Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Delight in these moist and flavorful Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies topped with a luscious vegan cream cheese frosting. Perfectly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, and packed with shredded carrots and oats, these cookies offer a wholesome twist on classic carrot cake in a convenient, handheld form.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 33 minutes
- Yield: 10 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup vegan butter (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 6 Tablespoons sugar
- 2/3 cup shredded carrots (loosely packed, about 58 grams)
- 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 2.5 tablespoons water, mixed and set)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup vegan butter (room temperature)
- 6 Tablespoons vegan cream cheese (room temperature)
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 teaspoons cornstarch (add as needed to thicken frosting)
- Crushed pecans or walnuts (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Prepare flax egg and carrots: Before starting the dough, prepare the flax egg by combining ground flaxseed with water and letting it set. Grate the carrots and set aside.
- Make the dough: In a mixing bowl, cream together the room-temperature vegan butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add wet ingredients: Mix in the shredded carrots, flax egg, and vanilla bean paste for about 20 seconds.
- Add dry ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour first, followed by rolled oats, ground cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Mix together until a thick cookie dough forms.
- Chill the dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours to firm up the dough.
- Preheat oven and prepare baking tray: About 10 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Scoop cookies: Use a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out 10 evenly sized cookies, placing them at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Do not flatten, as they will spread during baking.
- Bake cookies: Bake for 12-13 minutes until the bottoms are lightly browned and cookies have soft centers. The centers should not be glossy or raw when removed.
- Shape cookies: Immediately after removing from the oven, tap the cookie tray on the counter to create a wrinkly texture and gently swirl cookies with a round cookie cutter to perfect their shape while warm.
- Cool cookies: Let cookies cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare frosting: Beat together vegan butter and vegan cream cheese with a mixer for 2 minutes until fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar and cornstarch: Gradually mix in powdered sugar and cornstarch until fully incorporated. Whip frosting a few minutes longer for extra fluffiness.
- Frost cookies: Using a spatula or piping bag, frost each cooled cookie. Optionally, sprinkle with crushed pecans or walnuts and additional shredded carrot.
- Serve and enjoy: Serve immediately or store the cookies in an airtight container once the frosting is set.
Notes
- Measure shredded carrots loosely but weigh to 58 grams for accuracy.
- The flax egg acts as an egg substitute to bind the dough.
- Refrigerating the dough is key to preventing cookie spread and improving texture.
- Do not flatten cookie dough scoops before baking.
- Tap the baking tray right after baking to create the signature wrinkly cookie texture.
- Frost only after cookies have completely cooled to prevent melting frosting.
- Optional nut topping adds a nice crunch and enhances flavor.
Keywords: vegan carrot cake cookies, carrot cookies, vegan cookies, cream cheese frosting, healthy cookies, plant-based dessert
