Overwhelmed with requests to make a pumpkin recipe! So here you go….’tis the season for everything pumpkin. Truth be told, I’m not much of a pumpkin flavor type of girl. Yes, I do love my squash but when it comes to adding it to dessert I think it gets weird. But I suppose it become socially acceptable to make everything pumpkin when Fall rolls around.
That being said, when it comes to pumpkin desserts I’m very picky. I find most of them to be nauseatingly sweet and usually super spicy with way too much cinnamon. I rarely taste a pumpkin dessert that achieves the right balance of sweet and spice.
I wanted to make a cookie that would have everything my favorite trail mix would have. I’m a sucker for all things trail mix. So combined in a cookie – what could be better? But to start, I would need a base recipe. My cousin made these insanely delicious Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. I loved them and I knew I could use her recipe as a base to play on. She used Stevia to sweeten the cookies. I love Stevia but I know most people don’t like its bitter after taste.
I knew it would be a challenge to create a sweet cookie with no sugar or stevia when using that recipe as abase. But it totally worked! I used Nuttzo instead of the almond butter. It is like nut butter on steroids. Now, I love every kind of nut and I can never decide which nut butter to buy when I shop and bake. But Nuttzo combines pretty much all of them! And the “power fuel” version has added chia seeds and other super foods–Ingredients: organic roasted cashews, organic roasted almonds, organic roasted brazil nuts, organic roasted flax seeds, organic roasted hazelnuts, organic roasted chia seeds, organic roasted pumpkin seeds, sea salt. It’s my personal favorite of all the Nuttzo flavors.
I also love this nut butter because there are no added oils or sugars. Believe it or not pure nut butters are hard to find. I’ve never understood -why add oil when nuts contain so many healthy fats? Next time you buy nut butter check if they add oils or sugars it is more common than you know. I didn’t use any oil in these cookies since I did use a hefty serving of Nuttzo, making them rich and decadent without any added oil. I even added a little unsweetened apple sauce–a great substitute for oil in baked goods.
Personalize your recipe by adding whatever nut or seed you like! I just went with some of my favorites and of course I added pumpkin seeds…because duh, pumpkin cookies! Sooo pleased with this recipe and I even showed you guys a sneak peak on Snapchat, username: runonveg. Bite into Fall with these cookies that are actually good for you! Oh and hey, maybe not a bad idea to have one pre-run – pumpkin, oats, nut butter, raisins, pumpkin seeds..basically your morning oats all rolled into one warm chewy cookie.
Recipe preheat oven 350
Wet ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (I used canned)
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of Nuttzo (power fuel)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Dry ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cup old fashion oats
- 2 tablespoons flaxseeds
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
Fold in (trail mix):
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup stevia sweetened chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- In a medium size mixing bowl add all wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
- In a separate large mixing bowl combine dry ingredients. Then mix in pumpkin mixture. Once everything is combined, fold in your “trail mix,” pumpkin seeds, raisins, chocolate chips and sunflower seeds. You can use any combination of nuts and seeds you like but keep in mind if using large nuts, chop them up.
- Using a small ice cream scooper or tablespoon, form cookies on a lined cookie tray with non stick spray. Flatten with a fork and cook at 350 for 15-18 minutes you should get around 30-32 cookies
- Store in the freezer to preserve freshness and warm before serving
Have you tried these with dried cherries instead of raisins by chance? I was thinking about trying it, but not sure if pumpkin and cherries are complementary?
Are these sweet at all? Would it ruin them to add some honey or maple syrup?
Are these sweet at all? Would it ruin them to add some honey or maple syrup
sweet from the dried fruit and chips I don’t chose to use concentrated sweeteners such as maple syrup and honey
I love these cookies. No added sugar or flour. I’ve made many of your recipes because of the ingredients you choose. I made the pumpkin quinoa granola and gave as gifts this year. ‘Fuel to move’ is my motto and I feel good eating your wonderful creations. Thank you and keep them coming!
Do you know the approximate calorie count per average size cookie? By the way, I made the cookies and they are great – I did add dried cranberries instead of raisins to add some extra sweetness. Thanks
Love these. I used unsweetened coconut flakes in stead of pumpkin seeds because I couldn’t find them at the store. I also used a different type of almond butter. But they were still amazing.
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