Pumpkin and Walnut Muffin Top Cookies

Like many families in the early 2000s, my family frequented Panera Bread throughout my childhood. Every time we ate there, I made sure to get their "Pumpkin Muffie," a pumpkin-flavored baked good that was flat like a cookie with a light, springy, muffin-like texture and a streusel topping. I loved pumpkin muffies so much that my mom found a copycat recipe and started making them for me for breakfast. 

Recently I picked up one of my favorite cookbooks, From Asparagus to Zucchini, to try their Pumpkin and Black Walnut Cookie recipe. While baking, I strayed rather significantly from the recipe, swapping out many ingredients and accidentally changing the ratio of baking powder to baking soda. The result was a light and springy cookie similar to a Pumpkin Muffie. It was the textbook definition of a happy accident. 

Although these muffin top cookies are not a replica of Panera's Pumpkin Muffies, they are delicious in their own right and a nostalgic nod to the concept. Not quite a cookie, not quite a muffin, but very tasty indeed. 

Let me know what you think of the recipe and don’t forget to follow the sustainability tips below!

Time: 30 minutes

Makes: 12-15 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ginger

• 1/8 nutmeg

• 1/8 teaspoon allspice

• 1/8 teaspoon cloves

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoons flaxseed meal 

• 4 teaspoons water

• 8 tablespoons coconut oil at room temperature

  • It should be solid, but scoopable

• 6 tablespoons brown sugar or coconut sugar

• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree

• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

• 1/2 cup chopped black walnuts, regular walnuts or nut of choice (optional)

Methods

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set this aside. In another small bowl, combine the flaxseed meal and water. Set aside for a few minutes to allow the flaxseed meal to absorb the water and thicken. 

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil and sugar. Then, stir in the honey and the flax and water mixture. Add in the pumpkin puree and the almond extract, stirring to combine.

3. Add the dry mixture to the liquid mixture and stir until just combined. Refrigerate the dough for about 10 minutes, or until solid enough to handle. Roll the dough into rounded heaping tablespoons and transfer to the prepared baking tray. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, or until they hold their structure when gently poked. Dig in!

Sustainability Tips

• Flour: I like to buy King Arthur Flour brand because King Arthur Flour is a B Corp. That means that they're held to a high environmental and social standard. Alternatively, you could find a farmer who grows and mills flour locally. Buying locally can help connect you to your local food system and cut back on the miles your food has to travel.

• Honey or syrup: Local honey and maple syrup for the win! If you buy your honey or syrup locally, it won't have to travel a million miles (read: release a million emissions) to get to you. Better yet, buying locally will help you get to know your local food producers!

• Pumpkin puree: Grow your own baking pumpkin, buy one from a local farm or buy organic canned pumpkin puree. All of these options can cut down on pesticide use and greenhouse gas emissions from travel. Don't forget to recycle the can if you're using canned puree!

• Nuts: Go for a nut that's either fair trade or locally grown and harvested. Read all about this in my sustainable nuts post!