Santa gets cookies, the Easter Bunny deserves some too! So why not some Carrot Cake Cookies? Sounds perfect to me! Made with gluten-free oats and almond butter, these hold together great without the flour. Ideal for a healthier Easter treat!

When trying to think of a dessert for Easter, I always think of carrot cake. However, I know there are numerous carrot cake recipes out there — I’m sure even vegan, gluten-free ones. I know because we made one last year! So I started trying to think of a carrot cake with a twist, and I came up with these flourless cookies. Yum!

My absolute favorite peanut butter cookies are flourless. They’re a little bit crumbly, but without the flour diluting them down they have amazing flavor! I decided almond butter may be mild enough and have the right flavor to sneak into a carrot cake recipe without without them being a “nut butter” cookie. The oats I added make this even more possible. Adding the oats gave it a hold-together kind of balance, allowing me to add less of the nut butter, and they weren’t crumbly the least bit!

Back when I was strict on the low-carb thing (before I went vegan), I tried hard to stay away from oats, but everything I read about them has positive feedback. Making me believe they’re beneficial for our health.

When choosing what to use as the “egg” in these I went with applesauce, because I thought it would work with the already existing flavors. That gives me almond butter, oatmeal, applesauce, cinnamon (of course), a little vanilla, baking powder is needed, CARROTS, maple and coconut sugar for the sweeteners, a pinch of salt, and raisins and nuts (I used walnuts, but pecans would also be great) stirred in at the end. I don’t know about your home, but in my gluten-free/vegan kitchen, those are all staples that I always have on hand! Perfect!

So once I knew all I was putting in these, I had to get the amounts just right. I did three batches to find the best mix, and also put together the cream cheese frosting, which I got perfect on the first try. That was easy! Vegan cream cheese, more maple, plant-based milk, and a tiny bit vanilla.

I saved the recipe which was spot on, and made them again a couple days later to double check. They were moist and delicious! I brought a bunch to the gym and passed them out after class. Carrot Cake Cookies are now vegan made and omni approved (Not to brag but it’s several days later and they’re still talking about them!)

Making these were really easy. I set aside the carrots, raisins, and walnuts, then threw everything else in the bowl of my Kitchen Aide and mixed until smooth. You of course could always use a regular, hand held mixer, or mix by hand, so long as you stir for long enough to ensure all ingredients are well dispersed.

Next, I mixed in the carrots, and then turned off the mixer. Using a spoon, I finished by stirring in the raisins and chopped nuts. My first batch of cookies I only used a quarter cup of raisins, but for me that wasn’t quite enough. My next batch I used a half a cup, which I thought was too much, LOL. So for the last batch I used a quarter cup, plus two tablespoons, which is right between the two measurements, and it was perfect. I’m leaving it up to you. Are you fruity, or not so much?

I scooped rounded teaspoons of the cookie mixture onto parchment-lined baking sheets. After dropping down each ball of dough, I flattened the cookie out using the back of the spoon. My dough made exactly two dozen cookies.

The cookies baked at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 to 14 minutes. While they baked I mixed up my icing. The first time I made the icing I used my immersion blender with the whisk attachment, and it worked just fine. The second time it had lumps and I need to change out the whisk for the blade attachment. For that reason, I suggest using your food processor. Otherwise, you may need to whisk/mix for a long time.

After removing the cookies from the oven, let them chill for about five to 10 minutes, and then you can drizzle on the icing. You can use a pastry bag, try a squirt bottle, simply drizzle with a spoon, or do what I did, which was add the icing to a sandwich baggie and cut out the corner.

Carrot cake goodness in cookie form! How convenient is that?! Do you love my cookies like my gym fam did? Leave a comment below, and make sure to take a pic and tag me on Instagram, @veggiesattiffanis!

Print Carrot Cake Cookie - Flourless Made with gluten-free oats and almond butter, these hold together great without the flour. Ideal for a healthier Easter treat! Servings 2 dozen Ingredients For the cookies... 1 1/2 cup gluten-free quick oats (or regular quick oats if gluten's not an issue)

1/2 cup creamy almond butter, not sweetened

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup 100% pure maple syrup

1/4 cup coconut sugar

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

pinch sea salt omit if almond butter is salted

1/2 cup grated carrots (about 1 medium carrot)

1/4 - 1/2 cup raisins, depending on how sweet you are. I use 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbls

1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans For the icing... 1/4 cup vegan cream cheese (I used Daiya)

2 Tbsp 100% pure maple syrup

2 Tbsp non-dairy milk (I used cashew)

1/4 tsp vanilla extract Instructions Preheat oven to 350°F.

Add everything but the last 3 cookie ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix until completely combined. Use an electric mixer, or if stirring by hand stir very well.

Add grated carrots, mix until well combined.

Add raisins and nuts. Stir with a wooden spoon.

Line two large baking sheet with parchment paper. Make cookies the size of rounded teaspoons onto the parchment paper. Flatten each ball of cookie dough with the back of a spoon so each are cookie shaped.

Bake for 12 - 14 minutes. Check sooner (8 or 10 minutes) if using a dark cookie sheet.

While the cookies bake, make your icing. Using the food processor or an immersion blender with the blade attachment, mix icing ingredients until smooth. Can use an electric mixer instead, but may take a while to remove all lumps, depending on your cream cheese.

Let cookies cool for about 5 - 10 minutes. Drizzle icing onto your cookies using either a pastry bag, a plastic sandwich bag (just cut out a corner to squeeze the icing through), or a spoon. Store left over cookies in refrigerator, if iced.

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