It can be challenging to cook for crowds. People not only have different tastes, but dietary restrictions as well. This recipe is not only super easy to make, but it is gluten free and vegan! I had this recipe in my Pinterest for a while and finally decided to cook it during the January 23, 2016 snow storm in the DC area. I needed to bake because I always need to bake. The challenge was that I also needed a recipe that I wouldn’t feel bad about eating. As a rule of thumb, I give away all the dessert I bake, but that isn’t possible when the streets don’t get plowed for a few days. This did the trick. They were so good the first time, I made them again for a vegan housewarming party where I learned to add smoked paprika to hummus. So good!
Previous cooking experiences
I was challenged for one of my friend’s birthday to make a gluten free and vegan cake. Below is a chocolate strawberry cake. 
I enjoyed making this cake, but this was a challenge! The strawberries were difficult to cover with the vegan dark and white chocolate. I wanted to draw “Happy Birthday” on them, but when the chocolates seized, I did my best to just coat them. In addition, the gluten free flour blend had a weird savory taste. The vegan frosting was unexpectedly amazing and easy.
Baking these pumpkins cookies were unlike any of these previous experiences.
Recipe
Makes about 50 small cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- In a large bowl combine with a whisk:
- 2 cups of oat flour- Oat flour is very cheap, but if you don’t think you will be using oat flour, make your own by blitzing rolled oats in a food processor. 180 grams of rolled oats should make 2 cups of oat flour (If you are making these for a gluten free crowd, make sure it is gluten free)
- 1.5 cups of rolled oats (If you are making these for a gluten free crowd, make sure it is gluten free)
- 0.75 cup mini chocolate chips (If you are making these for a vegan crowd, make sure they are vegan.
- 1 tablespoon of flax meal (This will duplicate an egg)
- 1 teaspoon of chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 0.5 teaspoons of salt
- In a medium bowl whisk:
- 1 cup of pure pumpkin
- 0.5 cup of unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tablespoon of whatever milk you want to use
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 cup of brown sugar
4. Whisk in the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
5. Scoop the cookie dough onto a parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet. I use a small ice cream scoop to ensure even cookie size. Once you use a scoop, there is no going back. Two spoons will also work. Because this dough does not have any eggs, you can have all the raw dough you want.
6. Bake for 10 minutes and prepared to be wowed.
Nutrition per cookie:
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 50.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 54 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 2 g | 2 % |
| Saturated Fat 1 g | 4 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0 % |
| Sodium 26 mg | 1 % |
| Potassium 27 mg | 1 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 8 g | 3 % |
| Dietary Fiber 1 g | 4 % |
| Sugars 4 g | |
| Protein 1 g | 3 % |
| Vitamin A | 8 % |
| Vitamin C | 2 % |
| Calcium | 1 % |
| Iron | 4 % |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
Get Off Your Butt and Cook 