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The recipe for pumpkin and blueberry cookies goes easy on the sugar

Monicel
The recipe for pumpkin and blueberry cookies goes easy on the sugar

Bethany Thayer
| Cheers to Henry Ford

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It’s time for fall colors, cozy clothes and pumpkin-flavored everything. Inspired by the season, our soft cookies are made with nutritious pumpkin, healthy blueberries, fiber-filled oats, spices and sugar, the latter in moderation, of course.

Consuming too much sugar is easy because it is abundant in many foods. However, research shows that diets high in sugar can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, liver disease, some cancers and heart disease.

The American Heart Association recommends less than six teaspoons of added (ie, non-natural) sugar each day for women, and less than nine teaspoons per day for men. For context, the average American consumes about 17 teaspoons of added sugar from foods and beverages each day.

Keeping your sugar intake in a healthy range is important to your long-term well-being. Getting naturally sweet foods like fruit can help. And if you’re going to eat something with added sugar, choose something that also contains vital nutrients to help you reach your daily goals.

The sugar in today’s recipe amounts to about two teaspoons per cookie, about half of what standard cookies contain. We extend that sweetness with warm spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger) for a satisfyingly complex taste. The blueberries provide a tart contrast to the nutty flavor of the pecans. Canned pumpkin has a very mild flavor, but offers antioxidants like beta-carotene, which is important for fending off colds and flu and supporting good night vision during the darker months of the year. Finally, oats and whole wheat flour add fiber to reduce blood sugar spikes.

Filled with the classic flavors of fall, these fluffy cookies are delicious with a cup of tea. Enjoy it when you are sitting in front of a window or a computer screen showing a beautiful autumn scene. We think our cookies can be the perfect pumpkin-flavored dessert for your next fall gathering or holiday celebration.

Bethany Thayer is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with Henry Ford Health. For more recipes and health information, visit henryford.com/blog. For questions about today’s recipe, email [email protected].

Pumpkin Pecan Cookies with Dried Cranberries

Does: 20 cookies/ Preparation time: 30 minutes / Total time: 1 hour

½ cup margarine

⅓ cup sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

⅓ cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2 egg whites

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup old-fashioned oats

1 teaspoon of baking powder

½ teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon of nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon of salt

¾ cup unsalted pecans

½ cup dried cranberries

Aerosol for cooking vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the margarine and sugar, and beat with a rubber spatula. Add the pumpkin, maple syrup, vanilla and egg whites and mix well. In a medium bowl, combine the two flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.

Add the dry mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir until combined. Stir in pecans and blueberries.

Spray a baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray. Spoon the batter onto the cookie sheet, using two level tablespoons per cookie.

Cook in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and place cookies on cooling racks to cool completely. Store tightly covered.

By Henry Ford LiveWell.

165 calories (43% of fat), 8 grams fat (1 gram sitting down fat), 21 grams carbohydrates2 grams protein135 mg sodium0 mg cholesterol39 mg calcium2 grams fiber. Food exchanges: 1½ carbohydrates, 1½ fat.

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