Spicy Pumpkin Power Sandwich
Vegan, gluten free, heart-healthy, dairy free, refined sugar free
I love sandwich cookies, where you get two cookies in one plus a cream filled center inside. A perfect pairing is pumpkin and spice. So, I paired my classic cashew spice cookie with a high protein, creamy, golden pumpkin filling. Turns out the combo is a winner! These are not only gluten-free but also vegan! Go ahead and enjoy your cookies as you would enjoy a power bar because they are packed with plant-based, high protein goodness. Say hello to cookies that are not overly sweet, but instead carry so much flavor you simply can’t stop eating them.
Spicy Pumpkin Power Sandwich
© Sweets You Can Eat by Megan Matthews and Patricia Schroeck 2019-2022
Ingredients
1 cup raw cashews, unsalted
1 cup oats
1 cup teff flour
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground pepper
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet
2/3 cup maple
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
Filling
1/2 cup protein powder
1/3 cup hot water
1/3 cup pumpkin, canned
1/3 cup cashew butter
3 tablespoons maple syrup
pinch of salt
Makes 12 sandwich cookies
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Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Cover two cookie sheets with parchment paper or spray with coconut oil.
2. In a food processor or blender combine raw cashews, oats, teff flour, chia seeds, spices, baking powder and salt. Grind together to form a rough texture resembling a dry cookie dough. Do not over grind, leave some texture.
3. In a microwave safe bowl, combine maple syrup and coconut oil. Heat 30 seconds at a time until melted. Do not let this mixture boil.
4. Add the maple-coconut-oil to the ground dry ingredients and stir until a wet dough forms. Use your hands to press the crumbly dough firmly together into a large ball. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Form cookies using 2 tablespoons of cold dough rolled into balls. Place 24 cookie balls onto cookie sheets and flatten to ½ inch (12 mm) thickness. Make sure they are shaped nicely into round cookies. Space 1 inch (2,5 cm) apart to allow for spreading.
6. Bake 12 minutes or until cookies have browned a little. Do not over bake these cookies, take them out before they start to brown on the tops. Place cooled cookies in the freezer for 30 minutes while you make filling.
7. Filling: Using a food processor or blender, add pumpkin, hot water, cashew butter, protein powder, maple syrup and salt. Pulse until well blended. Chill filling in freezer for 30 minutes. Then roll mixture into 2-tablespoon-sized balls with your hands. Repeat with remaining mixture for 12 balls. (This recipe makes extra filling to make more high protein power balls to keep in freezer for healthy treats to snack on.)
8. Remove cookies from freezer and pipe filling onto one cookie and top with a second. Let some filling ooze out the sides. Roll sides in sanding sugar or sprinkles.
Photos by Brian Byllesby
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