1 1/2 cup water 3/4 cup raw quinoa 1 cup (150 grams) all-purpose flour 1/2 cup coconut sugar (or you can sub granulated) 1/4 cup (30 grams) ground flax seed 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice mix 1/8 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 cup (130 grams) pureed pumpkin 2 tablespoons oil 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 egg white (2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon) 2 tablespoons maple syrup (Optional) 1/2 cup fat-free whipped topping

Add quinoa to a fine mesh stainer and rinse well before using in this recipe. Add water and quinoa to a saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Once complete, remove from the stove, remove lid and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Set aside. Add flour, sugar, ground flax, pumpkin spice mix and salt to a large bowl. Then, measure 1½ cups of the cooked quinoa and add to the dry ingredients. Stir to coat, until all quinoa granules are covered in the mixture. Set aside. Add pumpkin, oil, vanilla, egg white and maple syrup to a small bowl and stir well. Pour the wet mixture in with the dry mixture and stir to combine. One tablespoon at a time, scoop mixture onto prepared baking sheet, leaving a small space between each cookie. They will not spread out, so you can keep the cookies close. Lightly form each cookie, as you’d like them to come out. I flattened them slightly between my palms. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until cooked through and golden. Remove from the oven, let cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack and allowing them to cool for a couple of hours. Because cooked quinoa was used in this recipe, the longer you leave it to cool, the firmer your cookies will become. Leave them be and they will transform! When ready to serve, top each with a teaspoon of whipped cream if desired. Cookies can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.