Grain-Free Frosted Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Since my husband still does best to avoid grains, I developed this recipe so that he could enjoy a yummy spiced cookie alongside the Einkorn Pumpkin Spice cookies that the rest of our family was enjoying. These grain-free cookies are cake-like, and the cream cheese frosting has just enough sugar to be sweet without being overpowering. When topped with cream cheese frosting, each cookie is like a miniature pumpkin cake. Yum!

This recipe isn't totally made from real foods, since it does contain some sugar. Nonetheless, it is certainly healthier than a conventional recipe made with white flour, sugar, and vegetable oil. Rather than aiming for dietary perfection as I did for years (and ending up stressed and overworked), I am at the place in our real food journey where we are finding balance and a diet that we can maintain for the long-term. I consider these cookies to be more of an occasional treat rather than a part of our everyday fare.

Grain-Free Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes ~18 cookies

Cookies

• 1/2 cup coconut flour

• 1/2 cup arrowroot starch

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp finely-ground celtic sea salt

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

• 1/8 tsp ginger

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature (preferably nutrient-dense butter)

• 1/4 cup sucanat 

• 1/4 cup organic sugar

• 1 egg, preferably from pastured hens

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (homemade or canned)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the coconut flour, arrowroot starch, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Whisk it all together to break up any lumps.

3. In another bowl (or stand-mixer), beat the softened butter, sucanat, and sugar together for a couple minutes, until well mixed and slightly lighter in color.

4. Once the butter, sucanat, and sugar have become lighter in color, mix in the egg and pumpkin puree. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice to get everything incorporated well.

5. Add the dry ingredients and mix well everything is well-combined.

6. Scoop the cookies onto greased cookie sheets (or line the cookie sheets with exopats, which are wonderful since the cookies never stick and are less likely to burn).  I like to use a 1-Tb scoop for consistently pretty cookies, but you could just use a spoon. Do NOT flatten the cookies.

7. Bake the cookies at 325 F for about 16-18 minutes. They are done when the edges are golden brown. If you have to cook subsequent batches on an already-warmed cookie sheet, start checking them for done-ness a couple minutes earlier.

8. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5-10 minutes.  Then use a spatula to move them to a cooling rack.

9. Allow to cool completely before frosting. Unfrosted cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days; frosted cookies need to be stored in the fridge.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature (preferably nutrient-dense butter)

• 4 ounces of brick-type cream cheese, at room temperature

• 1&1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup powdered sugar

1. Beat the cream cheese and butter together until light and fluffy.

2. Beat in the vanilla.

3. Add the powdered sugar and beat it all together.

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