What Makes a Cookie Healthy? It's not the wheat.

This cookie makes a great snack (or breakfast!) option, not only because of what’s in it but also because of what’s NOT IN IT.

These Pumpkin Crunch Cookies are made with seasonal pumpkin as a main ingredient.  Delicious!  And, for many reasons, healthier for you than your typical store-bought cookie.
 
What's In the Cookie
 
Two of the healthy ingredients in this cookie are pumpkin puree and pumpkin seeds, or pepitas.  Pumpkins are in season right now, so you can easily find whole pumpkins, pumpkin puree, and pepitas in your local grocery store, or a local pumpkin farm if you’re lucky enough to have one nearby!
 
Pumpkin is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals that cause cell damage.  It is particularly rich in the antioxidant beta-carotene, which the body converts into Vitamin A.  Vitamin A, along with the high amount of Vitamin C found in this vegetable, helps strengthen the immune system, keeping us healthy.  ¹
 
Pumpkin also contains compounds that protect our eyesight.  Vitamin A can protect us from night blindness, while two compounds, lutein and zeaxanthin, have been linked to lower risks of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. ¹
 
In addition to pumpkin, this cookie is also chocked full of nuts, that provide fiber and healthy fats,² and cranberries, that help support a healthy microbiome among other benefits. ³
 
As you can see, there are many things to enjoy in this healthy snack option. 
 
But, another benefit of this cookie is what it LACKS.  
 
What it lacks is processed wheat flour.
 
Most commercially produced crackers contain some type of refined flour made from wheat. Not to mention many other additives designed to prolong the product’s shelf-life, keeping it from spoiling before it is purchased.
 
Why is processed wheat flour less healthy?  
 
Let’s first look at what flour is made of, wheat. Wheat contains the protein gluten.
 
You have probably heard about the damaging effect gluten can have on the digestive system.  Although not for all people, gluten can have an adverse effect on many.  There is a small population of people who suffer from an auto-immune disorder called celiac disease.  For these individuals consuming even a little bit of gluten can result in a debilitating condition.  Luckily this disease can be diagnosed. However, many others may suffer from sensitivities to gluten, resulting in digestive disturbances (such as diarrhea or constipation), bloating, skin rashes, joint pain, and other symptoms of inflammation. ⁴
 
In both cases, the body identifies the gluten protein as a toxin, causing immune cells to overreact and attack it. If a person continues to eat gluten, this creates an ongoing reaction resulting in inflammation. This harmful inflammatory reaction and its related symptoms can be avoided by eliminating foods containing gluten, such as wheat, barley, and rye.  
 

That’s where our flourless Pumpkin Cookie shines! It is made without wheat flour and contains no gluten.
 

So, we know that the high amounts of gluten found in wheat flour can be detrimental to our health, but problems also arise because of HOW modern flour is made.
 
Modern methods for making flour remove the nutritious bran and wheat germ from the grain. This is what makes the flour so white and powdery. But this also removes the healthy fiber from the finished product. What remains is essentially starch.  This starch is then ground into a fine powder. 
 
This makes for nice fluffy baked products, but without the fiber (that was removed earlier) the smaller starch particles are more easily digested and quickly converted into sugar (glucose) by the body.  Without the fiber to slow down the absorption of this sugar, blood sugar levels can rise quickly leading to rapid blood sugar spikes and subsequent crashes that leave you hungry and irritable shortly after eating.  Over time, this continuous rise and fall in blood sugar levels can lead to insulin resistance, and subsequent health problems, such as diabetes and other chronic diseases.
 
Compare this to the wheat flour made by our ancestors.
 
In the past, wheat was stone-ground without removing the bran or wheat germ.  The resulting flour contained larger particles along with the fibrous bran, making it much coarser and slower to digest than the powdery flour we consume today.  Because foods made with this coarser flour take longer to digest, blood sugar levels remain steady without sharp spikes.
 
The bottom line
 
Commercially-produced wheat products contain gluten and other ingredients that can cause an inflammatory response in the body resulting in painful digestive issues and other symptoms such as bloating, rashes and joint pain.  In addition, modern methods remove the fibrous bran and refine flour into small powdery particles of starch that quickly break down into sugar during digestion.  The resulting rise and fall of blood sugar levels burden the role of insulin in regulating sugar levels which can lead to chronic disease over time. 
 
The solution is to read the nutrition and ingredient labels on the foods you buy.  Buy those with a minimum number of ingredients and are easily recognizable.  Eat more whole foods that don’t come with ingredients labels, such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. 
 
Better yet, avoid purchasing commercially processed baked goods and make your own delicious Pumpkin Crunch Cookies!

Pumpkin Crunch Cookies 

These cookies are so good, you won't be able to stop snacking on them!  They have a slightly cake-y consistency.  The nuts and seeds give it a great crunch.  If making these vegan, you can finish them in a dehydrator.  They come out crisp and crunchy all the way through!

Prep Time  15 minutes 
Cooking Time  20 minutes
Yields  3 dozen

Ingredient

1⁄2 cup pumpkin puree

1⁄4 cup melted coconut oil

1⁄4 cup honey (for a vegan option use maple syrup)

2 eggs (for a vegan option use flax or chia seed eggs, see note below)

1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups chopped nuts (I like a mix of almonds, walnuts, and sunflower seeds) 

1⁄2 cup raw, shelled pumpkin seeds

1⁄2 cup dried cranberries (try to get ones without sugar added)

1⁄2 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.  Line 2 cookie trays with parchment paper or silicone mats.
2. In a small bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, coconut oil, eggs, honey (or maple syrup), sea salt, and pumpkin pie spice until well blended.
3. Add the chopped nuts, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and (optional) dark chocolate chips. Stir until well combined.
4. Using a tablespoon, place onto a prepared cookie sheet. Pat down lightly to flatten if necessary. 
5. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before removing cookies from the tray.
6. When cool, store in an air-tight container for 3-4 days, or place in refrigerator for longer storage.
    

NOTES:

Making a vegan flax egg:

ONE EGG: combine 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed with 3 Tbsp warm water.  (Optional: add 1/8 tsp baking powder.) Mix well and let sit until the mixture has thickened.

FOR RECIPE:  Make 2 flax eggs by doubling the above amounts and add instead of the regular eggs.  I like to add an additional 1 Tbsp of flaxseed for this recipe for a total of 3 Tbsp flax/ 6 Tbsp water.

NOTE:  Cookies made this way take longer to harden.  You may wish to turn the oven temp down to 300°F and bake for 35-40 minutes. Check that cookies aren't burning.  Bake longer if necessary.  (I haven't done this.  What I like to do is bake cookies for the 20 minutes and then transfer them to a dehydrator at a high setting - 135°F - for 2 or more hours.)

Recipe adapted from Primally Inspired.