Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a standard 13 × 18-inch (33 × 46-cm) rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Position the oven rack in the center so the cookies bake evenly without excessive browning on the bottoms.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup (245 g) pumpkin puree, 1/2 cup (128 g) creamy almond butter, 1/3 cup (80 ml) maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract. Stir until the mixture looks thick, smooth, and evenly orange. Small flecks of almond butter are fine, but there should be no large unmixed lumps.

Add 2 cups (180 g) old-fashioned rolled oats, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Fold everything together with a sturdy spatula until the oats are completely coated. The dough should be thick, sticky, and scoopable rather than pourable. If it seems unusually loose, stir thoroughly and allow the oats to absorb some of the moisture before shaping.

Add 1/3 cup (57 g) mini semisweet chocolate chips and fold gently until evenly distributed. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to incorporate any remaining dry oats or spices. The dough should hold together when pressed with a spoon.

Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie. Use the back of a spoon or slightly damp fingertips to flatten each portion into a thick round, approximately 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) thick. These cookies spread very little, so shape them close to the size and thickness you want after baking.

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes, until the surfaces look matte rather than wet, the edges feel set, and the bottoms are lightly golden. The centers should remain soft but should not look like raw, glossy batter. Because pumpkin adds moisture, the tops may not brown significantly. If the cookies still appear wet in the center, continue baking briefly and check again.

Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack for another 10 minutes. The cookies will become easier to handle as they cool. Expect a soft, tender center and chewy oat texture rather than a crisp, crunchy cookie.