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Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cream Pies
Every year around this time, I experience some serious FOMO, and pumpkin spice is to blame.
I sit idly by and scroll through my friend’s social media accounts and wish I too had my hands wrapped snugly around a steaming cup of pumpkin spice latte, a festive twinkle in my eye with snowflakes gently falling in the garland framed window behind me. Although there’s a LOT of garland and even snow in Shanghai right now, pumpkin spice lattes are hard to come by. So, I’ve done what I always do when I am missing comforts of home. I cook! I have added pumpkin spice to coconut milk lattes at home, and it almost does the trick. But I wanted a way to make it extra, and I thought oatmeal cream pies would be game changing with pumpkin spice and coconut cream involved.
In this recipe, pumpkin replaces butter, making it a healthier option for those trying to avoid oil in their diets. I did add a bit of coconut oil to this recipe, which could be omitted to make it oil free.
So, why does pumpkin make such a great replacement for butter in baking? That’s because it’s silky smooth yet low in fat, is nutrient dense, and makes whatever you are baking super moist. It also gives these cookies some much needed bulk, which results in a bit thicker and more cake like cookie, but no one in our house complained one bit! The only thing they complained about was that they disappeared too quickly.
I used fresh steamed pumpkin, which I mashed to make a puree. Canned pumpkin puree can also be used with the same results. For the frosting I used homemade coconut whipped cream, but you could use vegan butter or margarine and icing sugar if that’s your thang.
Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 C pumpkin puree
- 3 tbs coconut oil
- 3/4 C packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 C granulated sugar
- 2 flax eggs (2 tbs ground flax and 6 tbs water mixed well and left to set for 10 minutes)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbs blackstrap molasses
- 1.5 C all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 3 cups quick cooking oats
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 190 degrees C
- Line 2 large large baking sheets with baking paper.
- Add pumpkin puree, coconut oil and sugars to a large mixing bowl, and using a handheld mixer, mix for about 1 minute.
- Add in flax egg, vanilla, and molasses, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until all ingredients are well combined.
- Using a large ice cream scoop, drop dough (around 2 tbs. worth) onto prepared baking sheets. Because you are not using a ton of sugar and not using butter, you might want to press each cookie lightly with the back of a fork as they will not spread like other cookies while baking.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are lightly golden around the edges. Check if they are done with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, they are done!
- After 5 minutes, transfer cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling completely before adding any cream. You will want to make sure they are way cool or the cream will melt, but that doesn’t mean you can’t eat a few while waiting!
Coconut Cream
Ingredients:
- 2 C coconut cream
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Directions:
- Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl and using a hand mixer, whip the coconut cream for 5-8 minutes until fluffy and stiff peaks form.
Assembly
Plop 1-2 tbs of coconut cream on one upside down cookie and gently place another cookie on top to make a pumpkin some cream bomb that will have your friends taking for days. If you are taking them to a party, bring the cookies and cream in separate containers and assemble on site, or you will likely end up with a creamy mess. If you are using a more traditional vegan butter cream then assembly can be done beforehand.
These cookies were super yummy the next day, once all of the flavors had fully combined into one heavenly pumpkin spice party!
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