Pumpkin Spice Breakfast Cookies

vegan, soy-free (potentially)

Adapted from a recipe by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero in Vegan Cookies Invade your
Cookie Jar

I'll admit - these are just a variation on my Banana Breakfast Cookies that I love to make in the Fall (or when dreaming of Fall!). If you have leftover pumpkin from another recipe (maybe this one?), this is a great way to use that up. Just like the Banana Breakfast Cookies, these are soft, almost like muffin tops, and taste best when warmed in the toaster oven or microwave. The addition of pumpkin allows you to cut back the oil, so these are an even healthier breakfast treat to make during the season when we may be indulging in a few too many rich desserts :)

Yield: about 12 large cookies / Active time: 15 minutes / Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup (71 g) well-mashed ripe bananas (about one small banana)
• 1/2 cup (113 g) pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons (14 g) ground flax seeds or whole chia seeds*
• ​1/4 cup (60 g) nondairy milk
• 1/3 cup (72 g) canola oil
• 3/4 cup (255 g) maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
• 1 teaspoon (4 g) pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (96 g) whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
• 1/2 tablespoon (4 g) ground cinnamon**
• 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice​
• 2 cups (180 g) quick-cooking or rolled oats
• 1 cup (125 g) pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup (150 g) dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, or chopped pitted dates)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine banana, pumpkin, flax/chia seeds, and nondairy milk, and mix until smooth. Mix in the oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Sift in all-purpose flour, whole-wheat pastry
   flour, baking soda, salt, and spices, and mix to form a moist batter. Fold in the oats, nuts, and dried fruit. The dough will be moist yet thick and sticky.
3. Using two spoons, drop scant 1/4 cups of dough about 2 inches apart onto the baking sheets. Press down cookies to about a 1-inch thickness.
4. Bake the cookies for 14 to 16 minutes or until edges begin to turn golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. These cookies can stay fresh for up to 2 months in an air-tight container in the freezer. To thaw, warm for a few minutes in a toaster oven at 300 degrees or for just a few seconds in the microwave.***

*Ground flax seeds, in addition to being incredibly nutritious, have the amazing ability to form a viscous gel when mixed with liquid. This makes them a good egg replacer for baking. After the seeds have been ground, the oil tends to go rancid quickly, so either grind them just before using or store ground flax in the refrigerator. Chia seeds are also nutritious and form the same gel-type texture, and you don't need to grind them first. Use whichever you prefer!

flax and chia seeds

**Feel free to substitute 1 Tablespoon (7 g) pumpkin pie spice for the spices listed. Don't worry if you don't have all the spices - as long as you have cinnamon it will taste amazing!
 ***I like to make a double batch,  saving maybe two cookies at room temperature and freezing the rest for easy breakfasts in the weeks to come!