NomEatNom - Whole Grain Pumpkin Raisin Cookies

Moist, delicious pumpkin cookies with no added fats and sweetened only with the goodness of pure maple syrup and fruit?!

Seriously?!

They really don’t taste like cardboard??

Yes, yes…you aren’t dreaming.

I’m often blown away by the massive amount of sweeteners called for in many cookie and dessert recipes. I think the sweetener in most cookie recipes could at least be cut in half and still taste positively delightful.

Now, don’t get me wrong, unlike some, I don’t feel that sugar is evil or anything. In fact, I’d much rather have REAL sugar instead of a fake chemical any day…but that’s a different soap box for a different blog.

That being said, I also don’t see a need to overdo it. I think if you lay low on the sweetener you’ll give yourself a chance to notice the other spices and nuances of your cookies and sweets. I know my hubby kept raving about all the different flavors he experienced each time he took a bite of these little gems…and I couldn’t help but agree.

So, what was my inspiration for this one?

Well, a good friend of mine gave me some quinoa flakes that I have been itching to experiment with in the kitchen. We also had made a batch of nom-worthy pumpkin pie mousse frozen yogurt, so I had half a can of pumpkin on my hands.

It had been awhile since I’d had a really good cookie.

I really like cookies.

The rest, as they say, is history..beautiful, scrumptious history…

Whole Grain Pumpkin Raisin Cookies
(Serves 15)

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup quinoa flakes (I’m sure rolled oats would work well, too!)
1/4 cup date sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 to 1/3 cup raisins
about 3/4 cup pure pumpkin (1/2 15 oz. can)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
15 raw almonds (optional)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine the pastry flour, quinoa flakes, date sugar, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl and stir to mix well. Add the pumpkin and maple syrup and stir until the dry ingredients are moistened and form a dough. Fold in the raisins.

Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Roll the dough into 2-inch rounds. This should yield 15 cookies…unless you eat one of them while still in its delectable cookie dough form…not that I would know anything about this, personally. 😉

I like my cookies to be soft and moist. If you prefer crispy cookies, you could make smaller, flatter rounds…which would also yield a few more cookies.

Flatten each round slightly with a spoon. Press a raw almond in the center of each cookie and sprinkle with just a bit of extra date sugar, if desired.

Bake for fifteen to sixteen minutes, or just until the cookies are golden brown.

Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to set on the baking sheet for about one minute.

Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.

Try to restrain yourself from devouring them all while they are still warm and fresh from the oven. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

What’s your favorite cookie? Oatmeal raisin? Double chocolate chip? Peanut Butter? Oooooo, or how about peanut butter chocolate chip (not that I’m bias or anything)??

Any recipe you’d like me to give a healthy makeover? Let me know in the comments! Happy nomming! 🙂