If you search “no-bake pumpkin cookies,” most recipes use a pumpkin pie pudding mix and no real pumpkin. Uh, what? No, I would not like pudding in what are supposed to be pumpkin cookies — I think I’ll pass. What happened to going back to the basics? After turning to one of my favorite healthy dessert blogs, I discovered another winning recipe from Chocolate-Covered Katie; she used real pumpkin in a tasty, but obviously simple way. I originally made these No Bake Pumpkin Cookies substituting coconut sugar and coconut oil for sugar and vegetable oil (because why not try new things?), but I felt the coconut oil and sugar together overwhelmed the flavor, and the tropical notes did not mix with pumpkin pie spice. Thus, I recommend the recipe below, swapping the vegetable for coconut oil since it’s less refined. I especially recommend using the added chocolate and pecans — a delicious way to have real pumpkin and still have cookies!
Ingredients (makes about 30 small cookies).
- 1 ½ c oats
- 1 c oat flour *
- 1/4 t salt
- 1/2 t baking soda
- 1/3 c sugar
- 1/2 t cinnamon
- 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
- 2/3 c canned pumpkin, heaping
- 1 T unsweetened vanilla almond milk (optional — I’ve had some good feedback that they’re just as good without!)
- 2 T coconut oil, melted
- 1 t vanilla extract
- Pecans, chopped (optional)
- Mini dark chocolate chips (optional)
* NOTE: in a food processor or small blender, pulverize oats until they are powder-like to create oat flour.
Directions.
- Combine all dry ingredients (oats to spices) in a large bowl. Stir well.
- In a smaller bowl, combine all liquid including pumpkin (pumpkin to vanilla). Mix well. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix with a fork or wooden spoon until ingredients are fully combined.
- Form dough into small balls.
- Optional: make half of dough “plain” pumpkin cookies and then add mini dark chocolate chips and chopped pecans to other half of dough.
- Place pumpkin cookie balls in the fridge to firm up for about 1 hour.
- Once firm, form balls into cookies by pressing down on the cookie ball with the back of a spoon.
- Continue storing cookies in a covered container in the fridge for one week to maintain freshness.
- Serve and enjoy!
Suggested Pairings.
- Almond Milk Hot Chocolate
- Almond Milk Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Vanilla Almond Milk Iced Coffee
Adapted from Chocolate-Covered Katie‘s “No-Bake Pumpkin Cookies.”
No Bake Pumpkin Cookies shown above with mini dark chocolate chips & chopped pecans added.
Eat Drink Savor Repeat 