After living in the United States for three decades, I have finally learned to appreciate the pumpkin. I love carving them out for Halloween and to see everybody’s decoration with these glorious vegetables around my neighborhood and around the state of New York, but only in the past few yeras have I really started baking with this delectable orange product.

 Pumpkin is not a traditional Norwegian food item, hence I suppose we never developed a taste for it in my country until just recently.

My mom used to pickle pumpkin to use as a condiment for various dishes , and I always thought it sounded and tasted a bit “exotic”, because none of my friends’ mothers used this.

I suspect she picked up the recipe in one of her women’s home magazines she subscribed to in an effort to create something different for dinner for us 🙂

With the increasing popularity of Halloween in Norway, around 200,000 pumpkins are produced in Norway today, and there are about 10 serious pumpkin producers in the country.  Because the  pumpkins need a long warm summer and are susceptible to frost, the cultivation of pumpkins aren’t as widespread as here in the United States. But with climate change – who knows, that might change soon!

It is thought that the origins of the pumpkin has its root in North America and arrived to Europe in the 17th century. Archaeological findings show that Native Indians produced pumpkins as long as 5,000 years ago, and there have been findings of seeds from pumpkin like plants in Mexico all the way back to 7,000-5,500 B.C.  

There are over 700 different varieties of pumpkins and they range in size from 30 lbs to an astonishing, 1,000 lbs!  Pumpkins can be grown in all climates, expect the Antarctic.  A few fun facts about the pumpkin!

This time of year every fiber of my body just wants to be in the kitchen all day long and bake while watching cheesy horror movies from the 70’s on TV (I have a small TV hanging on the wall in my kitchen – this is how Americanized I’ve become) while my puppies are napping in the living room.

I’ve selected to share a recipe I whipped up yesterday of pumpkin spice cookies  with chocolate … The warmth of the kitchen mixed with the wonderful smell of cinnamon, pumpkin and chocolate is more than enough to make a Norwegian girl happy!  

Because of the addition of pumpkin purée, these cookies are cakey in texture rather than crispy so almost like a mixture between pumpkin bread and pumpkin cookies. Make sure to use a good quality pumpkin purée, preferably organic!

I’ve tried making my own pumpkin purée and add to baked goods, but find that the canned kind works a tad better, I suspect because the canned variety is less watery and more condensed.

The cookies came out really flavorful with warming spices of the fall and the chocolate adds to the richness of the flavor. I’ll share some of these cookies with my my neighbors, but will keep most  of them to myself – that’s how good they are!  After you’ve tried these, you’ll see why! 🙂 Can’t wait to hear your review!

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Makes about 24 cookies

2 1/2 cups (300 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted vegan butter, at room temperature 
1 cup (200 grams) packed light brown sugar (you can also use maple syrup here for added flavor)
1 1/2 cups (330 grams) organic canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon flax seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla sugar
1 cup (170 grams) dark chocolate chips

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
1/3 cup (70 grams) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.

3. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the pumpkin, flax seed mixture, and vanilla and mix until combined. Slowly add in the dry ingredients.

Mix until just combined and no streaks of flour appear. Unhook the mixing bowl and stir in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

4. In a small bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon. Shape the batter into rounded tablespoons and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Place balls 2 inches (5 cm) apart on prepared baking sheets. Lightly press down on the cookies with a spatula or the palm of your hand.

5. Bake for 12-14 minutes, one sheet at a time, in the middle of the oven, or until cookies are just beginning to brown around the edges.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for two minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cookies

These cakey, soft cookies are filled with the warming spices of fall, complete with the addition of delicious chocolate. Try having just one!

Print Pin Rate

Servings: 24 cookies

Author: Sunny Gandara | Arctic Grub

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups 300 grams all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 cup 1 1/2 sticks unsalted vegan butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup 200 grams packed light brown sugar (you can also use maple syrup here for added flavor)
• 1 1/2 cups 330 grams organic canned pumpkin
• 1 tablespoon flax seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla sugar
• 1 cup 170 grams dark chocolate chips

For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping:

• 1/3 cup 70 grams granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.
• Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the pumpkin, flax seed mixture, and vanilla and mix until combined. Slowly add in the dry ingredients.
• Mix until just combined and no streaks of flour appear. Unhook the mixing bowl and stir in the chocolate chips with a spatula.
• In a small bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon. Shape the batter into rounded tablespoons and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
• Place balls 2 inches (5 cm) apart on prepared baking sheets. Lightly press down on the cookies with a spatula or the palm of your hand.
• Bake for 12-14 minutes, one sheet at a time, in the middle of the oven, or until cookies are just beginning to brown around the edges.
• Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for two minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.