Ever since my children were small, I always tried to make a home-made treat on Halloween. They were inundated with junky treats at school and trick-or-treating so I wanted to find some healthier alternatives to offer. Here’s a favorite you may want to try:

Ingredients:
•3/4 cups pumpkin puree (about 1/2 of a 15-oz can)
2 omega 3 eggs beaten
•3 T. olive oil or melted coconut oil
•4 T. Lakanto, coconut sugar; or coconut nectar
•2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
•2/3 cups almond meal
•1/3 cup finely shredded, unsweetened coconut
•1/2 t. cinnamon (or, use pumpkin pie spice)
•1/4 t. ginger
•1/2 t. sea salt
•1 t. baking powder (aluminum free)
•1 cup dark chocolate chips or dried cranberries or any dried fruit or chopped nut you like

Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
2. In a blender, food processor or with a mixer, combine the pumpkin puree, eggs, olive or coconut oil and sweetener of your choice until creamy. Set aside.
3. In a medium-large mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, almond meal, coconut, cinnamon, ginger, sea salt and baking powder until well combined. Stir in the pumpkin mixture until combined. Fold in the dark chocolate chips and/or dried cranberries and any nuts you choose to use.
4. Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto your prepared baking sheet and bake on the top rack for about 13-15 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes about 36 cookies.

If you use coconut sugar or nectar you have a lower glycemic sweetener; Lakanto of course is a natural calorie and sugar free sweetener; pumpkin itself is loaded with beta carotene; the oats add fiber and the cinnamon, whether by itself or in the pumpkin pie spice, is a powerful blood sugar balancer. Enjoy!