Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

A more appropriate name for these cookies, adapted from a gluten-free Betty Crocker recipe, is “Autumn Delights.” Fluffy, moist, and with just the right amount of sweetness, these treats will not last long once baked. They certainly did not in our house (we are liberal in our definition of “breakfast” when these are around).

A few years ago while living in Boston, my roommate decided to follow a gluten-free diet for health reasons. It was then that I was first made aware of gluten. While at the grocery store, I spotted a line of gluten-free Betty Crocker mixes and excitedly shared the news with her one night. “You can still eat CAKE!” I thank my roommate for bringing gluten to my awareness, which helped me better understand a health issue two years later that resulted in adopting a gluten-free lifestyle. With the realization that gluten was the problem and a life without gluten the only answer, I took comfort in knowing that I could still have a sweet treat every now and then. Thanks, Betty C.

Pie shouldn’t hog all the pumpkin glory this month. Pumpkin puree displays its full potential with these cookies, showing us it is so much more than just Thanksgiving pumpkin pie filling. Since this recipe does not call for an entire can of pumpkin puree, here are 23 ideas for the leftovers. Spicy Pumpkin Hummus, Pumpkin Bao Buns, and Pumpkin Biscotti, oh my!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
*Adapted from Betty Crocker’s Gluten-Free Recipes

Ingredients
1 box Betty Crocker gluten-free chocolate chip cookie mix
3 tablespoons of unsweetened apple sauce
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla
1 teaspoon cardamom

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degree F.
2. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
3. In a small bowl, combine applesauce and baking soda, set aside.
4. Add remaining ingredients to large bowl, stir to combine. Add applesauce and baking soda mixture and mix again.
5. With fingertips, place rounded tablespoons (roughly rounded–the dough will be too sticky to roll in your palm) onto baking sheet, about 2″ apart.
6. Bake for 15-17 minutes until lightly golden on top and firm to the touch.
7. Remove from oven and immediately place on wire rack to cool.