These soft pumpkin cookies are made with only whole-food ingredients, and no refined flours or sugars. They are so simple to make and are healthy enough to even have for breakfast! The addition of chocolate chunks turns these cookies into a decadent dessert, and it is difficult to stop at just one!
Start by melting the coconut oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat to let it cool before using.
If using flax-eggs for a vegan version, mix 2 tbsp of ground flax with 5 tbsp of water. Stir well and let sit for at least 5 minutes to thicken.
While you are waiting, start mixing the dry ingredients in a bowl - almond flour, coconut flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. If your almond flour has chunks in it, use a sifter when adding the almond flour to the bowl.
In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients in one bowl - pumpkin puree, maple syrup, vanilla, melted and cooled coconut oil and the flax-eggs or real eggs if using. Make sure everything is well combined.
Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until everything is well incorporated. Be sure to remove any chunks of almond flour.
Place the mixture in the fridge to harden up slightly. I find that 15 minutes is enough, but 30 minutes is even better.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
Chop the chocolate bar into tiny chunks, the size of chocolate chips (you can use chocolate chips instead if you like!). I find the smaller chunks ensures that the cookies stick together better.
Once the cookie batter has set in the fridge, take out and stir in the chocolate chips.
Roll the mixture into 18 small balls, slightly smaller than a golf-ball, and place 9 balls on each tray. Flatten the balls only slightly with the palm of your hand, this helps with even cooking. Option to indent the cookies with a fork, but be gentle as you don't want to over-flatten the cookies.
Bake the cookies one tray at a time. If you cook both trays at once, the cooking time will be longer and the cookies may not rise as well. Check the cookies after 14 minutes, they should be only slightly firm to the touch. I cook mine for 16 minutes each tray.
Let the cookies cool slightly before moving to a cooling rack. This helps them firm up and results in a soft but textured delicious pumpkin cookie.
Notes
Add-Ins: The chocolate chips are totally optional. Make sure you chop the chocolate chunks nice and small; larger chunks can result in the cookie not firming up as well. These cookies also taste great with candied ginger chunks.Boosting the Protein: Try adding ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts to the mixture at the same time as the chocolate chunks.Adding Spices: Feel free to use 2 tablespoons of a premade pumpkin spice.Using Honey: Decrease temperature to 325° Fahrenheit, and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.Nutrition Analysis based on one cookie, using flax-eggs and no chocolate chips.