Classic carrot cake flavors in a new vehicle: soft and chewy oatmeal cookies. Delicious and totally guilt-free. Vegan. Gluten free. Oil free. Can also be made nut free.
As a kid, I tended to gravitate towards alllllll things chocolate. Devil’s chocolate. Dark chocolate. Milk chocolate. Flourless chocolate tortes. Chocolate chip cookies. Double chocolate chip cookies. Brownies. You name it.
It wasn’t until my mid twenties that I actually started straying from the chocolate path and started appreciating other flavors and desserts like cheesecake, fruit tarts, tiramisu and more. One of my absolute favorite flavors that I grew into is carrot cake. There is something so cozy and satisfying about warm cinnamon paired with nutmeg and the gentle sweetness of carrots, so vastly different from a dense and rich chocolate cake.
I wanted to make a cookie form, less dense than cake and in a bite size form (less messy for my toddlers!). I also really wanted to make a recipe that I did not have to feel guilty about. So many cookies are loaded with tons of refined sugar, refined flours, dairy and oils.
These soft and chewy oatmeal cookies are totally vegan, oil free, refined sugar free, gluten free and can also be made nut free too! They’re a blend of classic carrot cake flavors like carrots, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla, all in a bite sized-guilt free cookes that take less than 30 minutes to make!
For tree nut allergies, see my recipe notes below for substitutions.
Oatmeal Carrot Cake Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 3/4 cup oat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup plant milk
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 6 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 flax eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup softened carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- 1/4 cup raisins
Notes
- To make your own oat flour, simply grind up oats in a blender or food processor.
- If allergic to tree nuts, can sub with peanut butter or a seed butter like sunflowers seed butter or tahini. Also, omit pecans and walnuts
- Regular sugar can be used in place of coconut sugar.
- To make one flax egg, combine 1 tablespoon ground flax meal with 2 tbsps water. Let sit 5-10 minutes.
- Carrots can be softened in the microwave, boiled or steamed. I prefer chopped carrots but for picky toddlers, you can grind down in a food processor or nutribullet/ninja. Pureeing may change the texture of the mix. If too runny, add 1 tablespoon of oat flour at a time to thicken it.
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