Pie. All the other ingredients are pantry staples–but of course you can restock any of those at Walmart too if you are running low.