Christmas
by: Ashley McLaughlin
November29,2014
5
1 Ratings
- Makes 18 cookies
Jump to Recipe
Author Notes
These are one of my favorite cookies of all time and basically taste like pumpkin pie. They have a thick and chewy consistency, similar to a shortbread cookie or scone. And it doesn't stop there! These babies are topped with an almond butter, caramel-like frosting and toasted pecans. They're also made in just 1 bowl, use only 2 flours, and can be mixed up in 10 minutes or less. A gluten-free and vegan dream! —Ashley McLaughlin
- Test Kitchen-Approved
What You'll Need
Ingredients
- For the cookies:
- 1 tablespoonground flax meal
- 2 tablespoonstablespoons warm water
- 1/3 cuppumpkin purée
- 1/4 cupalmond butter (the thick, stabilized kind, not the drippy, oily kind)
- 2 tablespoonssoftened unrefined coconut oil
- 1 tablespoonvanilla extract
- 1/3 cupmuscovado sugar (or coconut or brown sugar)
- 3/4 cupgluten-free oat flour
- 3/4 cupblanched almond flour
- 2 teaspoonscinnamon
- 1 teaspoonground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoonnutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoonall spice
- 1/16 teaspoonclove
- 1/2 teaspoonbaking powder
- 1/8 teaspoonsalt
- For the frosting:
- 1/4 cupalmond butter (the thick, stabilized kind)
- 3 tablespoonspure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspooncinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoonground ginger
- 1/3 cupchopped toasted pecans
Directions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flax and water for about 15 seconds. Set aside for 5 minutes until gelatinous. Preheat your oven to 350° F.
- To the same bowl add in the pumpkin, almond butter, coconut oil, and vanilla. Whisk thoroughly. Whisk in the sugar.
- Add in the oat flour, almond flour, spices, baking powder, and salt. Stir together until fully incorporated. Dough will be soft but roll-able.
- Roll the dough into about 1-inch balls between your hands and place on a large baking sheet (you can line with parchment if desired) with 2 to 3 inches between each ball.
- Tear a small piece of parchment or wax paper and place it over one cookie. Gently flatten with a flat-bottomed glass to 1/4-inch thickness. This should make the cookie about 2 1/2 inches wide. Repeat with all cookies.
- Bake for 9 to 13 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes then remove with a metal spatula and place on a cooling rack. Let fully cool for the best texture. Store in an airtight container on the counter for about 4 to 5 days.
- If adding the frosting: Stir together the almond butter and maple syrup until smooth. Add more almond butter for a thicker consistency if desired. Stir in the cinnamon and ginger. Spread on cookies and top with pecans. Best if topped prior to serving. Keep stored in the fridge after topping.
- NOTES: The dough will be soft and a bit oily feeling but should be able to roll easily into balls. If the dough is too sticky and can’t be rolled add 1 tablespoon each of corn flour and almond flour and stir again. Or, wrap and refrigerate the dough for 20 to 30 minutes to stiffen up a bit.
Tags:
- Cookie
- Maple Syrup
- Oat
- Pecan
- Pumpkin
- Fall
- Winter
- Christmas
- Hanukkah
- Thanksgiving
- Gluten-Free
- Vegan
See what other Food52ers are saying.
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Katy Ionis
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Yayita
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Cynthia In Puglia
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Ashley McLaughlin
Hello! My name is Ashley, and I'm the photographer + writer behind the blog, Edible Perspective. LOVE // the husband // family // cooking for others // farmers markets // the first winter snow // cycling // snowshoeing // snowboarding // bluegrass // architecture // our pups // farm fresh eggs // mountains // boxed wine // breakfast // biking to breweries // clean sheets // traveling
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10 Reviews
Katy I. January 30, 2018
Very tasty, but when I pressed them out to be as large as you describe they turned out too thin and did not puff up into the fluffy cookies pictures. On the second baking sheet I left them smaller in diameter and thicker and they were fluffier.
kkj September 17, 2017
Hi !
What can I use in place of the oat flour. I'm a celiac who can't tolerate oats
:< (
Yayita January 29, 2017
I modified this recipe by substituting the flaxseed and water for an egg, and the pay flour for traditional steel cut oats. I did not make the frosting. The dough was very sticky but I didn't add any more flour since I wasn't planning on rolling them into balls to cut the time of preparation, instead I scooped it out with a tablespoon and dropped/flattened them a bit with the back of the spoon. The cookies are soft and chewy, with some texture thanks to the oats. It's on the low sweet spectrum and at times begs to be had with the frosting or a bit of apple butter. Overall, a quick recipe for cookies that are full of thanksgiving flavor and not too sweet if you omit the frosting. Thanks Ashley :)
Jordan H. September 21, 2015
mm i just made these for the first time and they were delish!! especially the caramely sauce on top, thanks for the recipe!
Ghazzzit December 23, 2014
These were delicious!!! Had a vegan friend with a sweet tooth visiting and we whipped these up in half an hour. I used a heaping tsp each of flax and chia for the binder and natural peanut butter vs almond as that's what I had on hand. I had to smoosh the balls down into discs as after 5 mins in the oven they were still balls. Didn't need any frosting - they were nutty, lightly sweet and full of flavor.
Ashley M. December 24, 2014
Awesome!! I am SO happy to hear it!! Good to know about the binder you used. And yes, in step 5 I also flatten the cookies with a flat-bottomed glass. :) I also love them without the "frosting." Glad you did, too!
victoria A. December 8, 2014
Hi - these look fantastic! If I wanted to use what I had in the cupboard, what could I use to replace the gluten free flours and flax seeds?
Ashley M. December 9, 2014
Unfortunately, I have no idea! Changing the flours and leaving out the flax would make this a completely different cookie and would take some experimentation to get right. The flour combination and ratio of ingredients is very specific to achieve the right flavor and texture outcome.
Cynthia I. December 8, 2014
I only have the separated kind of almond butter (the only kind available here in the south of Italy) does this make it impossible? Is there a way for me to 'stabilize' my almond butter?
Ashley M. December 8, 2014
Hi Cynthia! I think it will still work but I would make sure it's stirred very well and then add 1 tablespoon of almond meal to the 1/4 cup of almond butter to help thicken it up. If the dough is too wet and sticky add 1 tablespoon of oat flour and 1 tablespoon of almond meal to help thicken it up. Hope this helps!
