Pumpkin is in season and with this cheerful orange vegetable comes a lot of treats. Many of the traditional pumpkin goodies are junky. They negate the nutritional value of this delicious veggie because they are doused in sugar and other additives. Luckily we have a real food recipe to enjoy pumpkin in a healthy way - let’s get pumpkin powered!
Pumpkin is rich in fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin K as well as iron and manganese. Vitamins A and K are both fat soluble. This means that in order to optimize absorption, the pumpkin needs to be paired with a fat. In our breakfast cookies, we have coconut oil and pumpkin seeds to optimize the absorption of these two nutrients. The following is a kid-friendly, clean-eating pumpkin cookie recipe that the whole family will love!
Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies
Makes 12 cookies
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 cup rolled old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats
- ⅔ cup unsweetened, dried cranberries
- ⅔ cup pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs, beaten
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet.
- In a small bowl warm coconut oil and honey (either microwave, inside preheating the oven or on the stovetop).
- In a large bowl combine both kinds of oats, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, ground flax, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, warmed coconut oil, and honey. Stir until fully combined.
- Drop about ¼ cup-sized scoops of the mixture onto a cookie sheet and flatten (cookies won't spread while baking). Bake for about 15-20 minutes until edges are lightly browned.
- Let cookies cool on a baking sheet before moving them to an airtight storage container.
About Balance 360 Nutrition
Balance 360 nutrition focuses on research-backed recommendations to optimize brain health, development and performance. By providing education and support around our pillars of nutrition we empower you to set a foundation of a brain-healthy lifestyle. Through one-on-one meetings with our nutrition experts we meet you where you are and help you set realistic, achievable goals to elevate your brain health.
Our primary areas of focus consist of fuel, hydration and reducing systemic inflammation. Fuel provides our bodies and brains the nutrients needed to function at an optimal level. Proper hydration affects every cell in our bodies. We work to identify and minimize common dietary drivers of inflammation including added sugars, ultra-processed foods, dyes and artificial sweeteners.
To learn how Brain Balance's integrated, holistic program helps families achieve greater success, contact us online or find a center near you.
