Healthy Carrot Cake Cookies
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Carrot cake meets oatmeal cookies in these healthy but delicious cookies that are vegan, gluten-free, naturally sweetened & drizzled with a high-protein cream cheese frosting.
If I’m honest, I can’t get enough carrot cake this time of year. These Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies are a fun twist on carrot cake. They still have all of those delicious carrot cake flavors we know and love, but are made with healthier ingredients that are vegan, gluten free, refined sugar-free and oil-free. The “oatmeal” part of this recipe pairs so perfectly with the carrot cake flavors to create a delicious cookie you’re sure to love!
The texture of these cookies is spot on. Soft and tender on the inside with a slight crisp around the edges. If you’re a carrot cake fan, you will love these cookies!
Of course, cream cheese frosting is a must when it comes to carrot cake. I made a simple cream cheese frosting with vanilla protein powder to add some extra protein into these cookies and drizzled it on top. Divine!
What Makes These Cookies Healthy?
- Loaded with veggies (and fruits!) – these cookies are made with a full cup of shredded carrots, plus some applesauce to add moisture without using oil! Yup, this recipe is oil-free, too.
- Nutrient-rich flours – this recipe uses rolled oats and almond flour as the base which are great sources of fiber, healthy fats and keep this recipe gluten-free.
- Naturally sweetened – these cookies are refined sugar-free and naturally sweetened with maple syrup.
- Simple, wholesome ingredients – instead of using a real egg, we’re using a flax egg which is rich in protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids. Vegan approved! Chopped walnuts add some crunch and extra nutrients as well.
Ingredients Needed
- Carrots – what’s a carrot cake without carrots?
- Rolled Oats – for the “oatmeal” part of the cookie.
- Almond Flour – the first grain-free flour in the cookies that’s high in nutrients and fiber.
- Applesauce – I promise you can’t taste it at all. The applesauce adds natural sweetness, moisture and helps bind the cookies without the need for oil.
- Maple Syrup – the all natural sweetener in this recipe.
- Flaxseed Meal – to create a flax egg to help bind the cookies together.
- Baking Powder – to add a soft and fluffy texture to the cookies.
- Vanilla Extract – to add a depth of flavor
- Spices – cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- Walnuts – notorious for pairing perfectly with carrot cake.
- Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting – to make the frosting, you’ll need vanilla protein powder (I love to use Truvani’s vanilla protein powder. Shop with my discount code: BOOBOO), maple syrup and non-dairy milk.
How To Make Healthy Carrot Cake Cookies
It doesn’t get any easier than this…
Step 1: Add all of the ingredients to a bowl (except for the carrots) and mix to combine. Fold in the carrots.
Step 2: Scoop the mixture out using a cookie scoop and place onto a lined baking sheet.
Step 3: Bake at 350ºF for 18-20 minutes (mine are usually perfect at the 18 minute mark). Once they’re done baking, let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. This is a crucial step since the cookies are made with almond flour, they need to set properly. Then, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool for another 5 minutes.
Step 4: Make the cream cheese frosting by beating the 4 ingredients together using a handheld mixer. Add the frosting to a piping bag or ziplock bag with the corner cut out. Once the cookies have cooled, drizzle the frosting on top. Enjoy!
More Carrot Cake Recipes
Healthy Carrot Cake Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 flax egg 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 2 ½ tbsp water
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup almond flour blanched
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup shredded carrots
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 tablespoons vegan cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons vanilla protein powder
- 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the flax egg by adding the flaxseed meal and water to a small bowl and let it gel for 5 minutes.
- Add the flax egg, maple syrup, applesauce, vanilla extract, rolled oats, almond flour, chopped walnuts cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and salt to a mixing bowl. Mix until combined.
- Fold in the shredded carrots.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the dough and place on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges (mine are usually perfect at the 18 minute mark). Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Add all of the frosting ingredients to a bowl and cream together using a hand mixer until combined. Add the frosting to a piping bag or ziplock bag with the corner cut out and pipe zig-zags on the cookies.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an approximation.
