Vegan Pumpkin Cookies

by Sarah Eremita
(Bangor, Maine)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
2 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 bag dark chocolate chips

Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Add 2 cups pumpkin, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and baking soda to a large mixing bowl. Stir well until all ingredients are mixed.
Add in 1 cup flour and stir until mixed in.
Add in the last 1/2 cup pumpkin and 1 cup flour and stir until mixed well and sticky dough is formed.

Using a spoon, scoop out a rounded spoonful of dough and put it on a cookie sheet covered with tin foil or parchment paper. Using the back of the spoon, flatten and round out the dough to circles as best as you can. Dough will be very sticky and moist and it does not rise well so whatever shape you leave it in is the shape and thickness that it is going to bake. About 9 cookies will fit on an average cookie sheet.

Once the dough is in the circle shape, use the chocolate chips to make eyes, a nose, and a mouth on the cookies. Since they are pumpkin cookies you can make a happy or sad face, or a jack-o-lantern mouth (stagger the chocolate chips to make them look like teeth).

Place them in the preheated oven for 12-17 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cookies. Keep an eye on them, and check them by touching the outside of the cookie. If they are sticky cook longer, if they do not feel wet or sticky they are done.

Slide the cookies on the foil/paper onto a counter and let them fully cool on the paper/foil before trying to remove them.

Enjoy the health benefits and antioxidants from the pumpkin and dark chocolate. Don't be scared that these are vegan, they taste the same if not better as normal cookies with butter and milk, just without the calories! These taste so good you will forget that they are a healthy cookie!