Pumpkin Cookies

I love fall for lots of reasons. The changing leaves, cooler weather, the upcoming holidays, and an abundance of fall fruits and vegetables. My favorites include apples, beets, brussels sprouts, fresh cranberries (which I usually find hard to come by expect I found them at my local grocery store yesterday!), mushrooms, pears, squash, sweet potatoes, and of course pumpkin. Last season I remember having a hard time trying to find pumpkin since there were shortages but this year seems to be a little better. Of course fearing not being able to find canned pumpkin when I saw some I grabbed as many cans as I could hold.


I love pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread but I decided to go with cookies. I added oats to the batter which makes the cookies soft but chewy. I used evaporated cane juice instead of plain white sugar since its vegan and a somewhat healthier alternative to sugar since its goes through a smaller degree of processing. For a fat instead of a butter substitute I used coconut oil. The slight coconut flavor that it imparts is great and for a fat, coconut oil gets two thumbs up. Did you know coconut oil is processed in the liver and immediately converted into energy? Pretty cool, but I'm not telling you to go drink a cup for a "pick me up" : ) . Refined versions that give no coconut flavor are available and you could also substitute it with canola oil if you'd like. I think flaxseeds are a great substitute for eggs and are also full of fiber and Omega-3 fatty acids. For a quick breakfast or nutritious snack toast a piece of gluten free bread, drizzle with agave nectar and sprinkle on some ground flaxseeds. Yum!


Feel free to add toasted walnuts or raisins to the batter to bump up the nutritional value even more. Now...on to the recipe.


Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with a Maple Glaze
Yield: about 2 1/2 dozen


2 cups of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (this mix really is the best!)
1 1/3 cup certified gluten free oats
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1 2/3 cup evaporated cane juice
2/3 cup coconut oil (in its liquid state)
2 tbsp molasses
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp ground flaxseeds


- Whisk together the gluten free flour, oats, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
- In another bowl mix the evaporated cane juice, oil, molasses, pumpkin, vanilla, and flaxseeds.
- Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet and mix until smooth. Try not to over mix, I found even gluten free batters can get gummy when mixed too much.

- Scoop batter onto parchment lined pans and bake in a 350 F degree oven for 13 minutes or until the edges are golden.

*These cookies are great unfrosted, but I wanted to jazz them up a bit with a simple maple glaze made of maple syrup, rice milk, vanilla, and 10x sugar.