Photograph by Liza Schoenfein

Today’s the day to get your black and orange on — and that includes food.

You want to be festive, but you may not want to overindulge completely. Get ready to kill two birds with one two-toned stone. Well, at least with one two-toned cookie.

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I give you my recipe for vegan, gluten-free and sugar-free black-and-orange cookies. While they may sound dry (pun intended), the coconut-based frosting lends a satisfying sweetness to the whole-grain-based cookie.

These treats are also versatile. Where I used soy milk, feel free to substitute your favorite nut milk. For the sweetener, I went with blackstrap molasses, but maple syrup or agave nectar would work as well. If you’re looking for a lighter-colored cookie, opt for light agave.

There’s also some flexibility in your choice of flour. You can use a pre-mixed gluten-free flour (Bob’s Red Mill makes a good one), or else combine arrowroot starch with millet or amaranth flour — two of my favorites, both for their fluffy consistencies and their health benefits. If you’re blending millet flour yourself, just be sure to blend until the millet becomes a fine powder. This will keep the cookies from being grainy.

And my Nana says Halloween is for pagans…

Related

Hadas Margulies is a holistic health coach and a former Forward food intern. Follow her on Instagram, @holistichomie

Black-and-Orange Cookies

Wet Ingredients

½ cup soy milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 cup coconut oil
1/8 cup almond butter
¼ cup blackstrap molasses, maple syrup or agave
1/8 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Dry Ingredients

2 1/4 cups gluten free baking mix or ¼ arrowroot starch and 2 cups millet flour
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons flaxseed powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoons salt

For the frosting

3 tablespoons coconut butter
1 tablespoon agave
2 teaspoons coconut oil

For the orange:

Add 1 tablespoon carrot juice

For the black:

Add one tablespoon cacao powder

1) Preheat oven to 350˚ F.

2) Mix dry and wet ingredients separately before mixing together well.

3) Make 10 to 12 round and slightly flattened cookie balls. Bake on a lined baking sheet for 10 minutes.

4) Mix the black and orange frostings separately in two separate bowls.

5) Once the cookies have cooled, spread each colored frosting on half the cookie with an offset spatula or butter knife.

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