Healthy Pumpkin Blossoms

Yields: 24 small cookies

These cookies are perfect for anyone who loves pumpkin and chocolate! The pumpkin cookies are deliciously chewy with the perfect hint of spice, and the dark chocolate kiss in the center makes them taste even more irresistible! Leftovers will keep for at least one week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator—if they last that long!

1 cup (120g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp cornstarch
¾ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
¾ cup (183g) pumpkin purée (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup
24 dark chocolate kisses

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, pumpkin, and vanilla. Stir in the maple syrup. Add the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Chill the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes. (If chilling longer than 1 hour, cover the top of the bowl with foil.)
Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Drop the cookie dough into 24 rounded scoops onto the prepared baking sheet. Flatten the cookie dough mounds to be just slightly wider than the chocolate kisses. Bake at 325°F for 13-16 minutes. (The centers should still feel slightly underdone!) Once the cookies come out of the oven, immediately (but gently!) press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. Cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes: Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the white whole wheat flour.

For a gluten-free version, use as follows: ¼ cup (30g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, 3 tablespoons (21g) coconut flour, and ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends will work as well, if measured like this.

Honey or agave may be substituted for the maple syrup. You may also substitute ½ cup (96g) of coconut sugar or brown sugar + ¼ cup (60mL) of milk (any type will work!).

For a vegan or clean-eating version, use regular bars of dark chocolate, chopped into large bite-sized pieces, in place of the dark chocolate kisses.

For a fun flavor variation, I bet these caramel-filled kisses or these pumpkin spice kisses would taste amazing! If you try that, leave me a comment and report back!

Do NOT overbake these cookies! They’ll turn out cakey instead of chewy if baked for too long.

The dough is going to be very sticky, so use a spoon and spatula to drop it on your baking sheet! These cookies are going to be smaller than typical cookies, and they don’t spread while baking… So make sure you flatten them so they’re just slightly wider than the bottom of your chocolate kiss!

And since people always ask how I make my cookies perfectly round… Here’s my secret trick: I just use a mini spatula like this! I spend about 10 minutes patiently shaping the cookie dough with my spatula once it’s on the baking sheet. No special tools or equipment—I promise!

{gluten-free, clean eating option, vegan option, low fat}

Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2017/10/22/healthy-pumpkin-blossoms/