These healthy pumpkin cookies are sweetened only with fruit and made with a secret ingredient that gives them a nutrition boost and a soft, chewy texture - chickpeas! They're the perfect nutritious fall snack or breakfast for babies and toddlers, and naturally vegan and gluten-free.
This post has been written and medically reviewed by Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RDN (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist).
Healthy Pumpkin Chickpea Cookies
These soft, chewy, lightly sweet pumpkin cookies are a nutritious fall treat your little ones will love - and you'll feel good about giving them! They're made with healthy ingredients like pumpkin puree, chickpeas, and oats, and sweetened only with banana, so they are truly healthy, unlike most packaged snacks. For little ones with allergies, they're also naturally vegan and gluten-free.
These pumpkin cookies are the perfect soft texture for littles of all ages, even baby led weaning babies as young as 6 months old. Add a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips for toddlers and you're in for a sure win!
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Ingredients
- Over ripe banana - Browner bananas provide more sweetness. Since the banana is the sole source of sweetness in these cookies, you want a really brown banana!
- Pumpkin puree - canned or homemade.
- Chickpeas - drained and rinsed if using canned. Look for no added salt chickpeas for babies.
- Rolled oats - also called old fashioned oats, look for certified gluten-free if necessary.
- Vanilla
- Baking powder - look for aluminum free.
- Cinnamon & pumpkin pie spice
Helpful equipment: mini food processor, small cookie scoop, baking sheet with silicone baking mat or parchment
My Favorite Food Processor
This mini food processor is one of my most used and most loved kitchen tools! It's a must-have for making recipes like this a breeze!
Step By Step Instructions
For the full printable recipe, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Add all ingredients to a food processor (I love this mini food processor!) and pulse until a smooth dough forms. Stop to scrape down the sides with a spatula if needed.
- Scoop the dough using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop onto a lined baking sheet and use wet hands to press into cookie shapes (they won't spread in the oven).
- Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, then cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes.
Tips and Recipe Variations
- These cookies are not super sweet. For more sweetness for little ones over 12 months (or ideally over 2 years), add a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips to the dough after blending. You could also add a drizzle of pure maple syrup or a touch of brown sugar to the dough.
- I like to drizzle the tops with a mixture of plain Greek yogurt with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a splash of vanilla for sugar free decoration. If you want the 'icing' to be sweet, add a little maple syrup.
- The dough tends to be sticky. Using wet hands when handling it will help to keep the dough from sticking to you.
Storage and Reheating
Store cookies in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. To reheat, pop one in the microwave for 15-30 seconds, or warm in the air fryer or toaster oven on the lowest setting. You can also reheat in the oven at 350°F for a few minutes.
How To Serve Pumpkin Cookies To Babies 6 Months and Up
These cookies are the perfect soft texture for baby led weaning babies and babies in the finger food stage! Offer them whole, so that baby can grasp them with a fist and bring them to his mouth. Once your little one has a pincer grasp down, feel free to cut them into small bites if you'd like.
More Healthy Cookie Recipes for Baby
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No Sugar Pumpkin Chickpea Cookies Recipe for Baby and Toddler
These healthy pumpkin cookies are sweetened only with fruit and made with a secret ingredient that gives them a nutrition boost and a soft, chewy texture - chickpeas! They're the perfect nutritious fall snack or breakfast for babies and toddlers, and naturally vegan and gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 10 cookies 1x
- Category: snack
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: baby/toddler
Ingredients
- 1 medium over ripe (brown) banana
- ½ cup pumpkin puree, canned or homemade
- 1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ⅔ cup rolled oats
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- optional: mini chocolate chips (for toddlers and older)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides with a spatula if needed.
- If using, stir in mini chocolate chips.
- Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop the dough into balls. Use wet hands to roll and press the dough into cookies and place them on the cookie sheet, spaced at least 1 inch apart. The cookies won't spread, so flatten them into the shape you want.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before removing.
- Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- If you like, you can drizzle the cookies with a 'glaze' of plain Greek yogurt mixed with a bit of cinnamon and vanilla. Add a bit of maple syrup for older kiddos.
- Since the banana provides the only sweetness in these cookies, you want a really over ripe banana. Browner = sweeter = better.
- Look for certified gluten-free oats if needed.
- I like to use no added salt chickpeas and aluminum free baking powder for little ones.
- The dough is sticky. Using wet hands when forming the cookies will help keep the dough from sticking to you.
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