Creamy, silky texture of a pumpkin pie in a two-bite sized cookie using a FRUIT!? Check out the recipe to find out the surprise!
Creamy, silky texture of a pumpkin pie + two-bite sized cookie + a FRUIT!?
Well, you may be as surprised as I was when I learned that a pumpkin is A FRUIT, not a vegetable (FYI: a cucumber is ALSO a fruit).
Technically (or botanically) speaking, a good rule of thumb is that if the fruit or veggie in question contains seeds (think strawberries, apples, lemons) it’s considered a fruit.
But, my main inspiration for this recipe was incorporating amaranth. It’s pretty much a “super food” of a grain, in that it is a whole grain that also is a complete protein. What that means is that it contains all 9 amino acids that the body can’t make and we have to get through our food. Animal products are also complete proteins, but plant-based proteins typically are not. SCORE for the vegetarians/vegans!
(For more history on amaranth, written in a knowledgeable and yet completely entertaining way, check out wholegraincouncil.org)
The flavor of amaranth is quite unique. It’s got a bit of a nutty flavor, which I thought would pair well with pumpkin. If used in the “grain” form, as opposed to the flour form, it gives a texture to the cookies similar to that of seeds in a fruit smoothie (aaaaand we’ve come full circle back to fruit seeds!). If you like that sort of thing, these cookies can be made with the amaranth left in the grain form. I, personally, am not a fan, so I used a food processor to pulverize the itty bitty grains into more of a flour consistency. I’ve read that using a coffee grinder does a really nice job at this, as well. Either way, the amount of amaranth in the recipe will remain the same.
It is important not to overcook the cookies to maintain the creamy, pumpkin pie-like texture which really makes these cookies unique.
If you’re indecisive (like me), these tasty morsels would make a great replacement for a traditional pumpkin pie at your Thanksgiving gatherings so you can still have room to sample other great treats.
Don’t forget to pin the recipe for later and leave a comment if you plan on making these great cookies!
Kaylie
Yields 19 cookies
Gluten Free; Vegan - optional; Low Sugar; Low Fat
20 minPrep Time
9 minCook Time
29 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal
- 2 Tbsp water
- ¼ cup soy flour
- ¼ cup Amaranth
- 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice (or 2 tsp cinnamon + ½ tsp allspice + ¼ tsp nutmeg + ¼ tsp ginger)
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp + ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp granulated sweetener of choice
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp honey (for vegan option – replace with 1 tsp granulated sweetener)
- 2 tsp coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup milk of choice (i.e. cow’s, almond, soy, etc.)
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease a cookie sheet pan or line with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine the flaxseed meal and water and set aside to create a “flax egg”.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the soy flour, amaranth, spice, conrtarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and granulated sweetener (all of it if doing the vegan option).
- In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, honey, oil, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Add the flax egg into the wet ingredients. Stir well to fully incorporate.
- Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir well until everything is combined. The dough will look a bit sticky, but keep stirring and folding the dough together.
- Using a No. 50 scoop (or 1.3 Tbsp), place cookie dough on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 9-10 min. or until the dough is firm on the outside, but still squishes when you press it. You don’t want it to feel like it’s fully cooked or else you won’t get that creamy, pumpkin pie-like texture.
- Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet.
- Cookie eating time!