My dog loves carrot cake season.
When she hears me pull out a cutting board, its rough edges softly rumbling against its neighbors like thick plastic sandpaper as I slip it out of the cupboard, her little ears perk up, even if she was fast asleep in her bed in the other room, and she sprints into the kitchen.
She plants herself inches away from me, staring up with those cute brown puppy-like eyes, as I wash and peel the carrots. She usually stands, too eager and excited to lie down, but she’ll occasionally sit – momentarily – only to pop right back up the moment my feet move.
She knows I’m a total pushover.
So every time, I grab a fresh bowl and plop some of the peelings into it for her. As soon as I set it on the floor beside her water bowl, which happens to be right next to my baking prep area at the kitchen island, she starts chowing down as fast as her little jaw can move. Plowing through one scrap at a time, she clamps it in her teeth, moves a few inches away from the bowl, and hurriedly chews and swallows.
I laugh every time…
Those carrot peelings look like long, skinny, bright orange giraffe tongues hanging out of her mouth!
After three weeks of testing different carrot cake themed recipes, my dog almost permanently moved into the kitchen with me… And she was one very happy and well-fed girl!
In addition to this new healthy carrot sheet cake, I also made these new healthy carrot cake snickerdoodles during those three weeks. With their flavors and texture, they truly taste like the perfect blend of classic carrot cake and snickerdoodle cookies. They’d be a delicious Easter treat – or great for any afternoon where you’re feeling as indecisive as me and can’t decide which dessert you want more!
QUICK OVERVIEW – HEALTHY CARROT CAKE SNICKERDOODLES
Difficulty: Fairly simple (including for many beginner bakers!), except for one tiny part. The cookie dough is very easy to make and bake, but because it’s rather sticky, it’s a teensy bit tricky to shape and roll.
Taste: Extremely cozy and comforting with ample amounts of warm spice flavors, bits of sweet carrot, and that iconic hint of a subtle snickerdoodle tang.
Texture: Soft and chewy on the inside, with a bit of crispness on the outside from that classic snickerdoodle cinnamon sugar coating.
KEY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY CARROT CAKE SNICKERDOODLES
Let’s talk about the ingredients you need to make these healthy carrot cake snickerdoodles! I’m assuming you have baking staples like salt, vanilla, and eggs, so we’ll focus on the more interesting and important things.
Flour. I used white whole wheat flour to make these cookies healthier. If you haven’t heard of it before, I know it can sound a little odd… But it’s not just a blend of white (aka all-purpose) flour and regular whole wheat flour!
Instead, white whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour often comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. They both have the same health benefits (like extra fiber!), but white whole wheat flour has a lighter appearance, taste, and texture. That lets the cozy and buttery flavors of your snickerdoodles truly shine!
Hint: It’s similar to the difference between green and red grapes. They have slightly different flavors – but basically the same health benefits!
Tip: If you’d like to make your carrot cake snickerdoodles gluten free, I’ve shared my favorite ways to do that in the Notes section of the recipe!
Spices. You’ll need three of them! Cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. These are the spices I typically include in my carrot cake recipes. Cinnamon provides the familiar flavor we know and love, while allspice provides a similar cozy sweetness and nutmeg adds a deeper, fuller flavor.
Tip: I highly recommend Saigon cinnamon! It has a stronger, sweeter, and richer flavor than regular cinnamon. I buy mine online here. It’s really affordable, and it tastes amazing in baking recipes, especially if you’re a big cinnamon or spice fan (like I am!).
Cream of tartar. This is the special ingredient that makes snickerdoodles, well, snickerdoodles! Cream of tartar is a fine white powder that comes from grape plants, and it’s a natural byproduct from the winemaking process.
So what does cream of tartar do in snickerdoodles?
That involves a little baking chemistry! Cream of tartar is an acid. It reacts with baking soda, which is a base. When those two ingredients interact in this cookie dough, they create a lovely soft and chewy texture. Cream of tartar is also responsible for that subtle hint of tang that’s so iconic of snickerdoodle cookies.
Kind of nerdy… But as an ex-chemist, I love tidbits like this!
Without cream of tartar, your snickerdoodles would just be cinnamon-spiced cookies. Still delicious… But not quite the same. 😉
Unsalted butter. To make this carrot cake snickerdoodles recipe a little easier, you’ll use melted butter – not softened! I rarely remember to set out butter far enough in advance to soften on its own, but that isn’t an issue here. Thank goodness!
You only need 1 tablespoon of butter too. Yes – really! That’s all. That small amount helps keep your healthy carrot cake snickerdoodles low calorie and low fat!
Sweetener. There are two options: coconut sugar and light brown sugar. Both work equally well!
If you use coconut sugar, then your carrot cake snickerdoodles can be classified as “clean eating” because coconut sugar is considered a “clean eating friendly” sweetener. It’s an unrefined sweetener that comes from coconuts, and it has a caramel-like flavor that’s really similar to brown sugar. (You can usually find it on the baking aisle near the regular granulated and brown sugars!)
However, the amount of sweetener that you use will determine your cookies’ thickness and how much they spread. We’ll cover that in more detail in a moment, but for now, just keep in mind that you get to choose!
Milk. This is a completely optional ingredient! If you add a bit of milk, your carrot cake snickerdoodles will be thinner and spread more. (Again, more on that momentarily!)
Carrots. A very important ingredient in carrot cake snickerdoodles! 😉 For this recipe, you’ll need finely freshly grated carrots. Not regular grated carrots, and not store-bought pre-shredded carrots either. Those don’t soften properly while baking, especially the latter… They’re really thick and dry – especially compared to finely freshly grated ones!
Use the smallest holes of a box grater to grate your carrots. The resulting carrot bits should be fairly tiny and almost a bit juicy. This extra small size ensures the carrots fully soften while baking and turn out really tender. It also helps create a better soft and chewy cookie texture!
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHY CARROT CAKE SNICKERDOODLES
Let’s talk about how to make the best carrot snickerdoodles! Other than one teensy tiny part, this recipe is easy and straightforward to make (you don’t even need a mixer!), but I still have some tips to make sure your cookies turn out really well.
Decide how much you want your cookies to spread. Time for more nerdy baking chemistry! In this recipe, the sugar (whether coconut or light brown!) doesn’t just play a role in the cookies’ flavor and sweetness… It actually contributes to the liquid volume! This is because {a} sugar dissolves in liquids, whereas something like flour does not, and {b} it also caramelizes and melts at higher temperatures (like the ones used to bake cookies!). Therefore…
I borrowed these photos from my ultimate healthy snickerdoodles recipe (that’s why there aren’t any carrots in these cookies!), but the sweetener amounts and effects are exactly the same. For thicker snickerdoodles, use less sugar in the cookie dough. For thinner and wider ones, use more. For the thinnest and widest (like the ones in my photos!), add a bit of milk to the cookie dough too.
It’s sort of like a choose-your-own adventure book! (Anyone else remember those from childhood? Just me?…) Regardless of whether you prefer your carrot cake snickerdoodles thick or thin, I promise they’ll taste delicious! Especially if you…
Measure the ingredients correctly. Be very careful and use this method or a kitchen scale (← that’s the one I own!), especially for measuring the flour. Too much flour will dry out the dough and make your cookies cakey, dry, or crumbly, rather than perfectly soft and chewy.
Chill the dough. This is mandatory! The cookie dough will be very loose and sticky when you first mix everything together, and that’s what helps create the best soft and chewy texture in these carrot cake snickerdoodles. Chilling the cookie dough makes it a thicker and stiffer. A brief 30 minutes in the refrigerator is all it needs!
Roll – but don’t touch it! After chilling, the cookie dough will still be sticky, so do not try to touch it with your hands. Instead, use a spoon and spatula (← that’s the mini one that I use!) to drop a small amount into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Once the outside of the cookie dough is coated in cinnamon sugar, then roll it into a sphere. That mixture will act as a barrier and prevent the cookie dough from sticking to your palms!
Bake. My trick to the best soft and chewy snickerdoodles? Remove them from the oven when the centers still feel a little soft and underdone, and let them sit on the baking sheet for another 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. The heat from the warm baking sheet will continue to cook the centers all the way through – without over-baking the cookies or drying out their outsides!
FAQS ABOUT HEALTHY CARROT CAKE SNICKERDOODLES
Are these healthy carrot snickerdoodles low calorie, gluten free, clean eating, dairy free, egg free, or vegan?
Yes! If made with coconut sugar, these cookies are considered “clean eating” friendly. I’ve included how to make them gluten free in the Notes section of the recipe, along with how to modify the recipe to be dairy free, egg free, and vegan.
Can I substitute something for the cream of tartar?
No, the cream of tartar is what makes snickerdoodle cookies taste like snickerdoodles. It also plays a role in the cookies’ texture, so I don’t recommend substituting for or omitting it. (See the “Cream of tartar” header above for more info!)
Can I substitute something for the allspice or nutmeg?
In a pinch, you can substitute additional cinnamon for the allspice, but I don’t recommend substituting anything for the nutmeg. Its deep richness gives these cookies a true “carrot cake” flavor.
Can I use pre-shredded carrots I bought at the grocery store?
No – and I beg you not to even try! They’ll drastically change the texture of your cookies. See the “Carrots” header above for more info!
Why didn’t my cookies spread as much as yours?
There are three main culprits: (a) too much flour, (b) not enough sugar, or (c) you skipped the milk. See the “How to Make the Best Healthy Carrot Cake Snickerdoodles” section above for more info about each of these!
How should I store these carrot cake snickerdoodles? And how long do they last?
Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container. When stored at room temperature, they should keep for at least three days, possibly longer – if they even last that long!
Ready to make your own? And when you do, 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 snickerdoodles!
Healthy Carrot Cake Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
FOR THE COOKIES
- 1 cup (120g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- ¾ tsp cream of tartar
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon (see Notes!)
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (96g) coconut sugar or light brown sugar (see Notes before beginning!)
- ½ cup (53g) finely freshly grated carrot (about 1 medium, peeled first – see Notes!)
FOR THE COATING
- ¼ cup (48g) coconut sugar or light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp (6g) ground cinnamon (see Notes!)
Instructions
- To prepare the cookies, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg, and vanilla (and milk, if using!). Stir in the sugar. Add in the flour mixture, stirring until incorporated. Fold in the carrots. Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
- To prepare the coating, mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl until completely combined and no lumps remain.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- {See the Notes below about rolling and shaping before beginning this step!} Using a spoon and spatula, drop a small amount of the cookie dough into the coating. Carefully rock the cookie dough back and forth in the coating. (Do not touch the cookie dough with your hands until it’s fully coated!) Once fully covered in coating, roll the cookie dough into a sphere between your palms, and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough and coating. (Optional: Gently flatten the cookie dough as a spreading “head start” for cookies that are thinner!)
- Bake at 350°F for 9-11 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the warm baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Snickerdoodles
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Thumbprint Cookies
♡ Healthy One-Bowl Carrot Cake Bars
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Carrot Cake (two-layer cake!)
♡ Healthy Carrot Sheet Cake
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy carrot cake flavored recipes and healthy cookie recipes!
Hi Amy, this sounds delicious. And only 90 calories too, thank you. But I’d like to reduce the amount of sugar.
1. Can I use erythritol or monk fruit sugar in the cookie dough, keeping the coconut sugar just for rolling the dough in? Would the cookies spread?
Also, we don’t get White Whole Wheat flour where I live. Would ordinary whole wheat flour, or Almond flour make a huge difference in the texture of the cookies?
Thank you.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Alar! I’ve actually answered your question about flour in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions). I know it can be easy to miss! 😉
If you’d like to use a monk fruit sweetener that’s a combination of monk fruit and erythritol and a 1-for-1 substitute for granulated sugar (such as Lakanto’s classic product!), then you’ll need ½ cup of that + 3 tablespoons of milk to replace the coconut sugar in the cookie dough. This is because those 1-for-1 substitutes both absorb and dissolve differently in liquids compared to coconut sugar and cane-based sugars.
I’d love to hear what you think of these snickerdoodles if you try making them!
I’m excited to make & try these this weekend! Similar question about a sugar substitute… what about using allulose for the sweetener in the dough (and keeping the light brown sugar to roll in)?
It means a lot that you’d like to try making these, Lindsay! I don’t have enough experience with allulose to know whether it’ll achieve the same results. From my limited experience, I’ve found that I needed more allulose to achieve the same flavors and texture, but I haven’t yet nailed down a conversion factor for using it as a coconut sugar / brown sugar substitute in my cookie recipes.
If you do end up making them, I’d love to hear what you think of these snickerdoodles! 🙂
These were tasty! I doubled the recipe to make ~24 cookies. I didn’t have white whole wheat flour, so (for whatever reason lol) I decided to do half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose. Bumped up the amount of cinnamon in the dough since it was whatever from the store and likely not Saigon, so 2 tsp total for the double batch. Ended up doing 96g of erythritol and 96g of light brown sugar in the dough, and because I saw your conversion note in another comment about adding some milk (even though it was for a mix of monk fruit and erythritol, and mine was 100% erythritol) — I added 1.5 tbsp of milk.
The funniest part was the carrots. I’ve never made any kind of carrot dessert before, and read the instructions to use the smallest holes of your box grater to grate the carrots. So I went at it, going and going and was on the verge of giving up because it was so difficult! Around 30g of the 106g I needed, I stopped and looked up how to grate carrots for desserts, and realized that I wasn’t grating carrots—I was *zesting* them. In case anyone is wondering, I don’t recommend zesting carrots :’) I found the smallest *grating* side of my grater and used that and it went by much faster and easier LOL!
After chilling for 30 minutes, the dough was still rather gooey. It ended up working fine carefully rolling them in the brown sugar/cinnamon mix, but they did end up spreading on the pan before I put them in the oven. I’m not sure if that was due to the added milk, or the all purpose flour didn’t absorb as much of the liquids in the dough, making it wetter ? Because I used two large sheets (one with maybe 18 cookies on it, and the other with 6 or so), it ended up taking twice as long to bake. We just moved too, so I’m not sure yet if the oven runs a little cooler than normal. They came out a little darker than your photos and a little flatter. I would have preferred thicker cookies, but maybe next time I’ll get them right 😉
Thank you Amy!
Thank you SO much for taking the time to share all of this, Lindsay! I’m glad you enjoyed these cookies! 🙂 Your anecdote about zesting carrots put a smile on my face… I bet that was taking FOREVER! Those zesting holes are so darn tiny!!
That’s normal about the cookie dough spreading on the pan before putting the cookies in the oven! Mine did that too. If you look at the photo directly above the “How to Make the Best Healthy Carrot Cake Snickerdoodles” header (it’s the mounds of raw dough on a silicone baking mat!), you can kind of see that they aren’t true spheres or balls. They’ve spread outward and are more like hemispheres instead. So you didn’t do anything wrong! 😉
If you’d like for your cookies to be thicker and not spread as much, then {a} omit the extra milk that you added (BUT initially adding it was the right thing to do to make the cookie dough consistency the same as mine — so good for you for doing that!!), {b} use more erythritol and less light brown sugar (since erythritol makes the cookie dough drier, and drier cookie dough doesn’t spread as much!), or {c} use less sweetener overall (again, to make the cookie dough drier!).
If you make a double batch again, then I’d recommend baking one sheet at a time. It could be that your oven isn’t quite calibrated perfectly, but sometimes, overcrowding the oven can also make things bake slower and/or unevenly.
The darker color could be from the brand of brown sugar that you used. Some brands tend to be darker in color than others (like Wholesome, Whole Foods’s 365 brand, and quite a few organic brands). It also could’ve been from the extra cinnamon. Cinnamon is dark in color, so adding more would slightly affect the appearance of your cookies! 😉
I hope all of that helps!!
★★★★★