These are the perfect cookies to share with friends and loved ones during the holidays! My Pumpkin Ginger Cookie Recipe is 100% vegan and is sweetened with only natural, low-glycemic sweeteners. Most cookies have milk, eggs, white sugar and white flour, which are Beauty Food no-no’s (agave nectar is also not Beauty Detox approved!)
Desserts are, of course, everywhere during this time of year — and it is easy to get off track and eat more sweets then normal. But you can rest assured these cookies are made purely from simple ingredients that taste great and are good for you! It’s great to keep this recipe handy when you want a healthy treat, or want to bring one to a party. I will say they could also be made into muffins- they sort of have that texture also. So we could call them “Cookins”. :)
Ginger, pumpkin and cinnamon are also warming, and will help you feel toasty and nourished, especially as the temperatures get chilly. As you know, I love warming spices and goodies, and this really hits the spot on a cold night. Here are few photos of the process and some details on the benefits of the ingredients:
Pumpkin
One of the reasons I selected to use pumpkin in this recipe is that they are a great source of fiber and they are also rich in carotenoids! Carotenoids are the compounds that give the gourd their bright orange color, including beta-carotene, which the body converts into a form of vitamin A. Since pumpkin has such a high source of fiber you can stay feeling full longer while consuming less. As I talk about a lot with my Glowing Green Smoothie, fiber is essential to flush out your system and make sure everything is working as efficiently as possible!
Ginger
I love Ginger! Ginger is great to use in so many forms, in today’s recipe we are using it freshly grated. Ginger is mentioned in ancient Chinese, Middle Eastern and Indian writings, and has long been prized for its medicinal, aromatic and culinary properties. Ginger has numerous therapeutic properties, including: having direct anti-inflammatory effects, antioxidant effects and an ability to inhibit the formation of inflammatory compounds. Ginger is also great at revving up your metabolism by boosting “digestive fire” (or agni, in Ayurvedic medicine) and improving the absorption and stimulation of essential nutrients in the body. Ginger can help your immune system stay strong and ward off colds and sickness, especially during the winter.
Brown Rice Flour
When baking I recommend using brown rice flour over white flour or wheat flour as it is a nutritious alternative that is naturally gluten-free. Another reason why I prefer using brown rice flour is that it is rich in iron, fiber and vitamin B, manganese and even protein. Brown rice flour also contains healthy bran and will add a darker color to your baked goods, making them look richer. If you have not tried brown rice flour, you will find it has a richer, nuttier flavor than wheat flour, so you may notice a difference in the taste and texture then when you bake with a wheat flour.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a great way to warm up any dish and it goes especially well with my Ginger Pumpkin Cookie recipe. Cinnamon is also extremely fragrant and has been in use since Biblical times for its medicinal and culinary properties. Cinnamon has some great Beauty properties, such being an excellent source of minerals like potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, zinc, and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese and copper are chiefly used by the body as co-factors for the antioxidant enzyme. Cinnamon is also excellent for regulating blood sugar and weight loss.
Vegan, Gluten Free Ginger Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 Tbs. Ener-E egg replacer mixed with 1/3 cup hot water
- ¼ cup coconut oil liquefied + enough for greasing baking sheets
- ¼ cup coconut nectar
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
- 1 Tbs. grated ginger
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. stevia
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease some baking sheets with coconut oil.
- Mix together the pumpkin, egg replacer, coconut oil and coconut nectar, and set to the side. Meanwhile, in a separate mixing bowl, mix together the brown rice flour, tapioca starch, ginger, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and stevia. Make a well in the middle and pour in the wet ingredients, mixed everything together until evenly distributed.
- Using a spoon, dollop some of the mixture onto the baking sheets, and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cooked through.
- The cookies may feel not “held together”, but let them sit for at least 5 minutes, and they will harden before moving them onto a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Looks delicious!! I am still trying to work my way around if stevia is an ok alternative for small children. Any thoughts on the subjekt?
Best season wishes,
Ren
I prefer not to use artificial sweeteners in recipes, a personal choice, I prefer either honey or grade B maple syrup. In the beauty tetox recopies when stevia is included in the recipe I don’t add it, I think the recopies are delicious enough without it. I indulge in sugary foods rarely so when I do it is still a very small amount in my total diet so I’ve made the choice to stay natural.. What would be the equivalent of maple syrup to the 1 tsp stevia in this recipe? Would maple syrup compliment these ingredients? They look very good and I hope to try them this weekend in time for Christmas. I also think they would satisfy my husband’s sweet tooth!!
What a fabulous recipe, and well-timed! Thank you so much. One quick question – what type of stevia? I use Stevia extract powder – and one serving is teeny teeny tiny. I want to make sure before I use a whole teaspoon of it. :) thank you as always for your inspiring recipes! :) xo
I am so excited to make these today! However, is there something you would recommend other than tapioca starch?
Hi –
If I don’t need this to be vegan, will the recipe still work with eggs instead of the egg replacer? If so, how many eggs and when do I work that in? I’d love to make these today if possible!
Thanks so much for your guidance!
Elise
Hi Elise! Probably but I’ve never made them with eggs, so you may have to search for the equivalent amount of eggs to match the amount of egg replacer I used. Happy baking! :)
I can’t tolerate the taste of coconut. If I cook/bake with coconut oil, all I can taste is the flavor of coconut. What is the next best alternative for this recipe and for your other recipes in general. (:
Hi Terry, unfortunately I really cannot recommend heating oils other than coconut. Baking is not as damaging as frying, however, heating olive oil or other monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats will create oxidation and some negative effects.
There are some coconut oils where most of the scent/flavor is eliminated.
Hi. I made these tonight and the batter tasted really good. However, after they baked, the had a very strong baking soda taste, could this be a result of combining the egg replacer with water that was not hot enough? Other than that they stuck together really well and they had a great texture. Worth another try for sure! Thanks
LOVE the recipe! Do you think using buckwheat flour would work instead of rice flour?
Yes, that should work fine!
Can I use a different flour? I don’t have rice flour I do have almond and coconut!
Yes! Might have to play around with quantities/ratios to get it right, but doable!
Was so excited about this recipe even doubled the recipe. The baking powder taste was SO strong they were inedible and had to throw them all away! I triple check when I measure so it’s definetly the recipe! Please update the baking soda/powder ratio! So disappointing.
These were really bad.. I usually love Kim’s recipes but unfortunately these had such a bitter (baking soda) taste I had to throw them all out =( It’s a shame too because they were the only vegan desert I brought with me to xmas dinner.
Help! I just made these and they have a very strong baking soda taste and an aftertaste of stevia. I used the powdered form of sweet leaf organic stevia extract. So sad because I made a double batch. They smelled great and look beautiful but we are not able to eat them. My millet veggie burgers came out awesome for dinner though and the squash bisque is really good! Do you think I could try pure maple syrup and omit the coconut nectar and stevia next time? Not sure what to do about the baking soda though. Help please. I would love to try again.
They had an after taste of baking soda. I’m wondering if the recipe really calls for 2 tsp., or is that a typo? The recipe looked great and I made it. The baking soda was so strong that even my kids wouldn’t eat them.
Can maple syrup be used as a sweetner. Is organic maple syrup an appropriate sweetner as an alternative to stevia?