Carrot Cake Cookies

These Easy Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies are going to put a spring in your step! This simple recipe takes minutes and the results will melt in your mouth. If you're looking for a batch of cookies to make for the winter/spring holidays (Easter, Mother's Day, Christmas, and more) or for any other special occasion, this family-friendly recipe is worth a try! Everyone in your home will love these carrot cake cookies and no one will guess they're both vegan and gluten-free friendly!

Carrot Cake Cookie Ingredients

• Carrots: Grated carrots are essential in any carrot cake recipe. They are a delicious and healthy way to add flavor and texture to these vegan carrot cake cookies.
• Butter: To keep these carrot cake cookies vegan-friendly, we use melted vegan butter in this recipe. If you are not vegan or dairy-free, feel free to use regular butter. Melted coconut oil is another healthy alternative to vegan butter.
• Flax Eggs: To keep these carrot cake cookies vegan and healthy-ish, we use flax eggs instead of regular eggs to bind the cookie dough together. Flax eggs are made by mixing flax seed meal and warm water together. This will create a gel-like texture that is perfect for binding together our cookie dough. Flax seed meal is also full of fiber, healthy fats, and makes our cookies more filling!
• Milk: To keep these carrot cake cookies vegan, we use non-dairy milk such as almond milk or oat milk. If you are not vegan or dairy-free, feel free to use regular 1% milk, 2% milk, or whole milk.
• Vanilla: Vanilla extract adds flavor to our cookies.
• Baking Powder: Baking powder to give these cookies a little lift!
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar cuts some of the sweetness in our cookies and gives them that classic carrot cake flavor.
• Spices: We use a blend of carrot cake spices to flavor our cookies. You will need cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
• Brown Sugar: We recommend using organic brown sugar, coconut sugar, or purecane sugar free substitute in this recipe. You can also use organic cane sugar. Thank you to our sponsor, purecane, for helping us create these delicious vegan carrot cake cookies!
• Flour: Feel free to use regular all-purpose flour or gluten-free all purpose flour. To make these a little healthier, you can use oat flour.

For The Cream Cheese Frosting

• Powdered Sugar: Use regular powdered sugar or purecane powdered sugar substitute.
• Cream Cheese: Use vegan cream cheese or regular cream cheese.
• Butter: Use softened vegan butter or regular butter.

How To Make Carrot Cake Cookies

Step 1: Preheat the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Grate your carrots into a medium sized mixing bowl.

Step 2: Prepare your flax eggs by mixing warm water and flax seed meal together. Set aside until a thick gel forms (about 2 minutes).

Step 3: Mix the grated carrots, sugar, melted vegan butter, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, flax eggs, baking powder, and spices together. Add the flour and mix until a thick cookie dough is formed.

Step 4: Use a spoon to scoop the carrot cake cookie dough onto the lined baking sheet. Gently use your hands to form them into balls.

Step 5: Bake the carrot cake cookies in the oven until they are golden. While they bake, use an electric hand mixer or whisk to mix the vegan cream cheese frosting. Set aside. Allow the cookies to cool on a wire cookie rack before frosting and serving warm.

Frequently Asked Questions

The recipes on Peanut Butter and Jilly can easily be adapted to fit a vegan lifestyle, a gluten-free lifestyle, or both depending on the ingredients you use. Please review the ingredients lists carefully and refer to our recommendations in the Notes of the recipe card to make this recipe compatible with your needs. Nutrition information provided is an estimate, and will vary based on specific brands of ingredients used and cooking methods.