I’m soooooo excited!!! After countless experiments I finally present to you my humble Paleo Pumpkin & Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies!
I have tried so many different things! A multitude of flours, sweeteners & fats! At one stage I had what my nieces and nephews termed a “Moofie”! A cross between a cookie and a muffin! I almost ran with that as they were delicious, but not 100% what I was looking for! I was looking for a crispy, golden, crunchy PALEO cookie! What I will say is that they will go softer once they are stored, but they are still deliciously beautiful! Just eat them fresh on the day of baking if you want that beautiful crispy texture!
I tried many different prototypes with almond meal but it wasn’t until I had an epic light bulb moment and decided to try them with almond butter. It came about because I was thinking of adding walnut butter to the mix for flavour! I suddenly realised nut butter might be the secret! Roasted almond butter. And oh, you can’t imagine the joy when I pulled out perfectly ‘normal’ looking cookies out of the oven! They were golden, and looked crispy! I just about dove in right there to try them! Once they had cooled sufficiently so I wouldn’t get burnt, I snatched one right then and there!….Wow! Something magical had happened! The almond butter had done it! I was so elated! After all my attempts with many complex ratios and multiple ingredients, I ended up with a delightful cookie from the simplest of ingredients! There is really not much to these cookies at all! I am ridiculously excited to share this beautiful recipe with you! I’ve added no extra oils to the cookies. It rely’s completely on that from the almond butter. Because the almonds are roasted, this also helps to release even more of those beautiful oils from the nuts, which is why no other oil is needed.
To make you own almond butter, just place about 450-500g roasted almonds in the Thermomix and mill 10 Sec/Speed 9. Scrape down the sides and process for about 1 minute/Speed 8 or until a beautiful butter consistency is achieved!
As I love to do, I wanted vegetables in them, in particular pumpkin, firstly because I think its a perfect match (chocolate & pumpkin), and to increase the nutritional benefit! I mean, if I’m going to give these to my family, I will still always want a treat to be of some benefit! Hiding a vegetable in a cookie so that no one will ever know is perfect! My little boy just loves them! I still talk about the fact that even good treats we need to balance with lots of vegetables and proteins etc, and I try to teach him the difference between a bought cookie and one that mummy makes! Mummy’s have a healthier sweetener, and a small amount at that, and nuts that will make him strong etc!
I’ve used about 100g pumpkin puree in this recipe. You can actually increase the pumpkin to 200g with no problems. They are just a little more crunchy with 100g, whereas with 200g they are a little more moist in the middle! Completely up to you! If you have a whole lot of pumpkin to use, go the whole 200g! I just steamed the pumpkin in the Thermomix for about 15 minutes/Varoma/Speed 2, then pureed for about 5 Sec/Speed. I steamed about 300g. Depending on the pumpkin it will probably reduce by 1/3.
The walnuts just make them! After all, pumpkin and walnuts is such a beautiful marriage. But you could use whatever nut you fancy!
I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we are!


- 120g Coconut Palm Sugar
- 450g Roasted Almond Butter
- 2 Organic Eggs
- 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp Allspice
- 1 tsp Bicarb Soda
- 100g Pumpkin Puree
- 50g Chocolate Chips (naturally sweetened, dairy free)
- 50g Walnuts (roughly chopped)
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line large baking trays with baking paper or lay your oven Thermomat on a tray.
- Place the sugar into the Thermomix and mill 10 Sec/Speed 9.
- Add the almond butter, the eggs, spices, bicarb, & pumpkin and mix 10 Sec/Speed 5.
- Add the chocolate chips and walnuts and mix a further 10 Sec/Speed 5.
- Once combined, place Tbsp sized amounts onto your baking sheet. Flatten out a little with your fingers to form a more flattened disc.
- Place into the hot oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and whilst warm top with a few extra chocolate chips if you desire.
- Let cool on the trays for 5-10 minutes, before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container.