Pumpkin peanut butter cookies are a soft, chewy and wholesome snack that can be made with or without chocolate chips.
Peanut butter and chocolate is a winning combination—creamy, sweet and salty. However, I also added mashed pumpkin to this recipe.
The pumpkin adds softness and moisture to the cookies and gives a gorgeous orange colour.
Further, the pumpkin provides sweetness, so minimal sweetener is required in the recipe. The recipe only uses one tablespoon of sweetener and optional chocolate chips.
These cookies prove that pumpkin and chocolate are also a winning combination!
Why make cookies low in added sugar?
The health benefits of reducing added sugar intake are well-known. However, it can be confusing to understand how ‘natural’ sugars, such as maple syrup or honey, compare to white sugar.
Many health proponents claim that ‘natural’ sugars are healthier as they contain greater quantities of vitamins and minerals lost in the processing of white sugar.
Yes, it is true that ‘natural’ sugars contain more vitamins and minerals than white sugar. However, given that our intake of all free sugars should account for less than 10 per cent of our daily energy consumption, it makes little sense to look to sweeteners to increase our micronutrient intake.
If you’ve been thinking about reducing sugar intake, I recommend that you check out my blog, Sweet Relief from Sugar Detoxing.
Why use pumpkin for sweetness in these cookies
If you truly want to increase your vitamin, mineral and antioxidant intake, you’d be far better off looking to fruit and vegetables. Plus, nuts and seeds, legumes and wholegrains. Not sweeteners.
A true ‘switch’ to reduce added sugar in the diet is to swap sugar, honey and maple syrup for fruit pureés and mashed or grated sweet vegetables, such as date paste, apple sauce, stewed apple, mashed banana, tinned fruit, beetroot, carrot, pumpkin and parsnips.
Some of these alternatives are available in the supermarket. Others are easy to make yourself.
These peanut butter cookies use mashed cooked pumpkin to sweeten them.
Ingredients you will need to make these cookies
To make these pumpkin cookies, you will need:
- cooked pumpkin, either steamed or roasted
- peanut butter, smooth or crunchy, or a mixture of both (your choice)
- wholegrain oats
- maple syrup or honey
- vanilla (extract or essence)
- dark chocolate chips (optional)
The chocolate chips are optional, although I think they add a delectable texture and taste to the cookies. However, if you’re not a fan of chocolate, I have the option of substituting the chocolate chips with chopped dates. It’s actually a delicious combination, too.
How to make pumpkin and peanut butter cookies
These pumpkin cookies are easy to make.
Simply mash the pumpkin and combine it with the peanut butter, honey or maple syrup, and vanilla. Then, combine the oats and mix in the chocolate chips. That’s the mixture sorted.
Between damp hands, roll the mixture into golf-ball-sized balls. Place on a baking tray and press lightly with a fork. The shape will not change much on baking, so mould your cookies to the shape and size you desire before cooking.
Bake in the oven at 180oC for 12-15 minutes until they are a light golden brown.
Cool before removing from the tray, as they can be crumbly.
Enjoy!
Tips to make these pumpkin peanut butter cookies
This recipe is easy to make. As long as your pumpkin is perfectly cooked and easy to mash, you’re good to go.
Pumpkin peanut butter cookies, no egg
The pumpkin and peanut butter in these cookies helps bind the ingredients together without using butter or eggs. So, these pumpkin cookies are also dairy-free and vegan.
Can you make these cookies gluten-free?
These cookies do not contain flour. However, if you are gluten-free and avoid oats, you could substitute flaked quinoa.
Are these cookies healthy?
No food is intrinsically healthy or unhealthy. Food provides nourishment and energy that sustains us.
These cookies provide sustained energy through complex carbohydrates, intrinsic sugars and healthy fats. They will likely satiate your hunger and are a fantastic snack for kids’ lunchboxes or for time on the trails.
Storing your pumpkin cookies
These oatmeal cookies will keep for up to one week in an airtight container in the fridge. Keep them in the fridge as the pumpkin makes them quite moist and unsuitable for storage at room temperature.
The cookies can also be frozen for up to three months. However, I’m not sure how they’ll last more than a few days—they are so moreish!
Let me know if you try this recipe
Let me know if you enjoy this recipe in the comments below. I love sharing recipes with you. Your support through commenting is the encouragement I need to keep creating recipes for you.
If you are looking for other dessert recipes that use pumpkin, you may want to try my recipe for pumpkin and prune cake.
xx Tansy
Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked pumpkin, steamed or roasted
- 1 cup peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
- 1 cup wholegrain oats
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or essence
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chips (optional) or equivalent chopped dates
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180oC and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Place pumpkin in a medium mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork.
- Add peanut butter, honey or maple syrup and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.
- Combine the oats until well-coated.
- Then, stir through the chocolate chips. The mixture will be thick and sticky.
- Roll mixture into balls, golf-ball sized, with damp hands to minimise sticking.
- Place balls onto baking tray and press lightly with a fork.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.
- Cool on tray before enjoying.
Notes
2 comments
Delish and easy to make!
These are so soft and not too sweet! I made them with chocolate chips and they were perfect!