These decadent Pumpkin Cookies With Coconut Cream And White Chocolate will be a hit at your next holiday party!
As a (somewhat) healthy eater with a sweet tooth, I have a thing for pumpkin. Pumpkin is an incredibly versatile, high-fiber vegetable that can be used in savory dishes, but since it’s so delicious when sweetened, we often see pumpkin puréed and used in pies and other desserts. And, due to its late-season harvest, it’s synonymous with the decadence of autumn and holiday treats.
This cookie recipe is in that sweet pumpkin tradition, and they’re so pretty, they’ll stand out like jewels on any holiday party dessert table. These delicate pumpkin cookies are stuffed with coconut cream and dipped in a silky layer of melted white chocolate, then coated with sweetened coconut flakes. Not only are they the ultimate afternoon delight, but if you place them in a pretty box or wrap them in cellophane, they make a great present, too.
Are Pumpkin Cookies With Coconut Cream And White Chocolate Healthy?
These cookies have a good bit of saturated fat and sugar, so they’re definitely a dessert meant to be enjoyed in moderation. That being said, the recipe uses whole-wheat pastry flour, which adds fiber. Meanwhile, the pumpkin also adds fiber along with plenty of beta-carotene. This recipe can be made dairy-free by either omitting the white chocolate (use pure chocolate instead) or substituting dairy-free white melting chocolate.
The Wide World Of Sprinkles
Some folks just don’t enjoy the texture of coconut flakes. This recipe uses sweetened coconut flakes as a coating for the white chocolate, but if you aren’t a fan of the texture of coconut, try something else! You can ditch the coconut flakes and use rainbow sprinkles, cookie crumbs, crushed hazelnuts or walnuts, or colored sugar. Any small sprinkles you could decorate a cake with would probably work here, so feel free to experiment.
How To Make Ahead And Store
You can bake the pumpkin cookies up to 2 days before you make the filling and white chocolate coating. Store baked cookies in the fridge in an airtight container until you’re ready to assemble. Cookies are best served fresh at room temperature. They’ll keep in the fridge in airtight containers for up to 5 days.
Serving Suggestions
These cookies are incredible as an after-dinner sweet, either served alone or with a glass of milk for dipping. You can also serve them with fresh Bionicos, a glass of creamy Eggnog, or a delicious Pumpkin Spice Latte. Before you indulge in these cookies, enjoy a main course of succulent Balsamic-Glazed Pork Tenderloin or a Healthy Chicken Cobb Salad.
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 cup coconut oil at room temperature (should be the consistency of soft butter)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons pumpkin puree at room temperature
For the Coconut Whipped Cream:
- 1 can coconut milk (13 ounces) full-fat, chilled in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours
- 5 tablespoons powdered sugar
To Garnish:
- 2 ounces white chocolate
- 1/4 teaspoon coconut oil melted
- 1/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
For the Cookies:
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the coconut oil and both sugars with an electric hand mixer, until light and fluffy.
- Add in the vanilla extract, egg yolk, and pumpkin puree, and beat until well combined.
- Stir the flour mixture into the coconut oil mixture and stir until well combined. The dough will be quite soft and sticky, and not as firm as a typical dough. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to overnight.
- Once the dough has chilled, preheat your oven to 325°F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop the dough onto the cookie sheets in 1/2-tablespoon balls (they spread!), very lightly pressing down. You want the balls taller than they are wide, so don’t flatten them much. Note that your dough will be a little sticky. You can always spray your fingers with a little bit of cooking spray if the dough sticks to them.
- Bake the cookies until lightly golden, about 15-17 minutes. They will feel quite soft and underbaked, but they will continue to bake on the pan. Let them cool on the pan for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Coconut Cream Filling:
- Take the chilled coconut milk out of the refrigerator and turn upside-down. Open the can and pour out all the liquid on top, leaving you with the thick coconut cream on the bottom.
- Scoop the cream into a large bowl (it should equal about 1 1/4 cups) and add in the powdered sugar.
- Beat the cream with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Place back in the refrigerator until ready to use.
For the Chocolate Coconut Coating:
- Once the cookies are cooled, melt the chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring between each interval, until smooth and melted. Pour the coconut onto a plate.
- Dip the bottom 1/3 of each cookie into the melted chocolate, gently scraping off any excess, and then into the coconut flakes, pressing them down gently. Place back onto the parchment-lined cookie tray. Dip cookies at a slight angle, so that the undersides do not get covered in chocolate, just the top 1/3 and the edges. Repeat with remaining cookies, being very careful as the cookies are soft and delicate.
- Transfer the trays into the fridge to let the chocolate harden for about 30 minutes.
- Assemble the cookies: Once the chocolate is hardened, fill a pastry bag with the coconut cream and lightly pipe it into the middle of half of the cookies, leaving a little space around the edges for the cream to spread once sandwiched.
- Place the remaining bare cookies on top of the coconut-creamed cookies.
Tips & Notes:
Cookies are best served fresh at room temperature, or stored in the refrigerator and brought up to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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