Autumn Harvest Oat Cookies

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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free ~

I love these cookies for almost their color alone… not meaning to downplay their taste because they are loaded with the perfect balance of crunch, sweetness, chewiness… all nestled in a cookie with a hint of pumpkin pie in the background.

These cookies are perfect for Fall, from their orangish hue, all speckled with red cranberries and green pumpkin seeds. A true festivity on a plate.

The key to these cookies is the pumpkin puree.  You can certainly go out and purchase organic, BPA-free, canned pumpkin puree… and if you have to, nobody will judge you.

If it is all possible to get your hands on small sugar pumpkins… then creating your own from scratch is a must. I provided a link below that will tell you exactly how to make your own should you choose to take on the mission.

I sort of miss those days when I was a little girl and I would rack up the Autumn leaves just so I could jump in the center of them, throwing them high into the air.  Gosh, about five or six years ago, Bob and I were driving from Alaska to Arizona.  We took a full month to weave down through the states.

Our travels took place in the month of September and as far as the eye could see, the land was blanketed with golds, oranges, greens, and brown hues.  Truly breathtaking.  I remember we stayed at a B&B in some small town in Canada.  We were tired of being cooped up in the truck so we decided to go for a long walk.  At some point, we came across a huge pile of leaves.  Yep, you guessed it… I dove in.  I state in the pile of leaves, throwing them into the sky, letting them rain down on my face.  Little did I know, Bob took a full series of pictures of my experience.  To this day, he still claims that those are his favorite pictures of me.  May we never lose sight of our inner child. :)  I hope you enjoy this recipe. Blessings and joy, amie sue

Ingredients:

Yields 22 (1/4 cup measurement) cookies

• 4 cups raw, gluten-free rolled oats, soaked
• 1/2 cup raw almonds, soaked & chopped
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds, soaked
• 3/4 cup raw sugar pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup dried goji berries, re-hydrated
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp psyllium husks
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

Preparation:

1. After soaking the oats, almonds, and pumpkin seeds as instructed in the links above, drain and rinse them before adding them to the mixing bowl.
   • Rinse the oats under cool water for about 2 minutes, agitating it with your fingers the whole time.
   • Squeeze the excess water from them and add to the mixing bowl.
2. In the food processor, fitted with the “S” blade, combine all of the ingredients above.  Pulse until well mixed and slightly broken down.
3. Using a 1/4 cup cookie scoop, place the cookies on non-stick sheets that come with the dehydrator.
   • I did 9 per tray, leaving space in between them.
   • Once a tray is full, pick it up by the bottom 2 corners.  Lightly tap the tray on the countertop 2x, turn the tray, and do this on each edge.  This will somewhat flatten the cookies, making them the perfect cookie shape.
4. Dry at 145 degrees (F) for 1 hour, reduce to 115 degrees (F), and continue to dry for 8-10 hours or until the desired dryness/moisture is achieved.  Caution – Be careful not to over-dry these as they will lose flavor if you do.
   • Halfway through, transfer the cookies to the mesh sheet to speed up the dry time.
   • Dry times will always vary depending on the climate, humidity, model of the machine, and how full it is.
5. All to cool, then store in an airtight container.  This will freeze well too!

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.

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