Straight to the Belly Pumpkin-Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
Straight to your belly? Isn’t that dangerous? Not here. The issue with most cookie doughs is that they are usually made with eggs and uncooked eggs run the risk of getting those who eat it sick with salmonella. (There is also the risk of salmonella or E.coli from flour that is not heated because the grains are grown in fields where fecal matter is sprayed and then milled without being treated to remove bacteria.) This is why so many recipes for cookie dough that are not intended to go into the oven but straight into your mouth from the bowl are called “edible” - to signal that it does not run the risk of food poisoning, often through the omission of eggs.
Annnnnnyway, this is a recipe so delicious and I don’t want to keep talking about poop or food poisoning. ‘Kay?
This cookie dough has a nice, hearty texture, a wholesome, autumnal flavor, an impressive nutrition profile for a treat and comes together in just a minute or two. I did not develop this recipe to be baked so if you’re curious about that, feel free to experiment without any promises. If you want pumpkin-y goodness straight from the spoon to your mouth, though, this is the quick, easy and tasty treat for you.
1 cup oat flour* ¼ cup quick-cooking oats ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves Pinch of salt ½ cup pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie) ½ cup pure maple syrup ¼ cup natural peanut butter, smooth or crunchy (or nut butter of your choice) 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ½ cup slavery-free, vegan chocolate chips Additional add-ins: toasted nuts, dried fruit
In a large bowl, whisk or stir together the oat flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and the pinch of salt. In a medium bowl, mix the pumpkin, maple syrup, peanut butter and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Pour this in with the dry ingredients and stir, then fold in the chocolate chips. Stir with a large spoon until everything is coated.
Allow this to sit in a covered container in the fridge for 30 minutes or more optimally to allow the flavors to melt and enjoy.
Recipe notes: You can make oat flour at home by grinding quick-cooking oats in your blender or food processor until it is powdered.