It’s a new week, and it’s feeling like fall outside so it’s the perfect time to get festive with your baking. That means adding pumpkin to EVERYTHING of course! It’s hard for me to get through a day without some time of treat – but I need the treat to have nutritional properties, so what better option than a pumpkin oatmeal dark chocolate cookie with protein powder! Make a batch of these to last all week and enjoy 1 or 2 for a guilt-free treat. I made these with quick oats and an almond flour blend (it’s actually almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, and arrowroot but you could substitute regular almond flour or a gluten free flour). I do not like to cook with conventional flour because: it has high glycemic index (rapid spikes in blood sugar), provides no nutrition, it contains harmful additives, it promotes inflammation in the gut, and because it contains gluten which I avoid 95% of the time unless it’s organic and sprouted such as the Food for Life Ezekiel bread.
If I am going to be eating these cookies 1x daily I want them to have the best possible ingredients which is why I sweeten them gently with organic applesauce (apples are on the dirty dozen pesticide list) and also maple syrup (natural and low glycemic index with health properties). Less is always best when it comes to sweet things anyways!
And in case you wonder why I love to add protein powder to most of my baked goods, it’s because protein not only helps fuel muscle development but it also keeps you full and will help prevent blood sugar spikes. So these cookies have a perfect ratio of carbs, healthy fats and some protein and fiber! A win-win-win for a dessert!
INGREDIENTS – makes about 20 cookies
- 1 cup quick or old fashioned organic or NON-gmo oats (quick oats will yield a smoother cookie consistency, if this is your preference you can always also grind up old fashioned oats in place of quick oats)
- 1/2 cup almond flour or gluten free flour blend of choice (or organic wheat flour)
- 1/2 cup vanilla whey protein powder
- 1 tsp pumpkin spice or cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1/2 can (or 3/4 cup) canned pumpkin (no sugar added)
- 1/3 cup applesauce
- 3 tbsp creamy natural peanut butter
- splash of nut milk of choice
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (or fewer)
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or raw walnuts
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
METHOD
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grab a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl combine all the dry ingredients except the chocolate chips and stir well. In a smaller mixing bowl add the egg, pumpkin, applesauce, vanilla extract, maple syrup, nut milk, peanut butter and mix well. Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine thoroughly before folding in the chocolate chips.
- Now take a spoon and begin to spoon cookies onto the baking sheet about 1 inch apart until all dough is formed into cookies, about 20 total.
- Bake at 350 for around 14-15 minutes or when the center doesn’t feel too gooey.
Enjoy!!
Kelly Hayman Fitness 