09 Oct Vegan Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
’Tis the season for all things pumpkin. From Halloween through Thanksgiving, and on till Christmas, pumpkins can be found almost everywhere you turn. I urge you to take advantage of this super-food while it’s in season. The health benefits of pumpkin are numerous. This colorful gourd promotes good vision and a healthy heart, lowers blood pressure, acts as a cancer-preventative, boosts your immune system, and improves your mood. (Why do you think Jack-o-Lanterns are always smiling?) However, less publicized are the beauty benefits of pumpkin. Yep, that’s right, adding pumpkin to your diet will make you look better. They promote healthy hair and nails, help us sleep more soundly, improve our skin’s elasticity, and reduce wrinkles. Hooray!
INGREDIENTS:
(DRY INGREDIENTS)
1 cup instant oats
3/4 cup almond flour
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips (divided)
(WET INGREDIENTS)
2 tablespoon flax oil (or coconut oil melted in the microwave)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup pure pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sweetener of your choice
(maple syrup, coconut sugar, pitted dates blended in food processor)
*I’ve made this recipe with all of these sweetener choices, and they are all delicious. Just remember that if the sweetener is “wet,” such as maple syrup or blended dates, you whisk them with the “wet ingredients,” and if you use coconut sugar (my favorite), you mix it with the dry ingredients.
PREPARATION:
*Pre-heat oven to 350°F
*Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl with 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips.
*Whisk together the wet ingredients.
*Combine the wet and dry ingredients.
*Form balls (ping-pong ball sized) and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
*Press down to slightly flatten each cookie.
*Place 5-6 chocolate chips on top of each cookie.
*Bake for 12-15 minutes. Let cool on tray.
These cookies are very moist (almost like mini gooey cakes), and will last 7 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I like to put one on a plate and microwave it for 30 seconds. Yum!
So there you have it, a delicious (and healthy) vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free cookie that is not missing any of the gooey goodness that makes dessert… well…dessert.
Live Young,
Darnell 🙂
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