Pumpkin Seed Cookies
Halloween is quickly approaching and finding healthy treats (did I just use the words “healthy” and “Halloween” in the same sentence?) kids will get excited about can feel like a hopeless endeavor for many parents. No matter how vigilant I am most of the time, on Halloween night I’m not about to start to depriving my son of all the junky candy that goes with the fun of the holiday. However, with all of the school parties and events that also come with Halloween, I strive to make recipes for the little ones that will be viewed by them as a treat (but lean towards the healthier, more nutritious side of the fence).
These Pumpkin Seed Cookies are like a cross between a cookie and a bread. They’re super soft and moist and have a delicious spice aroma from the cinnamon and nutmeg that makes them perfect for this time of year. Before popping them in the oven, Kenya went through and decorated all the cookies with pumpkin seeds. He got quite creative along the way — maybe the cookie with 25 pumpkin seeds on top went a bit too far — but he had a great time doing it….and eating them too!
Pumpkin Seed Cookies (makes about 3 dozen cookies, depending on the size you make them)
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Cup Butter, softened
3/4 Cup Honey
1 Large Egg
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Seeds, raw plus more for decorating (you could also use chopped walnuts)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the first 7 dry ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
3. In a mixer (or in a bowl using a hand beater) cream the butter for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy then add honey and continue to beat for another minute.
4. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for 1 minute then add in pumpkin puree and mix until combined.
5. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and slowly fold in pumpkin seeds.
6. Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop about 1 1/2 tbsp of the dough onto a Silpat or parchment-lined cookie sheet and using your finger or the back of a spoon, gently pat down to flatten the tops of the cookies slightly.
7. Use the extra pumpkin seeds to decorate the tops of the cookies (your little one can help you with this step!)
8. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
9. Cool and serve.
* The cookies should have a fluffy consistency.
** To Freeze: After step 6, freeze for 30 minutes then place par-frozen cookies in a Ziploc bag, label and freeze for up to 4 months. When ready, pop them on a Silpat or parchment-lined cookie sheet, bring to room temperature, pat them down a bit so they flatten slightly, and follow steps 8-9.
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The only pumpkin cookies I’ve ever tried were large and flat and a little strange texture-wise; I didn’t love them. But your description of these cookies as a cross between a cookie and a bread has me intrigued. (Also, they’re adorable!) I’m going to have to give this recipe a try. Thanks for the inspiration, Catherine!
Can we use two cups of AP flour if we don’t have Whole wheat flour?
yes you can
I happen to have a can of pumpkin puree on hand, but it’s approximately as large as my toddler’s head (29 oz). Is that the correct size?
SO sorry for the typo – its 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
Too funny, I was just searching for a recipe to use my pumpkin seeds (leftover from my turkey pumpkin chili–yum!) in when I saw this. Can’t wait to try it!
Mmm.. love pumpkin seeds! Turkey pumpkin chili, yum! These are yummy too! http://weelicious.com/2010/01/12/toasted-pumpkin-seeds/
Thanks for the great idea. I looked up a turkey pumpkin chili recipe and it is in the slow cooker right now.
This recipe just might be great for my class cook book for math
These are great!!! They are like little bite size pumpkin breads. I left out the seeds because I was afraid my 18 month old might choke. I did put them on top of half of them but don’t feel like they cooked enough. Was I suppose to do anything with them before putting them on?
My family loves pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips so I think I might try adding some to these cookies next time.
Thanks for the wonderful recipes.
I just read a recipe for pumpkin cookies that includes butterscotch chips… yummy… I know it’s not healthy but I’m looking forward to adding it in:)
Just made these for my 23 month old……she loved them! I made them without the pumpkin seeds though……they were kind of like muffin tops. Perfect snack for her. Thanks!!!
We LOVE the texture of this cakey cookie! So yummy! I doubled the recipe, which made a ton, and handed little bags out to friends. They were a HUGE hit, even among the friends who profess to dislike pumpkin. Thanks!
Are there any modifications for high altitudes?
Unfortunately, I don’t know. I would say leave them in a little longer? Do you find that you have to bake longer or less with high altitudes?
Usually I have to cook items for longer. I cannot even make banana bread without the middle being raw and the outside burnt. So I switched to banana muffins!
Holly – I live at 9,300 ft and actually baked for 11 minutes and they were perfect. I find that if I over-mix, I have trouble baking at high altitude, so I just tried not to overwork the dough and they were great.
Just made these today. I have a gluten free child, so substituted teff and sorghum flour for the AP and wheat. They have the perfect texture & are delicious! Thanks!
Did you use one cup of teff and one cup of sorghum? Thanks!
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These are great! My 5yr old and I made a test batch today because her class is having a ‘pumpkin party’ and I volunteered to make the cookies so she (dairy allergy) could eat them too…we shared them w/ all our neighbors’ kids and everyone loved them. Even the ones who do not like pumpkin! Great recipe, very soft and moist. They aren’t too sweet!
Curious to hear if anyone with an egg-allergic child tries these without the egg. My pumpkin muffin recipe is egg-free and very similar, minus the seeds, so I’m thinking that the texture might not suffer too much.
Can I substitute Agave for the Honey?
Yes
YUM! I just made these and they are great! I adapted them only slightly by using 1/4 cup butter and 1/3 cup natural applesauce (or however much an individual size cup is) instead of the 1/2 cup butter to cut down on the calories (more for mommy than my little one!). also I didn’t have any honey today so I used agave. They are fantastic! Very moist and fluffy. Exactly like a muffin top as one of the previous posts described!
My entire family loves these cookies! I add a 1/4 cup of flax seed and a 1/4 cup wheat germ, substitute apple sauce for the butter, up the vanilla to 1 tablespoon and add a handful (maybe 1/4 cup) of chocolate chips to entice my husband to eat them. These are so yummy we’ve made two batches in 3 days!
I am getting ready to make them this year-I’m sooo ready for fall that I am getting it going early, lol.
I am wondering about the pumpkin seeds also….So, just clean them from the pumpkin and put them right on the cookie before baking?
just made these this Halloween and they were sooo good. Many curiosities peaked when they saw these in my kids lunchboxes!
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Thank you for every other fantastic article. Where else could anybody get that kind of info in such a perfect method of writing? I’ve a presentation subsequent week, and I’m on the search for such information.
How necessary is the honey? Our son is only 13 months old so we’re still avoiding honey.
The honey is for sweetness! I like using it instead of sugar. You can replace with agave at a 1:1 ratio. You could also use 1 Cup Sugar instead of the honey, and increase the pumpkin puree by about 1/4 Cup.