Love in the Kitchen: The Healthy Pumpkin Apple Spice Oatmeal Cookie

My youngest son is persistently optimistic. Each time he goes with me grocery shopping he is determined to find a store bought cookie that I will let him eat. He doesn't want home made cookies, but something he can buy from the store. There is the illusion that cookies in those beautiful packages must be more delightful, I guess. Most of the time we purchase pre-cut fruit and he loves it. As he enjoys his fruit, the thoughts of the unfulfilled desire fade away...at least for this shopping trip.

A yummy cookie is always welcome in my house, but there are certain requirements that have to be met. Healthy and free of allergens is a must. Between the boys and I, we have a long list of food intolerance's that make purchasing cookies very difficult . Therefore, I get lots of practice baking without gluten, dairy, egg white, soy, sugar, rice, vanilla, almonds, peanuts, and cinnamon- the ingredients that are in most store bought cookies.

During the last year, I have been experimenting with many versions of Meghan Telpner's recipe, The Ultimate Healthy Cookie. I love that her recipe works very well with different variations of gluten-free flour and it may be made without starches or gums. This recipe is a great addition to your recipe collection, especially if you need to rotate gluten-free flour or eat grain-free. You can make this cookie to suit your dietary needs and enjoy every bite! If you haven't visited Meghan's blog, Making Love in the Kitchen, click here to be inspired by her knowledge and delicious and healthy recipes.

This is our favorite adaptation of Meghan's The Ultimate Healthy Cookie.

The Healthy Pumpkin Apple Spice Oatmeal Cookie

No: Gluten, Dairy, Sugar, Egg Whites

1 cup gluten-free flour (I like 1/3 cup coconut flour, 1/3 cup sorghum flour, 1/3 cup quinoa flour)
1/2 cup chopped pecans *(optional) (use freshly shelled if eating a diet that is candida-safe)
3 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal
1/3 cup Lakanto (may be purchased from The Body Ecology Diet)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut *(if omitting the pecans, increase to 1/2 cup coconut)
1/2 cup certified gluten-free oats (or quinoa flakes)
1 large heaping handful of love

Mix dry ingredients with a whisk and then add the following wet ingredients and stir with a spoon until well mixed.

1 egg yolk
7-8 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
7 drops of stevia liquid
1/4 cup organic canned pumpkin puree
1/4 cup organic applesauce, unsweetened
add enough water for the dough to soften and hold together when shaped with your hands

I use my hands to shape into balls and press them down onto a stainless steel cookie sheet that has been greased with Spectrum Naturals organic shortening. These do not spread so press them thin as you like them.
Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F. for about 19 minutes or until they are brown.



Here is a photo of another version of this recipe without pumpkin. I made this with 1/2 cup of Blackberry Applesauce, Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips and 1 cup of this gluten-free flour mix:

1 1/2 cups sorghum flour
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup millet flour