Pumpkin Paleo Cookies

Let me start off by saying that the genius behind these cookies definitely gets accredited to Danielle from Against all Grain and her outstanding nut-free Paleo breakfast cookies. I simply added a fall twist when I made them. Again, since they're Paleo, they don't have the "chew" you normally expect from a cookie. However, they are definitely sweet enough with the pureed raisins and banana in the batter.

Pumpkin Paleo Cookies

1 ripe banana (about 1/2 cup mashed)   
1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
2 Tbs. coconut oil, butter, or nut butter
scant 1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup coconut flour
2 Tbs. flaxseed   
1/4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1½ tsp lemon juice


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, puree the bananas, raisins, pumpkin, and butter until the mixture reaches the consistency of baby food.

Add the coconut flour, vanilla, baking soda, lemon juice, and spices and pulse 5 or 6 times until combined. Stir in the shredded coconut if desired. Spoon Tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto a prepared cookie sheet. Flatten them a bit, if you want. These cookies don’t spread while baking.

Bake for 18-20 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely before removing from the pan, then store in an airtight container in the fridge. Makes 12-18 cookies.

I've started baking as a reward for extended periods of paper-writing for school. In my stress-filled moments, I'm having a hard time stopping at 3-4 cookies. They're so easy to eat!

Also, happy birthday, Momma!

And T. G. I. F.



{Edited to Add: I have made these cookies numerous times now. Surprisingly, my favorite version is without the raisins. It's only a tad less sweet, but much easier to make since you can just dump everything in a mixing bowl. Also, the coconut is really not optional if you want a more traditional cookie-like texture. So. Final verdict: make these without pureed raisins, but with coconut. You won't be sorry!}