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These gluten-free Spiced Pumpkin Date Cookies are soft and slightly chewy with oats, sweetened only with maple syrup and bejewelled with dates.

I had no idea what these cookies would turn out like. I made them with Cole and no recipe so I presumed disaster would ensue. I stood him on his kitchen stool at the worktop in his little apron which he’s so proud to wear and took a bunch of ingredients out of the cupboards and fridge that needed using up. It was luck that I usually have half a tin of pumpkin puree lurking in the fridge these days since I’m making a lot of pumpkin cakes for the stall and for café orders. Pumpkin cookies, flavoured with lovely warming spices and paired with oats seemed like a standout choice for our baking adventure. I’m also being vigilant about keeping a stash of medjool dates to hand in my larder as they come in useful for so many bakes, Easy Overnight Coconut Chia Puddings, beautiful tagines and the odd snack here and there. I couldn’t resist putting a few of these chopped little nuggets into the mix.

Since I was making these cookies with Cole I decided not to use refined sugar. It’s debatable whether maple syrup is technically any healthier since sugar really is just sugar but I felt more of a responsible mother giving my toddler maple sweetened cookies. Plus who am I kidding, I was the one who ate the lion’s share of these cookies and a little bit less refined sugar in my diet is only going to be better for me.

Cole’s main job when we’re baking together is to stir and taste. I haven’t officially given him the role of taster, it’s one he’s bestowed upon himself. After every ingredient is added into the bowl he insists on making sure it is the right call, no matter if it’s the raw eggs or vanilla extract. It might have gone a bit far when he was shovelling wooden spoonfuls of flour, oats and spices into his mouth. At least he knew better to scrape them from his tongue than to try and swallow this time. An improvement from the cocoa powder incident a couple of months ago which led to me frantically pour streams of water down his throat to ease his choking. Special times.

Cookies are great for baking with a toddler since they are really just an assembly and mixing job with a bowl and wooden spoon, ideal for a child who loves to stir. They are so quick to bake and after ten minutes or so of cooling they are ready to eat. Instant gratification.

When it came time for the final taste test I was completely bowled over at how delicious the cookies actually were. Not at all the calamity I had anticipated. It’s always the way that your best efforts are when you’re not really trying, either that or Cole is an absolute baking prodigy and he’ll be taking over the market stall from me by the time he’s four.

I’ve made these cookies a few times since, tweaking the recipe here and there but every time I have come to the conclusion that the cookies that Cole and I made together that first time were the most delicious. They were probably not the most photogenic since I gave Cole free rein with the cookie scoop to drop them onto the baking sheet but the taste was all there from the beginning.

Spiced Pumpkin Date Cookies have become a little bit of a staple in our house over the past two weeks, I have been nibbling on them for breakfast, mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks. They are pretty good whenever to be honest. It’s also pretty handy knowing what to do with that half eaten tin of pumpkin puree.

SHOP THE RECIPE

There are two items in my kitchen which are invaluable when baking cookies. A good cookie dough scoop (or ice cream scoop) is one of them. So handy for scooping up a perfect ball of cookie dough for the perfectly sized cookie. Also so useful when baking cupcakes and ensures a perfectly even cupcake bake every time. I use the OXO Good Grips Trigger Ice Cream Scoop which is really durable and an ideal size.The other brilliant piece of equipment which I’ve never regretted buying is a really decent hard-wearing baking tray which I use for all my cookies and scones. I use this KitchenCraft MasterClass Large Non-Stick Baking Tray, Grey, 39 x 27 cm which considering how often I use it is still in excellent condition, fits in the oven nicely and is large enough to hold a whole batch of scones or cookies.Some of the links above are affiliate links so if you decide to buy anything using the links then I will get a small commission from Amazon at no cost to you. To learn more about how the data processing works when using these Amazon affiliate links then please visit my privacy policy page.

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Spiced Pumpkin Date Cookies {gluten-free}