Two weekends ago, my mom started craving carrot cake. She talked about it at lunch, mentioned it at dinner, and finally caved at 9 pm and drove to Safeway to pick up a slice. When she arrived home, she grabbed a fork, plopped down in her favorite armchair, and slowly savored every bite, stopping with enough left to finish the following day.
Although Mom bought me a slice of my favorite 6-layer chocolate cake at the same time, I couldn’t help but stare and hope with all of my fingers crossed behind my back that she’d offer me a taste. That cream cheese frosting… Those soft streaks of carrot… The tender cinnamon cake… It looked mesmerizing!
Despite enjoying every last morsel of my chocolate dessert, I couldn’t get carrot cake off of my mind. I pictured that square during every run (since my path went past the same grocery store) and whenever I stuck my head into the fridge for fresh fruit and veggie snacks.
I seriously contemplated baking my own again, but knowing that my self-control sometimes flies straight out the window with any type of cake, I went with the next best thing…
Cookies! These Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies blew me away, and not just from their built-in portion control. The cozy oats, the comforting cinnamon, the soft carrots… They truly tasted just like carrot cake. Pure bliss in every bite!
Even better? These cookies are really easy to make — and faster than regular carrot cake too!
KEY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY CARROT CAKE OATMEAL COOKIES
Let’s talk about the key ingredients that you’ll need to make these healthy carrot cake oatmeal cookies! I based them off of the most popular recipe on my site: my oatmeal raisin cookies. Have you tried those yet? Hands down, they’re the BEST oatmeal cookies I’ve ever eaten. They’re soft, tender, chewy — everything a cookie should be — and countless readers have said nobody believes that they’re lightened up and made without refined flour or refined sugar!
Oats. Like many of my other healthy oatmeal cookie recipes, you’ll use instant oats to make these. They’re also called “quick cooking” and “one minute” oats. They’re not the ones that come in packets with flavors like maple brown sugar and apple cinnamon!
Just like old-fashioned rolled oats, instant oats contain just one ingredient: oats! However, they differ in one key way. Instant oats are smaller and thinner than old-fashioned rolled oats. This smaller size means they soften faster, and that yields the best soft and chewy texture in your oatmeal cookies.
Tip: If you’d like to make your healthy carrot cake oatmeal cookies gluten-free, then substitute certified gluten-free instant oats. They work perfectly!
Flour. I opted for whole wheat flour to make these oatmeal cookies. I love how it has more fiber and micronutrients!
Tip: If you’d like to make your carrot cake oatmeal cookies gluten-free, then see the Notes section of the recipe. I’ve included how to do so there!
Cinnamon. It’s a carrot cake staple! I love the cozy flavor it adds to both regular carrot cake and these healthy oatmeal cookies. If you’re a big cinnamon fan (like I am!), I highly recommend this variety. It tastes a bit stronger, sweeter, and richer than regular cinnamon. Many stores have started stocking it, but I generally buy it online here. It’s really affordable — and basically the only kind I now use in my baking!
Unsalted butter or coconut oil. Just a bit! Unlike more traditional cookie recipes that call for ½ cup or more, you only need 2 tablespoons. That really helps keep your healthy carrot cake oatmeal cookies low calorie and low fat!
Tip: Both work equally well, so feel free to use whichever one you normally keep on hand. If you use coconut oil, your healthy carrot cake oatmeal cookies will be dairy-free!
Egg. A common oatmeal cookie ingredient! The egg binds everything together, and it also yields a beautifully chewy texture.
Sweetener. For this version, I swapped out the honey from my oatmeal raisin cookie recipe for pure maple syrup. I love its sweet and cozy flavor in my carrot cake recipe, and I had a feeling it’d work well in these cookies too. Spoiler alert: It was perfect!
Pure maple syrup often comes in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs (like this). It only contains one ingredient: maple syrup!
Tip: Skip the pancake syrup and sugar-free maple syrup! These contain other ingredients, which can change the way they behave in baking recipes. This is particularly true of sugar-free maple syrup! It’s usually water-based, and that will make your cookies cakey or bready, rather than chewy.
Carrots. Lots and lots of carrots. I love my regular carrot cake positively packed with them — not just a plain spice cake with the occasional fleck of orange — so I took the same approach with these healthy oatmeal cookies. That turned out so well!
For the best taste and texture, use peeled and freshly grated carrots. Don’t substitute store-bought, pre-shredded carrots! They’re also called “matchstick carrots.” They’re thicker and drier, so they don’t soften properly. It only takes a few moments to grate your own, and I promise the results are completely worth it!
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY CARROT CAKE OATMEAL COOKIES
Let’s quickly go over how to make the best carrot cake oatmeal cookies! This recipe is easy and straightforward — I promise! — and I also have some tips to ensure your cookies turn out beautifully soft, chewy, and flavorful.
Measure correctly. This is one of the most crucial parts of this recipe! It’s extremely important to measure the oats and flour correctly. Do NOT scoop them directly from the container! Instead, use this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Scooping or improperly measuring can result in up to 1 ½ times as much of either ingredient. That extra amount of flour or oats will change the texture of your cookies, especially the oats! They act like little sponges by soaking up lots of moisture in the dough. Too much of either will dry out your cookies and make them cakey, bready, or dry — but if you measure them correctly, your cookies will be perfectly soft and chewy!
Chill the dough. Chilling is mandatory! It gives the oats time to soak up some moisture and helps reduce spreading. If you skipped chilling, the cookie dough would flatten thinner than a pancake while in the oven and create one huge cookie blob on the baking sheet. Not good! So avoid cookie blobs and chill your dough. Just 30 minutes — that’s it!
Drop + shape. The cookie dough will still be somewhat soft and sticky after chilling, so use a spoon and spatula to drop it onto the baking sheet. Because it only spreads some — but not a lot — you’ll also flatten it a bit to give your cookies a “head start” on spreading.
Tip: These are the spatulas I use. They’re so handy — and really cute too!
Bake + cool. It’s time! Slide that baking sheet in the oven. To ensure these cookies stay soft and chewy, you’ll underbake them ever so slightly. Just by a hair! Pull them out when the centers still feel a little soft and squidgy. You’ll let the cookies cool for a full 10-15 minutes on the warm baking sheet, and the residual heat will finish cooking those centers all the way through without the outsides turning cakey, bready, or crunchy. This is my #1 tip for the best soft and chewy oatmeal cookies! They’ll stay soft for an entire week… If they last that long!
Reshape (optional). If your cookies look a little lopsided and not completely round when you remove them from the oven, then immediately grab a butter knife and gently nudge any misshapen bits back into place. Their sides are still a bit malleable when they’re hot and fresh from the oven, but since these cookies set and firm up within minutes, work really quickly!
I secretly tried hoarding these healthy carrot cake oatmeal cookies, but that plan didn’t stand a chance around my hungry sweet-toothed family. Every time I walked by the counter, another one had mysteriously disappeared from the jar!
Oh well, at least we’re getting some extra veggies in… Right? 😉 And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy carrot cake oatmeal cookies!
Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (100g) instant oats (measured like this and gluten-free if necessary)
- ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup (room temperature)
- ¾ cup (68g) freshly grated carrots (about 1 smallish medium, peeled first!)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil or butter, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the maple syrup until thoroughly incorporated. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the carrots. Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Using a spoon and spatula, drop the cookie dough into 14 rounded scoops on the baking sheet. Flatten slightly using a spatula. (These cookies don't spread very much!) Bake at 325°F for 12-15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
Notes
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Ultimate Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
♡ Healthy Apple Pie Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Healthy Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Healthy Banana Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Healthy Flourless Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Ultimate Healthy Carrot Cake
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Cupcakes
…and the rest of Amy’s healthy oatmeal cookie recipes and healthy carrot cake flavored recipes!
I just stumbled upon your website from scrolling through Pinterest for healthy desserts. Can I swap rolled oats for the quick? I could always throw them in the food processor to break them up I guess. That’s what I have on hand and didn’t want to run to the store.
It means so much that you’d like to try making these cookies, Jennifer! I’ve actually answered this exact question about old-fashioned rolled oats in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions!), as well as on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page. There’s a link to that FAQ Page in the Notes section too. I know it can be really easy to miss though! 😉 I’d love to hear what you think of these cookies if you try making them!
I don’r have maple syrup on hand. What can I use for a substitute?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Elizabeth! I’ve actually answered this exact question in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions!), and I’ve included even more options on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page. There’s a link to that FAQ Page in the bottom of the Notes section – but I know it can be easy to miss! 😉
I’d love to hear what you think of these cookies if you try making them!
I used a GF all purpose flour (KA) to make these. A really good/soft cookie. I took them to an after event get together and they were all eaten. I think they’d be good with chopped walnuts too. Thanks for the recipe – now I want to take a look at the oatmeal blueberry cookies!
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed these cookies, Meri! Thank you for taking the time to let me know. It truly means a lot! 🙂 If you end up making the blueberry oatmeal cookies, I’d love to hear what you think of those as well! And if it’s helpful at all, you can find all of my oatmeal cookie recipes here. They’re one of my favorite things to make, so I have dozens of different flavors! 😉
These look delicious! By any chance, have you ever added a cream cheese frosting to each cookie?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Sarah! You could easily top each cookie with cream cheese frosting once they’ve completely cooled, if you’d like. I have a post about my two favorite cream cheese frosting recipes — maybe that would be useful? 🙂
I’d love to hear what you think of these cookies if you end up making them!
I loved thiese
Mine turned out chewy
I used 1/4 cup of vegetable puree for an egg subsitute
I baked carrot made carrot curls with potato peeler than chop chop chop
I also added touch of nutmeg!
Also I used 2 tablespooms of olive vegetable oil
Half syrup half honey
Very pleased w
Thanks for the inspiration!
Your a Doll!
I’m so glad you loved these cookies, Wendy! Thank you for taking the time to let me know. It truly means a lot! 🙂 I really appreciate you sharing your recipe modifications too. I always love hearing what tweaks work out!
Hi Amy, Thank you for your response. These were delicious! I actually made 16 cookies total and added 1/8 cup of chopped walnuts to the last half so 8 were plain and 8 had walnuts. I also used your cream cheese frosting #1 and added 1 TBSP to each cookie. These were so good!
I’m thrilled you enjoyed these cookies and the cream cheese frosting too, Sarah! Thank you for taking the time to let me know. It truly means a lot! ♡ I really appreciate you sharing your walnut modification too. I always love hearing what recipe tweaks work out!
Can you use all purpose flour in this recipe?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Suzanne! I’ve actually answered this question on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page, and there’s a link to that FAQ Page in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions!). I know it can be easy to miss! 😉
I’d love to hear what you think of these cookies if you try making them!
I have searched everywhere on here so I am sorry to ask this if you already stated it but; do these need to be refrigerated?? They are so yummy but it’s so hot here and they are for an event coming up I am hoping they will last. Thanks!
I am looking forward to making these! Can I freeze them?
Well my 3 and 6 year old gobbled them up! LOVED them. It’s more like a cake cookie. My boys love sweet things so I was surprised they liked these as they aren’t super sugary like a chocolate chip cookie. They each ate 4 and I felt no guilt for letting them eat cookies! I may have also eaten 4! Stuck to the recipe exactly.
Can you please tell me how many calories in this cookie.
Hi Amy
This recipe really caught attention. Kudos
So curiously I scrolled through comments. You respond in a great timely manner however I recommend that you tone down your canned response to questions about about I’ve actually covered this on my cookie recipe FAQ YADDA YADDA. It sends a geez dummy connotation to the questioner. A simple Yes, NO, or good question and link to post.