Lightened up vegan carrot oatmeal cookies that taste like carrot cake and are perfect for a healthier sweet treat any time of day.

A close up of a few carrot cake oatmeal cookies stacked on top of each other.

About the Recipe

These cookies have a soft, chewy texture and taste like carrot cake! They’re perfect for a sweet breakfast treat, or snack or dessert anytime of day.

If you love carrot cake, these are a great way to enjoy the classic flavour without baking a cake!

Love carrot cake? Don’t miss my Vegan Carrot Cake, Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal, Carrot Cake Banana Bread or Carrot Cake Energy Balls! Zucchini is perfect for baking too. Give it a try in Whole Wheat Vegan Zucchini Bread with Walnuts or Vegan Chocolate Chip Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies.

Ingredient Notes

All the ingredients needed for making a vegan carrot cake cookie recipe with oats, brown sugar, almond butter and all-purpose flour.
  • Butter: You’ll need any brand of plant-based butter. I like to use salted butter but if you’re using unsalted butter, you can add a pinch of salt to the recipe. You can substitute softened coconut oil for the butter
  • Almond Butter: Any nut or seed butter works here. I feel almond butter works best with the other flavours but you could use peanut butter, cashew butter or sunflower seed butter.
  • Brown Sugar: The recipe calls for light brown sugar but you can substitute dark brown sugar or granulated sugar if needed. The brown sugar gives them a more caramelized flavor, like caramelized carrots. Note that the cookies are only lightly sweetened for a healthier treat. For sweeter cookies, add 1-2 tbsp maple syrup. For refined sugar-free, use coconut sugar.
  • Baking Powder: Baking powder, not soda.
  • Spices: Ground cinnamon and nutmeg lend to to the carrot cake flavour. You could also use a little ground ginger if you like.
  • Flour: You can use all-purpose flour or gluten-free all purpose-flour. Whole wheat flour or spelt flour would also work
  • Oats: I used quick oats but you can substitute rolled oats or large flake oats.
  • Carrot: The recipe calls for freshly grated carrot. Make sure you finely grate it so you don’t have tough chunks of carrot in your cookies. You want the carrot to easily distribute through the cookies and almost melt into the dough when baked.

Additions

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Cream Butter & Sugar

Add the vegan butter, almond butter and brown sugar to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until smooth and homogenous.

Almond butter and sugar mixed together in a glass mixing bowl.

Step 2: Add Dry Ingredients

Add the baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour and oats to the bowl. Use the mixer to whisk them in until they’re fully incorporated into the butter-sugar mixture.

Step 3: Add the Carrot

Gently fold in the grated carrot until it’s evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Crumbly carrot cake cookie dough in a mixing bowl.

Step 4: Bake the Cookies

Form balls of dough about 1 ½ inches in diameter and shape them into a disc using your hands. Place them on your baking tray and then bake them for 10 minutes.

Quick Tip: The cookies will not spread much during baking so be sure to shape them into cookie shapes before baking.

Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5-10 minutes then enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make gluten-free carrot cake cookies?

Yes. To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free all-purpose baking flour instead of all-purpose flour.

Can I make nut-free carrot cake cookies?

Yes. To make this recipe nut-free, use sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter.

Can I use whole wheat flour?

Yes. You can use whole wheat flour or spelt flour instead of all-purpose flour.

Do I have to use an electric mixer?

No. If you don’t have an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar and almond butter vigorously with a wooden spoon to combine. When you add the dry ingredients, mix with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Can I freeze carrot cake cookies?

Absolutely. Let them cool completely then frozen in a freezer bag or airtight container for 2-3 months.

Close up of a carrot oatmeal cookie on a wooden spatula.

Expert Tips

  • It’s important to measure correctly when baking. For best results, please use a kitchen scale and follow the listed amounts.
  • The cookies only have 1/4 cup of sugar so they’re not very sweet. For sweeter cookies, add 1-3 tbsp maple syrup to taste.
  • The cookies will be fragile just out of the oven. Let them cool for 5 minutes on the pan then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
A plate of carrot cake oatmeal cookies in front of a white brick backsplash.

How to Store

  • Cool completely before storing.
  • Room Temperature: Airtight container for 3-4 days.
  • Fridge: Airtight container for up to 1 week.
  • Freezer: Freezer bag or airtight container for 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature until softened to your liking and enjoy.

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
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A plate of carrot cake oatmeal cookies in front of a white brick backsplash.

Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Deryn Macey
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 15
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

Soft and chewy carrot cake oatmeal cookies with no eggs or dairy needed! These yummy treats are lower in added sugar and butter for a healthier option.


Ingredients

  • ¼ cup vegan butter (65 grams)
  • ½ cup almond butter (130 grams)
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar (50 grams)
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour (90 grams)
  • 1 cup quick oats (80 grams)
  • 1 ½ large carrots, finely grated (180 grams)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Using an electric hand mixer, combine the vegan butter, almond butter, and brown sugar together in a medium sized mixing bowl until smooth and homogenous.
  3. Add the baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, flour, and oats to the mixing bowl. Use the hand mixer whisk in the dry ingredients until they are fully incorporated into the mixture. Scrape along the bottom of your mixing bowl to ensure no pockets of flour or oats remain.
  4. Gently fold in the grated carrots until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough. The cookie dough may seem crumbly after combining the ingredients but will form solid balls just fine. 
  5. Form balls of dough about 1 ½ inches in diameter and press them between your hands to form a disc. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes.
  6. Allow the cookies to cool for 5-10 minutes before removing them from the tray.
  7. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Being a healthier option, the cookies are not very sweet as is. If you like some extra sweetness in your cookies, add 1-2 tablespoon of pure maple syrup to the cookie batter during step #2.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 102
  • Sugar: 4 g
  • Sodium: 36 mg
  • Fat: 6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 15 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 3 g