Healthy carrot cake oatmeal cookies made with oats, oat flour, grated carrots, and natural sweeteners. A delicious, wholesome treat with all the flavors of traditional carrot cake, but much easier and made with better-for-you ingredients.
Craving carrot cake, but want something this is on the healthier side? Well, then you are in for a treat with these clean eating carrot cake cookies.
These carrot cake oatmeal cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with wholesome goodness. They also have an option for an easy dairy free/refined sugar free coconut butter glaze (but if you're feeling sassy, you can definitely use a classic cream cheese frosting... no judging here😉) .
Looking for more spring inspired treats? Then try my carrot cake energy balls, vegan fruit tarts, or almond flour blueberry bread.
Reasons to Love These Cookies
- Gluten free and dairy free - All ingredients are gluten and dairy-free friendly.
- Naturally sweetened - Just like my oat flour cookies, these carrot cake oatmeal cookies are sweetened with just a little bit of coconut sugar.
- Easy to make - You still get all the irresistible cozy flavors of carrot cake, but in an easy to make cookie form. These cookies take just 20 minutes to get in the oven.
- Soft cake-like texture - These cookies have a soft and chewy texture - like a cake and cookie in one!
Ingredient Notes
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below. Here are some specific notes to help with selecting ingredients.
- Oat flour - I prefer making my own oat flour, but you can definitely use store-bought. If making for someone with Celiac, or gluten sensitivity, be sure to use certified gluten-free oat flour as oats can become contaminated with gluten during processing.
- Old-fashioned oats - Use rolled oats/old-fashioned oats and not quick cooking. And, like oat flour, be sure to use certified gluten-free oats, if needed. Oats can become contaminated with gluten during processing.
- Grated carrots - Use freshly grated carrots and not the pre-shredded kind. Freshly grated carrots add some moisture as well as bake into the cookies better.
- Coconut oil - Unrefined, or refined, coconut oil can be used.
Clean food tips: I highly recommend organic oats & oat flour. Like most grains, oats are sprayed with glyphosate (an herbicide that’s been linked to increased cancer risk and potential hormone disruptor) prior to being harvested.
Typically, unrefined coconut oil is the cleanest option as it's less processed, however there are some companies, like Nutiva, that use natural processing for their refined oils.
Recipe Substitutions & Add-Ins
For my non gluten-free friends, you can sub the oat flour for a wheat flour, like Einkorn or organic whole wheat flour.
If you aren't dairy free, melted butter can be used instead of coconut oil.
Shredded coconut is a classic pairing with carrot cake - try adding ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut in with the dry ingredients.
For a nutty crunch, you can add ⅓ cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
⅓ cup raisins or chopped dates would also be a lovely addition.
How to Make
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients together in a small mixing bowl.
Step 2: In a separate, larger bowl, mix together the wet ingredients, including the grated carrots.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
Step 4: Using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a prepared cookie sheet.
Step 5: Bake at 350-degrees F for 9-11 minutes.
Step 6: Add the optional coconut butter glaze/frosting.
Tips for the Best Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies
Allow the dough to set for 15 minutes before scooping onto cookie sheet. Because of the lack of gluten in oat flour, oat flour can be trickier to bake with in cookies. Allowing the dough to sit helps to bind the ingredients and will result in a better texture.
Use freshly grated carrots. Freshly grated carrots provide more moisture and bake up best in these cookies. Trust me, pre-shredded carrots won't work the same.
Allow cookies to cool on pan before removing. These cookies are fragile when they are fresh from the oven - let them cool slightly before removing from pan.
Measure the oat flour correctly. Scoop the oat flour into the measuring cup and level with a knife. If you pack in the oat flour, you will end up with too much flour and you're cookies will be dry.
Recipe FAQs
You don't need to, but peeling them first gives a smoother texture and sweeter flavor.
As I always say, the term "healthy" is very subjective. These cookies are a much "healthier" option than traditional carrot cake cookies as they are made with whole grains and are naturally and minimally sweetened.
You can, but they won't be as hearty. I don't recommend quick cooking oats, but they can be used.
Storage Instructions
These carrot cake oatmeal cookies are best within the first 48 hours.
That said, they will stay fresh when stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days.
They also freeze great. To freeze, place in a freezer safe container and separate the cookies using parchment paper. These can be frozen for up to 3 months.
More Cookie Recipes to Try!
If you make this recipe, please let me know what you think! I would so appreciate you leaving a star rating and/or comment below. And don't forget to share a photo on Instagram or Facebook and mention @CleanPlateMama!
Eat Clean.Be Well!
-Sara
Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies
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Equipment
- 2 mixing bowls
- 1 cookie sheet
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 cup old-fashioned/rolled oats (certified gluten free, if needed)
- 1 cup oat flour (certified gluten free, if needed)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. fine sea salt
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup freshly grated carrots
For the Coconut Butter Glaze (optional)
- ½ cup coconut butter
- 3 tbsp. pure maple syrup
- almond milk, to thin (any non-dairy milk can be used)
Instructions
For the Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or a silicone baking mat, and set aside.
- In a small/medium sized mixing bowl, combine the oats, oat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, coconut oil, egg, and vanilla extract. Then mix in the shredded carrots.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix until fully combined. Allow mixed dough to sit for 10 minutes before scooping onto the baking sheet (see notes).
- Using a 2 tablespoon spring-loaded cookie scoop, drop dough onto the prepared cookie sheet. The dough will still be a little wet, so feel free to use your fingers to help keep a round shape in the dough balls.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are lightly brown and the centers are set. Allow to cool slightly on baking sheet and then transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool completely.
For the Coconut Butter Glaze
- In a microwave safe dish, microwave the coconut butter until soft/just slightly melted. This should only take 15, or so, seconds.
- Stir the soften coconut butter until smooth and then mix in the maple syrup - this will thicken the glaze. Add non-dairy milk, 1 tsp. at a time, until it's thin enough to spread/drizzle over cookies (I like mine to be on the thicker side).
- You can either drizzle with a spoon, or add using a piping bag or plastic baggie. Glaze will harden as it sets.
Notes
- Let your dough chill for 10–15 minutes —it gives the oats and oat flour time to soak up moisture so your cookies come out nice and chewy and don't spread too much.
- Feel free to use a classic cream cheese frosting on these cookies too - the cookies are soft, so just be careful when frosting them (use a piping bag/plastic bag to help).
- Here is the coconut butter that I use.
- Nutritional information does not include the optional glaze.
Nutrition
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