Vegan carrot cake cookies that taste just like classic carrot cake but in a thick and soft cookie! These cookies are made with simple ingredients and come together in one bowl.
Ingredients you’ll need
The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the gray recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Notes about the ingredients
Finely shredded carrots (not coarsely shredded carrots). These melt away in the cookies, giving them a more consistent texture and flavor. Use the small shredding side on your box grater, or your food processor.
Brown sugar for depth of flavor.
Warm spices including ground cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, for that classic carrot cake flavor.
Even though these cookies don’t have any eggs, you don’t need any special egg replacers!
How to make carrot cake cookies
These cookies are made just like regular cookies, but with carrots!
You’ll need to mix the brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the carrots and mix. Then add all the other ingredients and mix until combined.
For the best results, here are some tips:
- Measure your flour accurately, otherwise your cookies won’t spread as much or be too cakey. I recommend using the spoon and level method (if using measuring cups), or using an electric scale.
- Use freshly shredded carrots. Packaged pre-shredded carrots will result in drier cookies.
- Use room-temperature butter that is not greasy or melted at all. If your butter is too soft, it will make the cookies spread too much.
- For denser cookies, beat your butter, sugar and carrots until just combined. For fluffier cakey cookies, beat the wet ingredients until light and fluffy.
Tips for baking the cookies
The cookie dough is quite soft and tacky, so I suggest using a cookie scoop to divide the dough. Or generously use very damp hands to the dough into balls!
These cookies spread in the oven, so make sure you space them apart on your cookie sheet.
Decorating the cookies
Okay, I love these cookies without the frosting. But for the full ‘carrot cake experience’, frosted cookies are a next-level dessert.
You can top the vegan carrot cake cookies with:
- Vegan cream cheese frosting
- Vegan buttercream, flavored with either vanilla, maple syrup or lemon juice
- A simple two-ingredient icing, made with powdered sugar and dairy-free milk (or lemon juice). For example, you can use the one from my lemon olive oil cake.
- Whipped dairy-free cream, or coconut cream
- A drizzle of caramel
You can also pipe carrots onto your cookies (just like my classic carrot cake). Or, bake smaller cookies and make cookie sandwiches!
Customizing this recipe
Chopped nuts or raisins (soak the raisins in water beforehand) would be delicious add-ins. You don’t need to make any other adjustments to the recipe.
Rolled oats would be a delicious add-in. I haven’t tested it, but they will change the consistency of the dough and how the cookies spread. You’ll need to make other adjustments to the recipe. Alternatively, check out my vegan oatmeal cookies.
Instead of brown sugar, you can use granulated sugar – your cookies will spread a little more, will be slightly less moist and have crisper edges. You can also use coconut sugar but your cookies will be dryer and spread less. I don’t recommend using liquid sweeteners as it’s already a very soft dough.
You may also like my other vegan cookies, including my oatmeal raisin cookies, coffee cake cookies and almond cookies.
More vegan carrot cake recipes
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Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies
Servings: 16 cookies
Ingredients
Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies
Frosting (optional, see note 1 for a frosting without cream cheese)
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Instructions
Make the vegan carrot cake cookies:
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Add the vegan butter and sugar, to a large bowl (if using a hand mixer) or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat until combined. Add the carrots and vanilla and beat until well combined.
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Add the flour, spices, baking soda and salt and mix until just combined. The cookie dough should be soft and tacky. If your dough is crumbly, add a little dairy-free milk and mix again.
Shape and bake the cookies:
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Divide and roll the cookie dough into around 14 balls.
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Arrange the cookie dough balls on your prepared baking sheets with about 5 cm (2 inches) between each. Very slightly flatten each ball.
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Bake the cookies in your preheated oven for around 13-14 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden brown.
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Allow the cookies to cool on the baking trays for at least 20-30 minutes. They’ll be very soft when they’re warm but will firm up. Then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting and decorate:
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Add the vegan butter to a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the vegan cream cheese and beat until there are no lumps.
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Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until just combined. Don’t overmix, otherwise your frosting will become runny.
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If you want to pipe carrots on your cookies, add 50g of frosting to a small bowl with orange coloring, and 10g of frosting with green coloring in another small bowl.
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Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting on each cooled cookie. If desired, use a piping bag with a small tip to pipe carrots on the cookies, and sprinkle with walnuts/pecans.
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Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Notes
- Alternatively, you can make a simple lemon/vanilla buttercream which will be easier to decorate with. Whip ½ cup (115g) vegan block butter until pale and creamy. Add 2 cups (200g) powdered sugar and a dash of lemon juice (or vanilla) and whip until it’s light and fluffy. For alternative toppings, see the blog post.
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