Pumpkin Cookies with Vanilla Cardamom Frosting

During the fall season, nature is abundant with pumpkins! Along with pumpkin pie, we are always looking for new ways to get that fall pumpkin taste into treats!

Pumpkin MuffinThese soft pumpkin cookies with vanilla cardamom frosting use fresh organic pumpkins in a grain-free cookie that you and your kids will relish through fall and the holidays. This recipe makes wonderful cookies, but is not so great as a quick bread recipe because it can tend to break apart. You can make small muffins with it though, like the mini heart and bundt cake in the picture here.

These cookies are great with or without frosting.

Preparation Time

  • 35 minutes to prepare and bake the the pumpkin and 10 – 20 minutes to bake the cookies. 15 minutes to make the frosting. About 1 hour and 20 minutes total.

What about canned pumpkin? Yes, you can use canned pumpkin to save time. There are organic pumpkin purees on the market. Unfortunately, they are mostly canned and you may want to avoid canned foods because cans have the toxin, BPA. You can also use butternut squash, if pumpkins are harder to find in your area.

Pumpkin Cookie Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups filtered water
  • 1 ¼ cups coconut flour
  • 1 cup fresh cooked pumpkin from a small, fresh cooked sugar pumpkin (you can also substitute with butternut squash)
  • 1 cup medjool dates
  • ½ cup coconut butter (or coconut oil)
  • 1 TBL ground cinnamon
  • 1 TBL vanilla extract
  • 1 TBL ground flax seeds and 3 TBL warm water (this is a flax seed egg substitute)
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp fenugreek (This is optional – I like to use it for health benefits, like eye health and promotiong weight loss. It’s also great for balancing the tastes, which helps you feel satisfied with less treats and can therefore, help reduce cravings.)
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp cloves
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder

Pumpkin Cookie Directions

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Poke holes in your pumpkin or cut it in half to bake it. If you cut it in half, remove as many of the seeds as you can (Save them – you can clean them, soak them and dehydrate them for eating or using in other recipes!). Put about 2 inches of water in the bottom of a glass baking dish or casserole dish and place the whole or halved pumpkin in the baking dish. The water will keep it moist as it cooks. Bake for 30 minutes or until you can easily insert a knife in the pumpkin. Once the pumpkin is done, remove 1 cup for this recipe. Save the remainder for a nice snack or side dish! You will typically get approximately 2 cups of cooked pumpkin from a small sugar pumpkin.
  • Keep your oven heating at 350 degrees F for baking the cookies.
  • Put the dates into your food processor with the S blade and blend up until they are mushy.
  • Now add the rest of the ingredients, saving half of the water to add as needed while blending. Blend until all of the ingredients are mixed thoroughly.
  • Scoop the batter out with a 1 TBL measuring spoon and shape into slightly rounded balls with flat bottoms onto a greased cookie sheet. Grain free recipes typically do not rise, so shape them the way you want them to be when they are done baking.
  • Bake for about 10 – 20  minutes or until the cookies get darker and are soft and bouncy to the touch (check at the 10 minute mark). They are just about done when you start smelling the strong baked smell of the cookies. You will see that the color starts to change to a more dried look to color on the top of the cookie. They should not be completely dried out though. You want to take them out when they are still moist, but dried enough/cooked enough that they stay together when you take them off the pan with a spatula. I like them very moist, but you can cook them a little longer if you like them a little drier. Just don’t overcook them and let them get too dry or else they won’t taste good. In my opinion, they taste the best when they are golden (more dried looking) on the outside and still moist on the inside and stay together when you remove them from the pan.
  • Remove cookies from the oven, turn off the oven, and allow the cookies to cool for about 15 minutes or more.

Frosting Ingredients

  • 1 cup coconut butter
  • 1 cup medjool dates
  • 3 TBL filtered water
  • 1 TBL raw honey
  • 1 TBL ground cardamom
  • ½ tsp sea salt

Frosting Instructions

  • Put the dates into your food processor with the S blade and blend up until soft and mushy.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients and blend up thoroughly.
  • Taste – see if you want to add more dates or honey. If it’s sweet enough for you, you’re good to go!

Assembling the Frosted Pumpkin Cookies

  • Once the cookies have cooled, they are ready to be frosted!
  • You can use a knife and frost them or if you want to be fancy, you can pipe them with a frosting piper kit. My suggestion is to refrigerate the frosting first if you want to use the piper kit.
  • Store the cookies in your refrigerator for up to a week or in your freezer for up to a few months.

 

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As a coach, writer and recovered former executive, I understand the challenges of creating a balanced, healthy lifestyle when over-scheduled. In my journey to radiant health, I created a whole health system of eating, exercise, renewal and recharging -- a roadmap toward health & vitality. I empower clients to create their own whole health systems, in their own unique ways. I have seen amazing results in working with my clients!