Pumpkin Carob Cookies

Some of the links in this article are "affiliate links" , which means if you click on one and purchase something I receive a small compensation, Thank you! This is disclosed on the top of every blog post in accordance with the FTC regulations for bloggers.

       I like recipes that do more than just taste good! Especially with children, who can be picky, it's so important to find ways to incorporate healthy foods into their diet everyday! 

     

     This particular recipe is inspired by keeping their little tummies healthy. The star ingredients Pumpkin and Carob and both excellent sources of fiber. In addition, pumpkin is high in vitamin A and has vitamin C, calcium and iron as well- all excellent when you are sick or to keep you healthy. Carob is even higher in fiber than pumpkin and also has iron, calcium and several trace minerals. It is also considered a "pre-biotic" which, in the simplest terms, means in feeds the good flora in our guts. (click that link if you would like a more detailed explanation). 

     Carob is particularly useful in cases of diarrhea. Lets not get too technical about it since this is meant to be a recipe post, but we all know that this is a common problem in children particularly and can cause serious concerns if not stopped quickly. In my experience, carob is one of the FASTEST and easiest ways to quell an over-excited stomach. 

Some of the other ingredients such as coconut oil, oatmeal and flax seed are all helpful in building up an upset gut and providing key nutrients for the body. I do not include conventional sugar in this recipe, even the less refined variety, because if you are fighting illness it's best to avoid sugar. The pictures have a light sprinkling of demerara sugar on top for better picture quality, but that could be skipped unless you are quite sure your children won't eat this without some extra sweetness, in which case I say add a little sugar, it will still have lots of healthful properties even with a little sugar- but try them without it first! You may be surprised how much you like these!

Pumpkin Carob Cookies

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup coconut oil, softened (if you prefer you can just use 1/2 cup coconut oil and eliminate the butter or vice versa)

1 cup coconut sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat flour (sprouted if you have it)

1/2 cup unbleached white flour (you can eliminate this an just add whole wheat if you would prefer, this will give it a little more familiar texture to those use to store-bought cookies)

1/3 cup carob powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp unrefined salt

1/2 cup old-fashion rolled oats

1/4 cup ground flaxmeal

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1/4 cup demerara sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Combine butter, coconut oil and coconut sugar in a bowl whip together to combine.
• Add egg, vanilla, flax meal, salt and pumpkin puree, stir well.
• In a separate bowl, combine both flours, carob powder, oatmeal and baking powder. Stir to combine well.
• Add dry ingredients to your wet ingredient and mix to form a stiff cookie dough (add walnuts if you choose here)
• Scoop out on a parchment lined cookie sheet, flatten each cookie with a fork. (Sprinkle with Demera sugar if desired)
• Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

    All four of my kids really enjoyed these cookies. In fact, my youngest son enjoyed them so much that he had a melt down when I said he couldn't come back for thirds!  I hope you'll try it with your children too and let me know the results! 

I am a blogger, NOT a medical professional . Nothing written on this blog is meant to be considered medical advice. Not meant to treat, cure or prevent any disease as according to the FDA regulations.