Paleo Pumpkin Fig Cookies
Can’t stop won’t stop with pumpkin recipes!! Now that fall is creeping in, all the fall flavors are going to be popping up in my recipes and I’m super not sorry about it.
But as one last ode to summer, I thought - why not collide both seasons!? These paleo pumpkin fig cookies are a perfect celebration of the ending of fig season and beginning of pumpkin season. And yes, I think of seasons in terms of food. ;)
So why does seasonal eating matter so much anyways? Well, it’s better for our bodies AND the environment.
It’s better for the environment because it cuts down on the miles our food travels: If you look at an average American meal every ingredient has, on average, traveled more than 1,500 miles. ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED MILES. That’s insane. A huge amount of energy is needed to store foods that are out of season that have to travel that far as well.
Food that is in season has higher nutritional content: Produce that is grown in season is picked when it’s fully ripened, which is when it reaches its highest nutrient content. Produce that has to travel a long way will typically be picked before it reaches this mature stage. Transportation and storage also takes a toll on nutritional content – the longer the fruits and vegetables sit in a fridge or on the shelf, the lower their levels of antioxidants and nutrients.
Food that is in season tastes better: This one should be pretty obvious with everything I’ve already talked about – food that has to travel shorter distances and sit in storage for less time is bound to taste better. Foods grown in nutrient-dense, quality soil also tastes better.
Our bodies react better to foods that are in season: This idea is truly rooted in Chinese medicine and I was first introduced to the idea when I took a class on Aryuvedic principles and digestion over the summer. The idea is that our bodies digest foods and absorb their nutrients better when they are in season because it allows us to be more in tune with nature and in tune with what different seasons demand of us. In the winter it’s better to eat warmer, cooked foods and vegetables, opposed to the summer when there is an abundance of raw vegetables and tropical fruits.
So although it can be difficult to eat seasonally, especially because we’re used to instant gratification and having the ability to buy whatever we’re craving at the grocery store, it’s something to explore and be conscious of.
Of course, I’m not perfect either! But I try my best when I can. :)
This seasonal food guide is a great place to start to find what’s in season by you!
Now who’s ready to bake some paleo pumpkin fig cookies!?
XO nat
Paleo Pumpkin Fig Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1/4 cup nut/seed butter of choice (I think almond or peanut butter taste best in this!)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup honey (can sub for maple syrup or date syrup)
- 1 cup chopped dried figs
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a cookie sheet by lining with parchment paper or greasing with coconut oil.
- In a large bowl, mix the melted coconut oil, nut/seed butter, eggs, vanilla extract, nut/seed butter and honey (or other sweetener of choice).
- In a separate bowl, mix the almond flour, coconut flour, cinnamon baking soda and salt.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix well.
- Stir in the chopped dried figs and mix well once again.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.