Halloween is on its way and you know what that means – lots of candy for the kids and lots of scary pumpkins! Well these vegan and gluten-free super moist and delicious Pumpkin Cream Chocolate cookies are not your usual Halloween candy, they don’t have any added sugar or colourings like store-bought ones and are absolutely amazing!
The filling is sweet and soft and it’s covered in a crunchy chocolate layer. Yum! The pumpkin puree is combined with dates and nuts to create this truly delicious dairy-free creamy filling.
Of course Halloween is a time to be celebrated and enjoyed so some sugary sweets won’t hurt anyone but if you want to prepare something simple, mouthwatering, naturally sweet and healthy, these are your treats! No baking is required and all you need to make these pumpkin cream chocolate cookies is a food processor and a fridge to cool them.
I had some pumpkin puree left over after I made these simple Pumpkin Oat Energy bars last week so I was wondering what to make with it. Well I ate half of it just as it is with a spoon (it was that sweet) and decided to create a new recipe with the rest. I hadn’t done something chocolatey in a long time so I wanted to make a recipe for healthier chocolate Halloween treats that everyone can enjoy without feeling guilty and OMG, they turned out amazing!
In last week’s post I also mentioned why during this season we really need to make use of the abundance of fresh pumpkins we have at the moment. They have an amazing flavour and are quite cheap as well. If you are wondering by any chance how to create a delicious pumpkin puree, here is how to do it (it’s really simple): cut the pumpkin into quarters and place it in a large baking dish. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 ºC (390 ºF) for about an hour and once it’s done just peel it and mash it using a blender or a simple potato masher. Roasting the pumpkin, instead of boiling it enhances its sweetens even more.
There are all sorts of ways you can make these cookies look more fun and attractive for the kids. I just used some melted dark chocolate to do additional decorations on top but you can use melted white chocolate and draw spiders, spooky faces or whatever the inner artist in you tells you to do! I truly hope you enjoy these, they really are super tasty and just melt in your mouth! Happy trick or treating!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup cashews
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 10 small dates (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 250 g dark chocolate (2 1/2 bars)
Instructions
- In a food processor grind up the cashews and the oats.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until you get a smooth dough.
- With your hands roll the dough into small balls. (it's easier if your hands are wet, it won't feel that sticky). Place them on a parchment paper sheet and then leave them in the freezer for 15 mins.
- Once the balls are firm, you should be able to flatten them in the shape of a cookie (or you can leave them in the shape of balls, your choice).
- Melt the chocolate, using a double boiler and dip each of cookies in it, covering it with chocolate. Place them back on the parchment paper and in the freezer for another 15-30 minutes or until the chocolate is completely dry and firm.
- If you wish you can create some additional decorations on top with some melted dark/white chocolate and an icing bag.
Notes
As the cookies are raw, it's best to store them in the fridge.