When we think of a cookie, a boatload of sugar comes to mind and while we do believe in balance, sugar is not something we want too much of any longer. But a life without cookies is no fun! As many of you know, one of our favorite things to create at Sage and Celery is an old favorite with a new healthy twist! This Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie does just that!
As we went along on our health journey, sugar was a tough one to let go of. It was a challenge to go from eating a diet of processed foods loaded with sugar to eating whole foods, but we learned a lot of tricks along the way that made this journey bearable and successful. One of those tricks is to eat complex carbohydrates and smaller amounts of natural sugar. Going cold turkey can lead to binging later.
This recipe has both! The complex carbs come from the oatmeal and pumpkin puree. Are you familiar with just how healthy oats are for the body? We explained the health benefits in our Gluten Free Apple Pancakes and Apple Pie Overnight Oats. The bottom line, oats are definitely worth adding into your diet! While there we did add some sugar in this recipe, the amount is so small compared to many traditional cookie recipes, we think it’s just the right amount.
We also added pumpkin puree because…well, it’s Fall and a must to try at least a few pumpkin recipes this season. Not just because pumpkin is so yummy but it’s really good for us! Click on our Grain-Free Pumpkin Bread recipe to learn all about pumpkin’s health benefits.
This Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookie recipe is great for dessert, snack and even healthy enough for breakfast!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie
Description
This delicious pumpkin cookie is gluten and dairy free and low in sugar, making it a perfect snack, dessert or even breakfast.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup rolled oats (gluten-free if needed)
1/2 cup oat flour (make your own in a food processor if you can’t find it in your store)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt (we used Himalayan salt)
Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 Tablespoon coconut oil, melted
3 Tablespoons natural peanut butter, creamy
3 Tablespoons coconut sugar
3 Tablespoons maple sugar
1 Flax egg (to make this use 1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed and mix with 3 Tablespoons water and set aside for 1–15 minutes)**
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup mini, dairy-free chocolate chips (we used Enjoy Life)
3 Tablespoons chopped pecans
Instructions
1.) Preheat your oven to 350°. In a small bowl, add the ground flax seed and water and mix together with a spoon and set aside. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2.) In a medium-sized bowl, place all of your dry ingredients and whisk to combine.
3.) In a smaller bowl, place all the wet ingredients (including the flaxseed/water combination if it has been at least 10 minutes) and whisk together to make sure there are not any clumps.
4.) Fold in the dry ingredients and combine. Now fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.
5.) Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, scoop out about a golf ball sized cookie (@ 2 tablespoons) and place on the parchment paper. Flatten the cookie down so that they are level, not rounded. These cookies will hold this shape as they bake.
6.) Place in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. You can almost smell when these delicious cookies are ready but it’s best to use a timer :).
7.) Let them cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer them to a wire cookie rack to finish cooling and enjoy! Our cookies didn’t last the day but we suggest if you do have leftovers to store them in an airtight container for a few days or even longer in the refrigerator.
Notes
**Can also use one egg in place of the flaxseed if you prefer eggs in your baked goods.
