Paleo Pumpkin Cookies
Soft, warmly spiced pumpkin cookies made with almond flour, creamy nut butter, coconut sugar, and dairy-free chocolate chips. Blotting the pumpkin purée and gently flattening the dough before baking helps produce tender cookies with rich, fudgy centers.
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Ingredients
- 2 cups finely milled blanched almond flour
- 2/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate divided
- 1/2 cup pumpkin purée thoroughly blotted to remove excess liquid
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/3 cup smooth almond butter or creamy cashew butter
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar or maple sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal
- 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Stir the ground flaxseed meal and water together in a small bowl. Leave the mixture undisturbed for 10–15 minutes, allowing it to thicken into a gel-like flax egg.
- While the flax mixture rests, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the almond butter or cashew butter, blotted pumpkin purée, coconut sugar or maple sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Stir until the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.
- Add the thickened flax egg to the pumpkin mixture. Continue stirring until the wet mixture appears smooth and evenly blended.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until a thick, cohesive cookie dough forms.
- Fold most of the dairy-free chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate into the dough, reserving a small portion for decorating the tops. Mix gently by hand to minimize breakage.
- Using a medium cookie scoop or approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough per cookie, arrange the portions on the prepared baking sheet. Leave about 2 inches of space between each mound.
- Because the dough will spread very little during baking, press each portion into a disc measuring approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Press several reserved chocolate chips into the surface of each cookie.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the cookies are just set. For softer, fudgier centers, remove them while they still appear slightly underbaked. Depending on the size of the baking sheet, the dough may require two batches.
- Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5–7 minutes so they can firm up without crumbling. Carefully transfer them to a wire rack and allow them to finish cooling.
Notes
Blot the pumpkin purée thoroughly with paper towels before measuring or mixing it into the dough. Removing excess moisture is essential for achieving the intended cookie texture.
A finely ground, blanched almond flour produces the smoothest and most consistent result.
For the best texture, use creamy almond butter or cashew butter that is well stirred and uniform.
Store cooled cookies in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.