Healthy Pumpkin Cookies with Glaze (Vegan, GF, Refined Sugar Free)
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Well, gooooood morning, sunshine! Have you recovered from your inevitable sugar-induced coma yet?
Let’s face it: even if you just snuggled up at home waiting for trick-or-treaters, you know you were dipping that hand into the candy bowl a little more often than you’d have liked. And, of course, if you went out dressed up as a “sexy nurse” or “sexy Hot Cheeto”, you probably indulged in the booze a bit, amIright?!
Ahh… those were the days. But I digress.
It’s officially holiday season and that means the indulgences will be coming at you hard, left and right, until the mandatory gym-joining on January 1st. So I developed a seasonal cookie that gives in to the indulgence.. but is totally healthy!
I love these cookies because they’re cake-like in texture, so rich in flavor, and the glaze offsets the cookie beautifully, making them feel like a true indulgence. But surprise! They’re made from pumpkin, ground almonds and oatmeal, a banana, dates, warm & cozy pumpkin pie spice, and maple syrup. Not bad, right? They might not be as damn cute as my classic Christmas cookies, but they’re damn delish!
On top of that, they come together quickly and so easily and can be made entirely in the blender. They’re moist but not too dense, sweet but not too sweet, and are excellent for breakfast.
Wait.. did I say that out loud?
But seriously..
Make these. For breakfast. For lunch. For dinner. For breakfast..
Healthy Pumpkin Cookies with Glaze (Vegan, GF, Refined Sugar Free)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ teaspoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon warm water
- 1 ¼ cup gluten-free flour blend (I used about 1/2 cup almond meal and 1/4 cup each of ground oats, brown rice flour, and chickpea flour)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin spice blend
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 Medjool dates , pitted
- ½ cup pumpkin purée (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 ripe banana , mashed
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup Medjool dates , pitted
- ¼ cup full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil , liquid form
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp warm water to thin , if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Stir chia seeds and warm water together and set aside to gel up, about 5 minutes.
- Place all cookie ingredients into a blender and pulse until well combined, making sure the dates are broken up and smooth. Spoon rounded spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and bake about 15-16 minutes, or until the edges are dry and firm. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack while you make the glaze.
- Make the glaze: combine Medjool dates, coconut milk, coconut oil, and maple syrup in a blender or food processor and process ’til smooth, adding warm water if desired. When the cookies are totally cool, drizzle glaze over tops of cookies and serve immediately.
- Always glaze the cookies right before serving, as glazing them in advance will make them a bit soggy.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen says
Oh my gosh, the sexy cheetoh – my day is now complete! Haha! That is the funniest thing I’ve seen all day! Now I know what I’m going to be next year 😉
And these cookies. Um, can you send me a batch right now? I just bough two sugar pumpkins today but never got around to roasting them to make pumpkin puree! I am going to roast them tomorrow and need to make these ASAP! I am going to try subbing buckwheat flour for the rice flour because that’s what I have on hand! Love it – these seriously look like little pumpkin pillow cookies! Pinned 🙂
Oh and I LOOOVE the pumpkin header Cheryl – so festive!
Cheryl Malik says
OK, so yes the sexy cheetoh is funny but.. I’m kind of annoyed because *why didn’t I think of that*?! Sigh. Katy Perry.. you always surprise me, in the best of ways
So we need to have a cookie pen pal system I’m pretty damn sure! Shipping would only be what, like $40 per box.. worth it, right?!
Isadora @ She Likes Food says
I am so guilty of eating way too much candy! One piece of candy for the trick or treater, two pieces of candy for me! And now the tummy doesn’t feel so great, but maybe these cookies will help me feel better 🙂 I used to make a pumpkin cookie with glaze all the time growing up and recently I’ve been thinking of trying to make the recipe a little healthier, so I love these healthy pumpkin cookies! I’ll take a panful!
Cheryl Malik says
Oh my gosh, I really thought I was above eating all the candy, but I kept saying, honey.. throw me a mini Twix.. honey.. pass me a Butterfinger.. Ha! It happens to the best of us! Thanks for your comment Isadora 🙂
Manali @ CookWithManali says
these look so moist and soft! Yum! Pinned
Cheryl Malik says
They totally are Manali! Hope you make them and love them 🙂
Sarah | Broma Bakery says
How did you know what I did for Halloween. Ugh, I guess the secret is out.
Loving these! Seems like such an explosion of flavors, from the banana to the medjool dates to the maple syrup. Yum!
Cheryl Malik says
Thanks Sarah! 🙂
Sarah@WholeandHeavenlyOven says
Ummm, yes I want these cookies for breakfast—thanks for the go-head! 😀 Loooove how soft and fluffy they look and omg that glaze! Totally drool-worthy. Pinned!
Cheryl Malik says
OK, your comment literally gave me hunger pangs.. of my own recipe! Mmmmm. Thanks Sarah 🙂
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
Not only do these cookies look delicious.. but they are surprisingly healthy too! Does this mean I can eat double to make up for the lost calories?
Cheryl Malik says
One hundred percent!
Or that’s at least what I always end up doing…
Traci | Vanilla And Bean says
How about breakfast, lunch and dinner!? No? Lovely recipe and oh so creative! That glaze alone is enough for me to want to make the cookies! Pumpkin is everywhere and I am loving it. The texture oat flour and almond meal impart on a cookie is wonderful… then, bring in the pumpkin? Yes please!! Thanks, Cheryl for this creative recipe!
Cheryl Malik says
It’s all for you, Traci! 😀 And seriously, these would actually be excellent for breakfast, elevenses, lunch, tea, high tea, supper, dinner, then after-dinner treat, then midnight snack… nom nom.
Mira says
These cookies are just stunning! Love how moist and delicious there look! I’ve made similar glaze for a sweet bread long time ago and I loved it! Have to pin these!
Cheryl Malik says
Thanks Mira! I actually thought of you when I was making these; for some reason I was like, this is something Mira would make! 😀
Nicole @ Waterloo, with Love says
so much yes! This recipe is absolutely delightful! Perfect for fall 🙂 — although the increasing frost every morning is a little frightening haha
Cheryl Malik says
Seriously! A polar vortex so soon? Yikes. But these have such warmth to them they’re perfect for a lazy snack! Despite the premature bluster eh?
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
We don’t even have Hallowe’en here in Sicily and I managed to find a way to stuff chocolate in my face all night! It’s inevitable!! And now I need these cookies. They’re just so pretty!
Cheryl Malik says
Oh my gosh yes, I have such fun memories of Halloween in Europe. Or rather, forcing the Europeans around me to have Halloween.. all the same, right?! You *do* need these cookies, Katrina! I’m not sure how pretty they are.. especially without the glaze they look sort of like um.. I’m just not even going to say.. but with the glaze, they’re almost decent-looking! 🙂 Praise the glaze!