Zero Waste Halloween - Pumpkin Spice Cookie Recipe

Halloween is a time of year where there is so much waste; from plastic wrapping on treats, to plastic halloween costumes, to copious one use plastic containers for parties. Keeping it zero waste can be tricky. Best thing to do is keep it simple. Recycle old clothes as costumes or go to the thrift store. When carving your pumpkin, use the inside in baking or cooking.

Play games that don't involve plastic like 'bobbing apples' for instance. All you need is a bucket and some apples and water.

Decorate with good quality products that will last year after year.

The biggest waste at halloween is the plastic wrapping on candy we give to kids while they 'trick or treat'. It's fun to make your own treats and you will eliminate all the waste of plastic wrapping. You also know what's going into them so you are giving the kids some nutrition on a night filled with refined sugar and E numbers.

I made these cookies using pumpkin because I have so much of it here and I thought it was a good way of using the inside of the pumpkins I carved.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked, mashed pumpkin

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder,

1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg

pinch salt

1 cup coconut sugar

1 flax egg ( 1 tbsp ground flaxseed to 3 tbsp water. Let sit for 15 mins )

1/2 cup coconut oil melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

Icing:

1 tin of refrigerated coconut milk - use fat only

2 tbsp agave syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

raw cacao nibs for decoration.

Oven temp: 180c/350f

Oven time: 13 - 15 minutes

Makes 36 cookies

Directions:

Start the night before and put the tin of coconut milk in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to the desired temperature. My oven is not a fan oven, so adjust accordingly if your oven is different.

Steam the pumpkin.

Make the flax egg.

While the flax egg is setting sieve all the dry ingredients together and mix.

Add the sugar and mix.

When the flax egg is ready, add the coconut oil and vanilla extract. Give the mixture a stir.

When the pumpkin is ready add it to the wet mixture.

Add the dry to the wet and combine.

About a tbsp of dough per cookie should do it. Roll it in your hand and flatten it out on the baking tray. I use a reusable baking sheet but you can go straight onto your tray, just coat with some coconut oil first.