Description

These Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies combine wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour, instant oats, and freshly grated carrots for a soft, chewy treat with natural sweetness from pure maple syrup. Perfect for a nourishing snack or dessert, these cookies are easy to prepare, naturally flavorful with cinnamon, and can be made gluten-free and dairy-free with simple substitutions.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Dry Ingredients

1 cup (100g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary)
3/4 cup (90g) whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour blend
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

2 tbsp (28g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 large egg (room temperature)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120mL) pure maple syrup (room temperature)
3/4 cup (68g) freshly grated carrots (about 1 small medium carrot, peeled)

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Instructions

Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the instant oats, whole wheat or gluten-free flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined.
Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the melted and cooled coconut oil or butter with the room temperature egg and vanilla extract. Stir in the pure maple syrup until fully incorporated.
Form Dough: Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and gently stir just until combined. Fold in the freshly grated carrots evenly throughout the dough. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up.
Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C) and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Shape Cookies: Using a spoon and spatula, scoop out 14 rounded balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Flatten each slightly with a spatula, as the cookies will not spread much during baking.
Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the centers still feel slightly soft and underdone to the touch. Avoid overbaking to maintain a chewy texture.
Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes to allow residual heat to finish baking and to help them firm up. Carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving or storing.

Notes

Measure oats and flour accurately using a kitchen scale or correct measuring method to avoid dry, cakey cookies.
Use freshly grated carrots with regular holes on a box grater; avoid pre-shredded or matchstick carrots for better texture.
Remove cookies from oven when centers feel slightly soft; residual heat will finish baking while cooling.
If cookies are too soft after cooling, allow them to reach room temperature on the baking sheet to firm up while maintaining softness.
Instant oats are quick-cooking oats, not flavored packet oats; to make instant oats at home, pulse old-fashioned oats in a food processor until finely chopped.
Substitute whole wheat flour with white whole wheat, whole wheat pastry, all-purpose flour, or oat flour (gluten-free if needed) but measure carefully as oat flour absorbs more liquid.
For coconut oil or butter, you can use melted vegan butter or margarine; ensure the egg is at room temperature.
Pure maple syrup can be substituted with honey or agave syrup, both at room temperature.
Dairy-free option: use coconut oil or vegan butter.
Nut-free option: use unsalted butter instead of coconut oil.
For gluten-free cookies, use certified gluten-free instant oats and a gluten-free flour blend of millet flour, brown rice flour, tapioca flour, and xanthan gum.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days to a week; they also freeze well after cooling.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cookie
Calories: 120 kcal
Sugar: 8 g
Sodium: 70 mg
Fat: 5 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 17 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 2 g
Cholesterol: 25 mg