Try these easy kabocha squash cookies if you want a Japanese kabocha recipe. It's so crunchy and tasty that you can't stop eating it!
When it comes to fall, kabocha is the best vegetable.
Steam kabocha, mash it, and mix in a cookie dough, then bake. Most of my recipes are simple and easy, and these kabocha cookies are also.
- This recipe is for you, if you
- love pumpkin or kabocha squash
- want to know Japanese kabocha dessert recipe
- want to learn how to make kabocha cookies
You are not familiar with kabocha? That's ok, I will show you how to prepare it here.
Let me walk you through the ingredients and how to make them with step-by-step instructions.
Let's get started!
Jump to:
About this Recipe
- Japanese kabocha (pumpkin) recipe
- Vegan cookies
- Baking time : 20 minutes
Kabocha Squash (Japanese pumpkin)
Kabocha is a Japanese pumpkin which skin is green, and the inside is a beautiful orange. The best season is fall and winter.
It's heavy, and the skin is hard. Once you cook it, it's starchy and naturally sweet.
Kabocha contains beta-carotene, vitamin, dietary fiber, and calcium. It's a nutrient-rich vegetable.
It is good for improving your immune system and also prevents you from getting sick so we eat a lot in the cold season.
How do you cut kabocha?
Kabocha skin is hard, but it’s not difficult to cut. Watch this video and get some tips.
If you want to learn more about kabocha (how to pick, and how to store), please check the recipe below.
ReferenceVegan Kabocha Squash(Pumpkin) Muffins
📋 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients (amounts are in the recipe card below).
- Kabocha: We will steam it. I usually eat kabocha skin but I will remove it because I don't want that green color in my cookies.
- Sugar: Since beet sugar's GI value is lower than white sugar, I usually use it or cane sugar for desserts and cooking.
- Oil: I use this Taihaku sesame oil, which is squeezed raw and has no fragrant aroma like regular sesame oil (squeezed after roasting). You can use other types of oil which don't have a strong smell.
- Salt: Sea salt contains more minerals than table salt and has a mild taste so I use it all the time.
- Flour You can use cake flour, all-purpose flour or pastry flour.
- Almond Flour: I use blanched almond flour. Unbleached almond flour is fine but may give too much almond flavor.
- Pumpkin seeds: This is for topping so if you don't have it, you can skip it.
- Vanilla extract: is to add nice aroma.
🔪Instructions
All right, you have all the ingredients now? Let's make it! Please watch how to make it in this video also!
Firstly preheat an oven to 160C/320F.
- Steam kabocha: Cut kabocha into small pieces and steam them in a pot for about 10mins. When it's done, check if it's cooked through with a skewer. (The amount in the photo is ¼ kabocha but we only use 1 or 2 pieces of kabocha for this cookie recipe. )
- Mash kabocha: Remove the skin (because I don't want that green color in my cookies), put them in a bowl, and mash.
- Wet ingredients: Put sugar, oil, vanilla extract, salt in the bowl and blend until smooth.
- Dry ingredients: Add flour and almond flour, and stir to make a dough. You can use your hand to put it together.
- Cut out: Roll out the dough, cut into shapes with a cookie cutter(I use 3.5cm and 6cm cookie cutters).
- Bake: Top with pumpkin seeds, and bake for 20 minutes at 160C/320F.
There you go! It looks cute, doesn't it? Let them cool down, and enjoy these crunchy cookies!
Let them cool on a cooling rack for a while, and then transfer to a container. Store for about a week at room temperature.
Thanks For Stopping By!
If you love Japanese kabocha, you will enjoy this cookie for sure.
Have a nice break time with these yummy snacks!
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog♡. If you’ve tried this recipe (or any other recipe on the blog), please give it a star rating below!
Also, feel free to leave comments if you have any questions. I love hearing from you!
Chef JA Cooks is a Japanese food blog that shares simple and healthy Japanese home cooking recipes include vegan and vegetarian. From traditional Japanese recipes to modern recipes with step-by-step instructions.
More Kabocha Squash (Japanese Pumpkin) Recipes You Might Like
- Veggie Quinoa Salad
- Lotus Root, Pumpkin and Hijiki Salad
- Pumpkin Miso Soup
- Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
- Kabocha Dango
📖 Recipe
Japanese Kabocha Squash Cookies (Vegan)
Print Pin SaveIngredients
- ¼ c Steamed kabocha, without skin (30g)
Wet Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon Sugar, 40g/60ml
- 3½ tablespoon Oil, 50g/53ml
- a pinch of Salt
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Dry Ingredients
- ¾ c All-purpose flour or Cake flour, 100g/185ml
- 1 c Almond Flour, 100g/230ml
- Pumpkin seeds for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven: 160C/320F.
- Steam kabocha: Cut kabocha into small pieces and steam them in a pot for about 10mins.
- Mash kabocha: Remove the skin, put them in a bowl, and mash.
- Wet ingredients: Put A ingredients in the bowl and blend.
- Dry ingredients: Add B ingredients, stir, and make a dough.
- Cut out: Roll out the dough, cut into shapes with a cookie cutter, and top with pumpkin seeds.
- Bake: Bake for 20 minutes at 160C/320F.
Video
Notes
- I use 3.5cm and 6cm cookie cutters.
- Place a silicone mat to make cookies more crispy.
- You can also boil or microwave kabocha instead of steaming.
Caroline
Hello Juri,
Thank you for your delicate and tasty recipe and beautiful website. I made your biscuits tonight once my children were asleep. It is such an easy recipe. I had to add about 1/2 cup more of almond flour (I used superfine), & perhaps I should have used more AP flour as well… I’m unsure of why but perhaps because of the weather at present (rain & freezing rain). I did like the delicate flavour and I am certain my children will also.
Thank you!
Caroline
JURI
Hi Caroline, Thanks for your nice comment! I'm not sure what happened to your cookies and sorry to hear that you had to tweak the amount... I'm going to improve this recipe. Anyway thanks for letting me know!!
JURI
Hi Erin, sorry about your cookies. I just add US unit button. Flour conversion doesn't seem right but others should be ok. Hope you can try the recipe again and works good!
Connie ponce
hi, am allergic to almonds... what can i substitute it?
JURI
Hi, It won't be as crunchy as almond flour, but you can substitute it with corn starch or regular flour. If you are not allergic to other nuts flour, such as cashew nut flour or hazelnut flour, you can also use them. I hope it helps!