Vegan Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cookies

These vegan pumpkin spice oatmeal cookies pack a powerful punch! Oat flour, oats, pumpkin, maple syrup, almond butter, warming spices, and chocolate combine into one delightful vegan cookie.

I am slowly but surely learning how to tune into my body. Instead of pushing through fatigue, I take breaks. When I have the energy, I push myself. I no longer stick to a set training schedule, and I rarely write to-do lists. I know that all will get accomplished in due time, as long as I persist with a steady focus and determination. Simple though it may sound, pacing myself–knowing when to push and when to step back–has never come easily to me. I have always wanted to be better, faster, stronger in everything I do. I have a deep competitive streak and perfectionist tendencies. For years, this played out in a cycle of pushing myself to exhaustion, burning out, being forced to take a break, and repeating the pattern in many areas of my life, especially in sport and academics.

I have realized that this pattern that I have consistently put myself through stems from my discomfort with stillness and stasis. I have erroneously believed that constant motion is the only path to joy and success. It has only been in the past year or so–when I have not been actively pursuing any sort of goal aside from running a few half marathons and marathons and improving my writing and photography on the blog–that I have come to recognize that my need for constant forward motion led to exhaustion.

I held on to the false belief that self care was a luxury that only some people could afford. Now, armed with a better understanding of my limits, I am able to recognize my signs of burnout.

I understand that taking care of myself is a surefire way to prevent burnout and show up in the world at my best.

Self care takes different forms for everyone. You might enjoy taking a couple of hours for a long walk in nature, going to therapy, meeting a good friend for coffee, or taking a nap. Or, like me, you might enjoy baking. I find baking particularly therapeutic. There are few things more soothing than measuring, stirring, kneading, or rolling in the peace of your kitchen with your favourite podcast or playlist playing in the background.

As I have found a better balance in my lifestyle, my definition of health has also expanded. I have always enjoyed baking, but I rarely tried my creations based on the false belief that desserts were unhealthy. Now that I have a more encompassing outlook, I know that desserts do, in fact, fit into a healthy lifestyle.

Still, ninety percent of the time, I opt to bake treats made with healthier ingredients. Unrefined or less refined sweeteners like dates, maple syrup, honey, molasses, and coconut sugar, whole grain flours, nuts and seeds, and organic/unrefined oils are not only better for us, but they tend to make us feel better, too. And if we feel good, we tend to show up as our best selves in our jobs and our relationships.

Soooo… Let’s Bake Already!

These vegan pumpkin spice cookies are nutritious enough to enjoy for breakfast, but equally dessert-worthy. My favourite way to enjoy them was with a scoop of chocolate Coconut Bliss ice cream in the middle! They also made a nice afternoon snack paired with a homemade iced chai latte. If I was going to serve them for breakfast, I might pair them with a green smoothie or a little bowl of fruit and yogurt to create a well-balanced meal.

These cookies are just sweet enough, and have a flavour reminiscent of gingerbread thanks to the blackstrap molasses and warming spices. If you are not a fan of molasses, however, simply sub an equal amount of maple syrup. For flour, I opted to use exclusively oat flour because I am addicted to its chewy texture. And as it happened, I was able to get away with using pumpkin and almond butter in place of oil. If you have a nut allergy, swap out the nut butter for sunflower seed butter or tahini. I also added some chocolate chips, but dried cranberries or raisins would also be tasty.

I hope you love these pumpkin spice oatmeal cookies. If you make them, leave a comment and rating below to let us know how you liked them.

Looking for more autumn-friendly recipes? I’ve got you covered:

Vegan Chocolate Oatmeal Cake with Coconut Caramel Frosting

Vegan Salted Caramel Bars

Tempeh Reuben Sandwiches

Don’t forget to tag a photo #upbeetkitchen and @upbeet.kitchen on Instagram!

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Happy baking! I’ll be back in a couple of days with a watermelon recipe to enjoy on the last weekend of summer. 🙂

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