I’ve grown very used to making my own nut butters, it’s complete second nature by now. I buy nuts and seeds in bulk, which is cheaper, and blending them up to a buttery stage in my food processor is quick, easy and produces delicious results.
The other day I ran out of my homemade tahini and needed it as an emergency for a recipe, deciding to grab a jar at the store. I got a look at my local health food market nut butter shelf for the first time in a long time and was amazed at the variety of different nut and seed butters on display. A beautiful bright green butter caught my eye – it turned out to be sprouted pumpkinseed butter.
I didn’t buy it that day, but the idea haunted me for a few weeks before I finally gave in and made my own pumpkinseed butter. Mine is not sprouted but toasted, and the color is not as brilliant but still very beautiful. After having it on toast and loving it, I imagined that the butter would be a nice base for baked goods. That’s when these cookies were born.
They are crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, with the pleasant addition of goji berries. If you don’t have goji, replace them with other dried fruit, chocolate pieces or nut of choice. Enjoy!
Pumpkinseed Butter Goji Cookies
(loosely adapted from here)
makes 16 cookies
for pumpkinseed butter
2 cups raw pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons olive oil plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
for cookies
1/4 cup oat flour, plus more if needed
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup pumpkinseed butter (see below)
3 tablespoons coconut oil – soft, at room temperature
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup goji berries
to make pumpkinseed butter
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine pumpkin seeds with 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt in a medium bowl, mix to coat. Spread on a parchment paper covered baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes. Let cool.
2. Place pumpkinseeds in a food processor and grind finely. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil through the funnel with machine still running. Continue to process until a ball of pumpkinseed butter forms. Scrape the walls of the food processor if necessary. Add more oil, 1 tablespoon at a time and continue processing until seeds turn into creamy, runny butter. You’ll need 1/2 cup of it for the recipe, keep the rest refrigerated in an air tight container and spread on toast or use in more baking.
to make cookies
1. Keep oven at 375 F. Combine 1/4 cup of oat flour, brown rice flour, oats and soda in a medium bowl.
2. Combine pumpkin butter, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a separate medium bowl and mix to combine.
3. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and stir to combine. If the batter appears too runny, add more oat flour, about 2 tablespoons should be enough. Add goji berries.
4. Prepare a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Using a small (1 1/2″) ice-cream scooper or 2 teaspoons, scoop a cookie at a time and arrange on the sheet 2″ apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden brown. Let cool completely to firm up.
Natalia says
Such a beautiful recipe to enjoy the special day tomorrow, Anya!
Anya says
Thank you Natalia, hope you had a nice holiday.
Kimberly/TheLittlePlantation says
I love it when cookies are soft in the middle and crunchy on the outside. Yummy.
Love your use of the pumpkin seed butter.
Thanks for sharing.
Anya says
Thank you Kimberly!
Jodi says
Gorgeous cookies Anya! I just bought a jar of pumpkin seed butter at my local health food store too! The jar was too cute to pass up, but I finished it in no time and have been meaning to start making my own at home, these cookies sound like the perfect excuse! Thank you – xo
Anya says
Hi Jodi, that’s great!
Ólöf says
I love pumpkinseed butter.. I like it better raw though .. but I have been making the most delicious chocolate cookies based on oats and pumpkinseed butter for over a year and they are always a hit! you should try! They have dark dark chocolate chips to! mmm.. love your posts and pictures..
best wishes
Ólöf from Iceland
Anya says
Hi Ólöf, your cookies sound delicious, I’d love to try them.
Lane | Green Spirit Adventures says
I absolutely love pumpkin seed butter! I’ve never had much luck making my own nut and seed butters because my food processor isn’t the greatest but these cookies make me want to give it another try!
Anya says
Hi Lane, if you are making raw nut/seed butter (as in, the nuts/seeds won’t need to be roasted), soaking helps with making them softer and processing easier in the food processor.
Emma says
Such beautifully flavoured, brightly coloured cookies :)
Anya says
Thanks Emma :)
Little Bits of Now says
Thanks for sharing! Looking forward to try this out =)
Anya says
Hope you like them!
vagabond says
I’ve baked them tonight and they are just beautiful. It’s the first time I have used pumpkinseed butter and it’s a rocket!
Anya says
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! x
B says
I have some raw sprouted pumpkin seed butter in the fridge that would be perfect for making these, however I don’t do well with rolled grains as I prefer being able to soak my grains first and then make them into homemade flours in my ever-so-well-used Vita-mix – what could I used in place of the rolled oats in this recipe (it sounds way to lovely to pass up making so I’m hoping you have a suggestion!)? I had the idea of maybe using 1/2 cup homemade oat flour instead – or would that change the texture/binding too much?
Anya says
Hello,
I cannot say for sure, as I’ve never tried that method myself. Please let me know how it goes :)
B says
Thanks for your reply Anya! Any suggestions at all for a substitute as you have made the recipe so many times??