Pumpkin Banana Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free ~

Are you a fan of pumpkin?  Banana?  Cranberry?  How about chocolate?!  Ah, I see that I got your attention.  I will admit that this cookie will make your taste buds come alive as your senses try to take in all the yummy flavors that are packed inside.

I am “this close” to admitting that this could be my new favorite cookie. They are wonderful to have on hand throughout the holidays.  You could easily make them ahead of time and then tuck them into the freezer.

I took some to my faithful taste testers who are not raw foodies to get some feedback, and they were well received and loved. There are two groups of people who I love to employ as taste testers;  those that eat the typical SAD diet, and children.  Why those two groups?

First off, those who eat the typical SAD diet tend to have taste buds that lend themselves to pure comfort foods.  Their main focus is not whether it is healthy or not, they just want good tasting food!  So, if it gets thumbs up from them, I know I am onto something good.  Little do they know that I snuck in the bonus of it being healthy for them.

Secondly, children… they won’t eat food unless it is good, no ifs, and or buts about it!  If they don’t like it, not only will they spit it out they will tell you why!  I love their brutal honesty.  If it passes with a thumbs up from them,  I know the recipe is a win!  This is my normal routine when I make new recipes.  I don’t ask you to just trust my taste buds, I send them through a large array of eaters to get feedback before I post.

I want to touch base on the chocolate chips… You can use raw homemade chocolate chips or store-bought ones.  If you use raw, you will want to push them into the cookie tops once they come out of the dehydrator otherwise they will melt during the drying process.

If you use store-bought ones, they can be added right into the batter and then dehydrated.  They will get soft but will firm up once the cookies cool down.  These days, there are many different chocolate chips on the market. Gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, organic, fair-trade… you name it. Use whatever you feel comfortable with. I hope you enjoy this recipe. Many blessings, amie sue

Ingredients:

Yields 24 (1/4 cup sized cookies)

• 1 cup(265 g) pumpkin puree
• 1 cup (140 g) raw cashews, soaked 2+ hours
• 1/2 cup (55 g) raw macadamia nuts, soaked 2+ hours
• 1/2 cup (160 g) maple syrup
• 1 (84 g) ripe banana
• 1/4 cup (43 g) raw coconut crystals
• 1 tsp (6 g) Himalayan pink salt
• 1 Tbsp (13 g) vanilla extract
• 1 tsp (4 g) lemon juice
• 2 tsp (6 g) pumpkin spice
• 1 1/2 cups (200 g) almond flour
• 1 1/2 cups (200 g) cashew flour
• 1 cup (215 g)  raw chocolate chips or store-bought
• 1 cup (360 g) dried cranberries

Preparation:

1. In a high-speed blender, combine the pumpkin puree, cashews, macadamia nuts, sweetener, banana, coconut crystals, salt, vanilla, lemon juice, and pumpkin spice.  Blend until smooth.
2. In a large bowl sift together the almond and cashew flour.  Stir in chocolate chips and cranberries.
   • I like to use my fingers for this so I can make sure that the cranberries are all separate and not sticking in large clumps.
   • If you use raw chocolate chips, they will melt some throughout the dehydrating process.  If you don’t have the time or patience to make your own, I recommend Lilly’s Sugar-free Chocolate Chips.
3. Add the wet ingredients from the blender to the large bowl and mix well.
4. Cookie Bomb: (here comes the fun part) This creates a natural cookie shape.
   • Place your dehydrator tray, lined with a mesh sheet to the side.
   • Have a nonstick sheet in front of you.
   • Scoop out 1/4 cup of batter.
   • Roll into a ball in the palm of your hands.
   • I want you to raise the cookie dough ball high into the air and drop it (with force) onto the nonstick sheet in front of you.
   • Lift the nonstick sheet up and lay the flattened cookie in your palm, peeling off the nonstick sheet.
   • Place the cookie on the mesh sheet on the dehydrator tray.
   • Repeat and have fun till all the batter is used up.
5. Dehydrate at 145 degrees (F) for 1 hour, then reduce to 115 degrees (F) and dry for up to 10 hours, until firm to the touch and the inside is perfect for you.
   • Select one cookie to be your taste tester. Break off sections throughout the drying process to see how dry or moist you like your cookies.

In the photo’s I added some of my Raw White Basic Frosting to dress them up. This isn’t required, but gosh it was divine!

1. Storage and shelf-life:
   • No matter how where you store them, lay them in an air-tight container in single layers with parchment or wax paper in between.
   • Counter: 2-7 days. It depends on how much moisture was left in the cookies.
   • Fridge: 7-14 days.
   • Freezer: 1-2 months.

Culinary Explanations:

• Why do I start the dehydrator at 145 degrees (F)?  Click (here) to learn the reason behind this.
• When working with fresh ingredients it is important to taste test as you build a recipe.  Learn why (here).
• Don’t own a dehydrator? Learn how to use your oven (here). I do however truly believe that it is a worthwhile investment. Click (here) to learn what I use.

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Tags: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan