These carrot oatmeal cookies have everything you want in a treat or snack-soft texture, warm spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger!) and just the right amount of sweetness.
Let's talk about carrot oatmeal cookies-because sometimes, you want a treat that feels a little indulgent but also lets you pretend you're making responsible life choices. They have oats for heartiness, carrots for that "I'm practically eating a salad" energy, and maple syrup for natural sweetness.
But don't be fooled-this isn't just some sad good-for-you cookie masquerading as dessert. These little beauties are soft, lightly spiced, and just the right amount of chewy.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Oats: Use old-fashioned oats.
- Flour: This was tested using Gold Medal whole wheat flour. Also needed are baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Spices: Ground cinnamon, ground or freshly grated nutmeg and ground ginger.
- Egg: One large egg.
- Carrots: Peel and grate carrots on the largest holes of a box grater. I don't recommend using store-bought shredded carrots. They pieces tend to be too thick for this recipe and have a tendency to dry out.
- Maple syrup: Use pure maple syrup, not corn syrup-based syrup.
- Applesauce: Unsweetened applesauce works as a substitute for oil.
- Vanilla: Use pure vanilla extract.
- Optional: If you like, add ⅓ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, or ⅓ cup golden raisins.
How to make carrot oatmeal cookies
⭐️ See full recipe card below. ⭐️
- Combine all of the dry ingredients (oats, flour, etc.) In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and add the rest of the wet ingredients.
- Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Stir in the grated carrots. If you like, add in some chopped nuts or raisins.
- Using a medium cookie scoop (1 ½ tablespoon scoop - I use this one), scoop half of the cookies onto a prepared baking sheet. Press in any loose ingredients with your fingers, then lightly press each cookie down with the back of a measuring cup.
- Bake until the cookies are firm on top. Cool on a rack. Repeat with the other half of the cookies. Serve or store in the refrigerator.
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Storage
IN THE FRIDGE: Once the cookies are cool, transfer them to an airtight container. This one fits the whole batch perfectly! Store the cookies in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
IN THE FREEZER: These cookies freeze beautifully! Cool the cookies completely to avoid freezer burn from excess moisture.
Next, flash-freeze them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 1 hour. Peel them off of the parchment paper and transfer to a ziplock freezer bag or a freezer-safe airtight container. Arrange them in layers, separated by wax paper or parchment paper. Freeze for up to 3 months.
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Carrot Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (lightly packed) grated carrots
- Chopped nuts or golden raisins optional (See Note below)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Set the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk to combine the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg. Add the maple syrup, applesauce and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the oat mixture into the egg mixture. Fold with a rubber spatula to combine, until the oats and flour are throughly moistened. Add the grated carrots and stir to combine.
- The cookies are baked in two batches, 10-11 cookies per batch. Use 1 ½ tablespoons of batter per cookie. A medium cookie scoop makes this job easy.
- Drop the cookies onto the prepared baking sheet. Use your fingers to push any loose bits (carrots and oats) into the cookies. Using the bottom of a measuring cup, gently flatten each cookie slightly until they are about ½-inch high. If the measuring cup is sticking to the cookies, lightly coat the underside with cooking spray.
- Bake until the cookies have firmed up, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then use a small spatula to transfer to a rack. Repeat with the second half of the cookies. Cool completely before serving. Transfer the cookies to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They're even better cold!
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Miss Cellaneous
I don't even LIKE carrots in my snacks, or raisins (I added them) but these were deeeLISH! Thank you for sharing! I also added som bran, hemp seeds, poppy seeds, and chia seeds to add some extra nutrients. Will be making again!