Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Cookies {healthy, gluten free, egg free}

This is our go to cookie recipe year round. We have them a few times a month for breakfast and I send them to school as a healthy sweet treat in the munchkins lunch boxes. They are perfect for an afternoon snack emergency and are tons healthier than most pumpkin cookies out there. 

I knew I had to find a healthier alternative to the big. fat. deliciously. sweet. pumpkin chocolate chip cookies from Trader Joes. They are my kryptonite. My mom actually came up with this recipe a ways back and whenever I get that sneaky chocolate + pumpkin craving I whip these babies up. 

Much, much healthier.  Wheeww!  Later Kryptonite.

Thank you for purchasing my favorite healthy ingredients and kitchen products from Simply Healthy Family's store and thereby, supporting this blog! 

We make these cookies eggless by using flax "eggs" simply because flax is so darn good for you! They are high in lignans, a fiber like compound and also in antioxidants, B Vitamins and good for you Omega-3 fatty acids. 

We also throw in hemp seeds or hemp hearts which are another super food. Raw hemp provides an array of health benefits such as: weight loss, increased and sustained energy, rapid recovery from disease, lowered cholesterol and blood pressure, reduced inflammation, improvement in circulation and immune system as well as natural blood sugar control.

The pumpkin puree in these cookies not only makes them super moist and adds everyone's favorite fall flavor but contribute many good for you vitamins and nutrients as well. Did you know that pumpkin helps your body by

• Keeping your eyes sharp by providing carotenoids vitamin A 
• Aids in weight loss from it's high fiber content which helps you feel fuller longer.
• May reduce your risk of getting cancer due to high levels of antioxidant beta carotene
• Protects your skin and reduces signs of wrinkles from it's free-radical-neutralizing powers of the carotenoids
• Boost your mood by producing more serotonin in your body thanks to the amino acid tryptophan, the famed ingredient in turkey.
• Helps your body recover after a workout. A cup of cooked pumpkin has more potassium than a banana. A little extra potassium helps restore the body's balance of electrolytes after a heavy workout and keeps muscles functioning at their best.
• Boosts your immune system. 1 cup of cooked pumpkin provides 20% of your daily recommended dose of Vitamin C.

You gotta love a sweet treat that is good for you on so many levels.

These cookies are gluten free, dairy and egg free and sweetened with just a touch of maple syrup (or honey) a handful of chocolate chips but of course you could skip them if you prefer.  Make sure you have a glass of ice cold milk handy to wash down these cookies!

You Will Need

2 flax 'eggs' {2 tablespoons flax meal + 1/4 cup warm water} or 1 egg
1/2 cup cooked (or canned) *pumpkin
1/2 cup natural, sugar free peanut butter, almond butter or *tahini
1/2 teaspoon *aluminum free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of *iodized salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (not imitation)
1/4 cup *real maple syrup or honey
1/2 cup *flax meal (ground flax seed)
1 cup *rolled oats
1/2 cup (optional) chopped walnuts, pecans and/or raisins
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or cacao chips
2 tablespoons hemp hearts

Preheat oven to 350˚F
In a small bowl combine ground flax meal and water with a fork and let rest about 5 minutes. Combine wet ingredients in a large bowl and dry ingredients in another bowl. 
Add flax eggs to the wet ingredients and stir in dry ingredients. 
Drop cookies by spoonfuls on a Silpat (or a lightly greased baking sheet). Put silpat on cookie pan and place in oven. They will not expand much while cooking. Bake at 350F for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. 
Let rest on a baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. After completely cooled, store in an air tight container for up to 3 days. Refrigerate or freeze if storing longer than that. 

Happy Harvesting!

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Chocolate Cherry Chunk Bars #RecipeRedux

Question, what do you feed a mob of hungry kids at 3:17 p.m. after "working really hard all day long at school"?

Answer:  Home made Chocolate Cherry Chunk Bars served with a big glass of ice cold milk and sealed with a kiss.  Love mom.

You all know by know that store bought granola bars are not health food right? Right. Well, anything made in Mystery, Who Knows Where and packaged in a box with an ingredient list only chemists can decipher is probably not something we should be eating, however convenient it may be. I hate that excuse. Sure it can be argued that there are a few healthier varieties of packaged snacks out there but the whole year or more shelf life thing of a granola bar disturbs me.


I literally tossed a handful of ingredients in a bowl, mixed, pressed into a baking dish and bam. My house smells like toasted, cinnamony oats and nuts and warm cherries. Oh, they were really yummy too.


Snack emergency, solved.

The best part, you can use whatever nuts, seeds and dried fruit you have in your pantry. Substitute almond butter for sunflower seed butter if there is a nut allergy issue. Pureed dates or maple syrup can be used instead of honey. The possibilities are endless.

Chocolate Cherry Chunk Oat, Nut and Seed Bars

TIME     30 MINUTES        YIELDS     14-16 BARS

You Will Need:

1 1/2 cups of whole grain oats
1 1/2 cup chopped almonds, cashews or other nuts
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup local, Organic honey
*1/4 cup hemp hearts (optional)
1 cup almond or sunflower butter
1 teaspoon ground (Saigon) cinnamon
1 teaspoon real vanilla
1 cup semi sweet or dark chocolate chips
parchment paper or coconut oil for brushing pan 

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare an 8 x 11 baking dish with parchment or brush with coconut oil. 

Coarsely chop nuts. Add them and remaining ingredients except chocolate chips to a large bowl and mix to combine. 

Press the mixture into the prepared pan using your hands or a spatula. Cook for 15 minutes then pull out of oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips, cook for another 15 minutes. Yes, you can just mix them into the batter if you please. We thought they looked fun and had more chocolate 'power' with them scattered on top. 

notes

Hemp Hearts are full of protein with 10 grams of complete plant-based protein per 30 gram (3 tablespoons) serving size. Hemp Hearts are also a great way to add omegas or EFAs (essential fatty acids) to your diet. Hemp Hearts contain more protein and Omega-6 & 3 and less carbs than a similar serving of Chia or Flax.

You can eat them right out of the bag and add them to baked goods, yogurt, smoothies, salads and more.



I love Coaches Oats which are much healthier than quick cooking varieties yet faster than steel cut.

An InLinkz Link-up

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Chocolate Hemp Latte.. A healthy treat your body will crave.

When you think of hemp what's the first thing that comes to your mind? Don't lie. Have you seen all of the hemp products lining the shelves in your local grocery store such as hemp seed, hemp milk, hemp bars, hemp oil and even hemp lotion and shampoo? If not or even if so , do you still associate hemp with weed. pot. marijuana. Cannibus sative?  Gasp!  Shame on you!






I kid. Really, I've been familiar with the miracle benefits of hemp for many years but still can't help to associate it with the illegal herb marijuana. In fact, the nutritional and legal form of the plant is pushing it's way into every grocery store in America as of late.

It's about time.


The views and laws for hemp are different all over the world. In Australia for example, although you can legally grow hemp (without the drug ingredient THC), hemp foods  are not legal. While in North America, the opposite is true. The lucky Canadians who supply much of the hemp found in the U.S. are reaping the benefits of a 1/2 billion and growing industry.


So, the hemp found in foods and beauty products does not contain the illegal or medicinal ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol or THC.  What it does contain however is totally worth having.

Hemp contains calcium, vitamins B-6, A, D and K. It has a good source of Iron, magnesium and 24%  protein including the full range of amino acids as well as a balanced source of Essential Fatty Acids or EFA's. EFA's include omega-3 and omega-6, which help maintain a healthy immune system and are responsible for shiny healthy looking hair, skin and nails.  Best of all in my humble opinion is the major reduction for the craving of junk foods and sweets that I've noticed since I've started consuming hemp seed and hemp milk.

ground hemp seed

How to get Hemp into your diet:

1.  Hemp has a slightly nutty flavor and can be eaten raw. You can purchase hemp seeds or hemp meal (ground) or grind the seeds yourself in a food processor or coffee grinder.  Add it to smoothies (green or fruit), baked goods, sprinkle it on your yogurt, add it to your trail mix, sprinkle it onto your salads, salad dressings or dips.

2. You can purchase hemp milk at most well stocked grocery stores or make your own by combining 1 cup of hemp meal with 4 cups of water and blending. Add a pinch of stevia, honey or good quality chocolate powder if you please.

We recently purchased a little espresso machine in an effort to save a trillion $$$ at Starbucks and to be healthier and so my newest favorite way to enjoy hemp is in my morning latte. I like the chocolate and vanilla flavored hemp milk which contains some sugar so I usually only have these on the weekend as a special treat.

Simply mix 1 or 2 shots of espresso with hemp milk to your desired strength. Add ice or drink it hot.

Enjoy the many health benefits of hemp.

This post is linked to:

Fresh Bites Friday at Real Foods

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