Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 14-18 minutes
Makes: 8 large cookies
This month I was gifted a pie pumpkin & let me tell you, I was like a kid at Disney Land for the first time. Receiving home-grown / homemade gifts are truly the epitome of gift-giving. At least they are in my opinion.
To know someone spent the time creating something & then chose to share it with you is special. So to Mary, thank you for this pie pumpkin that turned into both a pumpkin pie & a batch of cookies to celebrate my mom’s birthday.
This was my first time baking pumpkin in the oven to use as my purée, so I wasn’t uber confident going in. And frankly, I struggle to bring out any pumpkin flavor. I always end up thinking “ehhh, it’s just okay.” So on this day, November 5th, I decided to give pumpkin pie a shot (it’s my mom’s favorite & she was the birthday gal).
As it came out of the oven, I realized that one pie pumpkin gives you a LOT of pumpkin, so, why not make a batch of cookies too? As I’ve alluded to, expectations were low.
Fast forward to that evening, I brought the pie over to my parents & had a few cookies in tow. The pie turned out beautifully!!! With a gluten-free crust. Sadly, I didn’t take any pictures. As for the cookies, I set them on the counter & honestly forgot they existed. So when my sister texted me the next day saying the cookies were really good, I quickly took a picture of the few left on my kitchen counter & started writing this blog…
So, here you are to try! If you’re not yet convinced, I get that, but truthfully, they’re worth making. Oh & if you don’t have an actual pie pumpkin, just use 100% pumpkin purée – no added ingredients needed!
about the cookie:
My hope for this cookie was to mimic the one I used to make in college with my best friend, Avery. Over the holidays, we made these INCREDIBLE pumpkin cookies, sat on the kitchen floor laughing while they cooked, then watched a marathon of Gilmore Girls while we devoured them. I can’t remember how many I consumed, but I can assure you it was a lot. They were soft & fluffy, not your thin & crispy type.
We were both vegan at the time so the cookies were dairy-free but definitely not gluten-free. And likely had a ton of sugar. I didn’t have that recipe off the top of my head, so I tried to create what felt right.
With this batch, I made a few tweaks:
- Replaced all-purpose flour with a gluten-free blend
- Scaled back the sugar
- Replaced it with coconut
- Went heavy-handed on the spices.
The result? You should try them & tell me 😉
cookie considerations:
Make vegan: To make these cookies entirely vegan, substitute the egg with flax egg. For 1 egg, mix 1 Tbsp ground flax with just under 2 Tbsp water. Mix, set aside for a few minutes. Once it has a gel-like consistency, add it to the recipe where the egg is requested.
Flour: Feel free to replace the brown rice flour & cassava flour (2 cups when combined) with 2 cups of Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free 1:1 baking flour. I prefer making my own flour concoction but you do not need to follow unless you enjoy that too!
Coconut oil: Be sure to let the oil cool completely before adding it to the blender. If it is still warm, it can solidify once it comes into contact with a colder ingredient, like pumpkin or the egg later on.
ingredients
1 15oz can pumpkin purée, 100% pumpkin
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup almond flour
½ cup cassava flour
½ cup coconut sugar
⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 egg
1 tsp cinnamon
¾ tsp ginger
2 tsp vanilla
½ tsp sea salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup dairy-free dark chocolate chips
steps
Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Melt the coconut oil however you prefer. Set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, lightly mix together the flours, coconut sugar, cinnamon, sea salt, baking powder, & baking soda. Set aside.
In a blender (I used a Vitamix), add the pumpkin, oil, maple syrup, & vanilla. Blend until smooth then add to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix together until well incorporated.
Add the egg & mix again until the egg is thoroughly combined.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Using a cookie scoop or spoon, place 3-4 tablespoon-sized cookie dough onto the baking sheets. Be sure to shape the cookies into the size you would like them to end up as – they will not expand much in the oven. Bake for 14-18 minutes, or until slightly golden. You do not want to underbake these as they will not hold their shape.
Enjoy! You can store these for up to 4 days, or freeze for later.
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