Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Image

PUMPKIN WALNUT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES: VEGAN & GLUTEN FREE

 

I make these pumpkin walnut chocolate chip cookies for my friends and co-workers around the holiday season but they great for any time of the year. I like them nice and spicy so add lots of nutmeg and cinnamon, this makes your kitchen smell amazing and really goes nicely with the pumpkin flavour.

Vegan, gluten-free baking does take some practice. If you want to sub an egg instead of flax egg, that works as well. Whole wheat flour also works in place of the spelt flour.

Flax is a nutritionally dense food that really ups the nutritional value of anything you’re making. It’s is loaded with the healthy fat, omega-3 essential fatty acid. Good for your heart, skin and general health. It’s also one of the highest sources of soluble and insoluble fibre which means it’s going to keep you feeling full and satisfied for longer.

Ok, back to the freaking cookies right?!

WHAT YOU NEED

  • 1 cup of unsweetened pureed pumpkin.
  • 1 Flax egg: 1tbsp ground flax to 2 tbsp of warm water whisked until sticky. Or sub 1 egg. 
  • ½ cup melted coconut oil
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 2 cups of spelt flour
  • 1 cup quick rolled oats
  • ½ cup of walnuts
  • ½ cup of chocolate chips (I use this brand Vegan CC)
  • 1tsp of baking powder
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp of nutmeg
  • pinch of sea salt

WHAT TO DO

  1. Start by mixing the wet ingredients. Melt the coconut oil until almost liquid
  2. Add sugar, pumpkin, oil and flax egg in a bowl and whisk together.
  3. In a separate bowl combine gluten-free flour, oats, walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and chocolate chips and stir.
  4. Mix wet and dry ingredients thoroughly! If your mixture looks a bit moist, slowly add either more oats or more flour.
  5. Now it’s time to get your hands dirty! To bake the cookies you need to make them into little balls, then press with a fork to flatten. If you used a flax egg, you might want to just form your cookies into little pancake shapes straight away as the dough will be more crumbly.
  6. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 16-18 minutes. Yes, that seems long but the pumpkin really ups the moisture and slows down the baking process.
  7. Transfer to a cooling rack right away. When using coconut oil, and gluten free flour AND a flax egg, the cookies might not hold their shape well when warm. It’s best to cool them down and get them to the fridge to help them hold their shape.
  8. Enjoy!

xoxo

Rebecca