Paleo Pumpkin Cookies

Remember that interview I mentioned a few months back? Well, I got the position and recently relocated to begin my new job. Unfortunately with the new position comes a new – longer – commute, which means I’m now waking up at 0430 so I can have coffee and devotion time with Kevin and still leave the house in time to get to work.

These cookies have been a lifesaver.

Leaving the house so much earlier means that I’m eating breakfast at 0530, and somewhere around 0830 I’m starving again. These cookies – packed with sunflower seeds, carrots, pecans, and pureed pumpkin are just what I need to pick me up and keep me satisfied until lunch.

I stumbled upon a similar recipe while searching for a way to use the can of pumpkin we had in the pantry, and making cookies seemed like a brilliant idea. Frankly though, you can’t even taste the pumpkin, so even if you aren’t a fan of the hearty orange autumn vegetable, I highly suggest you try these anyway!

The beauty of these cookies is that you can easily substitute your favorite mix-ins. Don’t like sunflower seed butter? Use almond butter, or if you aren’t following a paleo diet, use peanut butter. If you aren’t a fan of carrot, use zucchini – or omit it entirely! (The first batch I made didn’t include carrot at all.) Experiment with what you like and see what happens!

Paleo Pumpkin Cookies

yields 16 cookies

INGREDIENTS

1/2 sunflower seed butter (or almond butter, or peanut butter…)

1/2 cup pureed pumpkin

1/4 cup raw honey

2 eggs

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup sunflower seeds*

1 cup grated carrot*

1 cup raisins*

*Feel free to experiment with your own mix-ins! Just be sure to use about 3 cups of mix-ins, or your “batter” will be too wet.

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake approximately 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

* Please note that although you can’t tell in the pictures, the sunflower seeds started to give the cookies a greenish hue. Don’t worry – this is perfectly normal! According to the internet, this sometimes happens because of the chlorogenic acid content in sunflower seeds. However, when I handed my husband a slightly green cookie made with sunflower seeds, he immediately dubbed these, “Bear Poop Cookies”. You’re welcome.