Allergen-free Halloween treats

Halloween treats that satisfy your sweet tooth and have allergen-free ingredients can be tricky to find. Here are three recipes for goodies that hopefully will leave you feeling satisfied, not deprived.

Egg and Dairy-free Pumpkin Cookies

1 cup brown sugar, packed; 1 cup pumpkin puree; 1 cup raisins
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla; 1 tsp. baking power; 1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups flour
½ tsp. salt; ½ tsp. cinnamon; ½ tsp. nutmeg
½ cup chopped nuts (optional)

Mix together the brown sugar, pumpkin, vegetable oil and vanilla in a large bowl. Combine the flour, soda, baking powder, salt and spices in a smaller bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture. Stir in raisins and nuts. Drop the mixture by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lightly coated with pan spray. Bake 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Wheat, Dairy, Egg-free Pumpkin Cookies

½ cup vegetable oil; 1/3 cup honey or sweetener
1 cup pumpkin puree; 1 1/3 cup light buckwheat flour
2 tablespoons arrowroot flour; 2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon; ½ tsp. each nutmeg and ginger
¼ tsp. each cloves and salt; ½ cup chopped nuts (optional)
½ cup coconut (optional)

Mix oil, honey and pumpkin in a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add nuts and coconut, if desired. Place teaspoonfuls of the mixture on a cookie sheet, greased or coated with pan spray. Flatten the cookies slightly and add raisins for eyes, nose and mouth to make them look like jack-o’-lanterns. Bake about eight minutes at 350 degrees.

Spicy Pumpkin Muffins (Egg, Dairy and Wheat-free)

1 ¾ cup amaranth flour; ¼ cup arrowroot
2 tsp. baking soda; 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. powdered ginger; ¼ tsp. each nutmeg and ground cloves
½ cup raisins or chopped nuts (optional)
¼ cup ground nuts (optional)
1 cup pumpkin puree; ¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup honey; 1/3 cup water

Mix the flour, arrowroot, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves into a large bowl. Sir in the raisins or chopped nuts and ground nuts. Whisk the pumpkin, oil, honey and water together in a small bowl. Pour into the flour bowl. Mix with a few swift strokes. If needed, add a tablespoon or so of additional water. Do not over mix. Divide batter among 12 muffin cups. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-29 minutes, or until the centers of the muffins feel firm.