These Carrot Cookies may not be the prettiest but they are one of the healthiest cookies you'll ever make! Made using 6 wholesome ingredients, these have a soft and chewy texture, and are a guilt-free treat. No butter, oil, sugar or flour!
You will love these healthy carrot cookies. They a beloved favorite among our readers since it was published in 2017.
Reader feedbacks
Marianne "The directions were easy to follow and the cookies are delicious and healthy. Win win win."
Deepthi "I tried this. wow! - Its quite sweet with these natural sweeteners 🙂 I will eat 2 per day, so will have to keep in refrigerator for a few days, I guess. Thank you very much for this recipe."
Unlike my eggless oatmeal cookies, these carrot cookies are made using only nutrient dense, wholesome ingredients. There is no butter, oil sugar, eggs or leavening!
They are chewy, dense, and satisfying; and they make a wonderful grab-and-go guilt free cookie or anytime snack you can feel good about.
These are a twist to the famous banana cookies, made primarily with mashed ripe bananas as one of the main ingredients. They are typically soft and moist, and the mashed banana helps to bind all other ingredients together.
They are a popular choice for those looking for a healthier alternative to traditional cookies due to the natural sweetness and moisture provided by the bananas and dates.
If you love these carrot cookies using oats, then you might love our collection of oats recipes that aren't oatmeal or other eggless cookies.
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Why you'll love them?
- An anytime healthy cookie - No butter, oil, sugar or flour!
- Naturally vegan and dairy free
- Use gluten free oats to make them gluten free
- Eggless cookie recipe
- Sweetened using dates and banana
- Soft, chewy and satisfying
- Reader favorite recipe
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Carrot - Carrots add natural sweetness, vibrant color and tastes incredible.
- Dates - Two common types of dates are typically available in grocery stores: the soft, plump Medjool and the drier, chewier Deglet Noor. For this recipe, I opted for three large Medjool dates, which grind smoothly and aid in binding.
- Banana - As these cookies rely solely on dates and ripe bananas for sweetness, it's crucial to use bananas that are fully ripened, preferably with brown spots.
- Oats - Unlike the carrot oatmeal, which specifically requires rolled oats, this carrot cookie recipe is versatile and accommodates both rolled and instant oats. However, steel-cut oats are not recommended as they are too hard and not suitable for cookies.
- Walnuts - A quarter cup of raw walnuts adds some texture contrast as in carrot walnut cake and also more health benefits.
- Flavorings - You can use either cinnamon alone or a combination of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg for added flavor. If incorporating nutmeg, it's recommended to use freshly grated nutmeg, as it significantly enhances the flavor.
Substitutions & Variations
- Use other nuts - Sliced almonds or toasted pecans would be a great substitution for walnuts. In fact, carrots and pecans complement each other beautifully.
- Make it nut-free - Skip the walnuts and add total of 1 ¼ cups rolled oats.
- Make it gluten-free - Use gluten-free oats to make gluten-free carrot cookies.
- Flavorings - Use fall spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg or vanilla.
- Add raisins - Stir in a few golden raisins at the end.
- Use frozen banana - When using frozen bananas, it's important to note that they release a significant amount of liquid upon thawing, which can result in a very wet cookie dough. I recommend draining off this excess liquid before adding it to your food processor.
- Use pre-shredded carrots - Use one cup of store bought pre-shredded carrots instead.
How to make?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
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Tip: These carrot cookies won’t spread, so this helps give them some shape. I give these a little encouragement to spread using the same method.
Pro tip: Like some icing on your carrot cookies? Combine confectioners' sugar, a pinch of salt, and a small amount of water until you achieve a very thick but pourable icing consistency. Drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies using a fork. Allow the icing to set for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. Please refer to the instructions for drizzling icing found in the almond joy cookies recipe.
How To Store?
These carrot cookies are soft and chewy and not crisp like tradional cookies. While they are technically cookies, they’re great all day, every day. I love them as an afternoon snack, a light breakfast on the go, or as a healthier dessert.
Store carrot cookies in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 4 days and they are also fabulous frozen for up to a month. My husband likes to enjoy them straight from the freezer when craving strikes.
Helpful tips
- Banana - Use a very ripe banana for natural sweetness.
- Dates - Soft Medjool dates make it easy to grind and help with the binding. If using Noor dates, I like to soak them in water for about 30 minutes and then drain them thoroughly before using.
- Oats - Use old fashioned or rolled oats for the best chewy texture.
- Nuts - Try using toasted pecans or sliced almonds instead of walnuts in these healthy oat carrot cookies.
More healthy treats
Carrot Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Group-1
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into big chunks
- 3 Medjool dates, pitted
Group-2
- 1 medium ripe banana
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 pinches salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 360° F (190°C) . Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add carrots and dates into a food processor, process for few seconds until finely chopped.
- Add all group-2 ingredients and pulse about 5 times, until combined. Do not grind too much. Remove the blade and stir mixture well to evenly combine.
- using an ice cream scoop, scoop about 3 tablepoons measure balls and place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly apart.
- Using a flat spoon, gently pat each dough ball into ½-inch thick discs.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until deep golden around the edges. Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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Kelly @ Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats
Looks super yummy Maria! I love that these are healthy! Happy Mother's Day:) xoxo
Maria Doss
Thank you Kelly:)
Patrick@looneyforfood.com
These are beautiful and I love the ingredient list! So natural and healthy! I will be making these!
Maria Doss
Thank you Patrick, have a great Sunday
Ashika @ Gardening Foodie
WOW these make such a great snack compared to the sugar loaded store bought cookies. This will make a yummy surprise for my sons who are always raiding the cookie tin for snacks 😋 Saving and pinning to bake this afternoon.😊
Maria Doss
Thank you dear, let me know how it goes!
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
These look SO yummy! I love cookies but of course I can't eat them all the time. This recipe is a perfect alternative! Have a great week, Maria!
Maria Doss
Thank you Kelsie:)
Leslie
I will be making these this week for sure! I love your site!
Maria Doss
Thank you so much Leslie, let me know how it goes:)
Jessica
Oh my goodness! Just added this gem of a recipe to my Facebook post line up! YUM!
Maria Doss
Thank you so much!!!
Katie
Wow! This recipe is just what I've been looking for!!! This may be a stupid question but is that a raw carrot (not a cooked one) in the recipe?!! Thanks!
Maria Doss
It is raw carrot. Thank you so much, hope you like it:)
Mae
Are they supposed to be soft and chewy?
Maria Doss
Mae, Yes! These do not get crispy due to the addition of banana. Hope you liked the taste:)
Vanessa
Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?
Maria Doss
I'd give it couple of days, not long shelf life like a normal cookie:)
Deepthi
Hi,
I tried this. wow! - Its quite sweet with these natural sweeteners 🙂
One thing I noted is that it took only 15 mins and the sides of the cookies were already brown. So I took them out and they were already done. I don't know why.
I will eat 2 per day, so will have to keep in refrigerator for a few days, I guess. Thank you very much for this recipe.
Just a question - could we use different nuts like almonds or cashew or something else also instead of walnuts?
Maria Doss
Hi Deepthi, Walnuts/ Pecans pair extremely well with carrots. However, you could try with other nuts for sure. hope it helps)
Marianne
The directions were easy to follow and the cookies are delicious and healthy. Win win win.
Maria Doss
Glad you loved these cookies, Maria
Nelly
Those look amazing! A quick question here - will it work if I blitz the oat into flour first? I don't like to bite into them so most of the time I pick recipes with oat flour of whole-wheat but those sound so nice that I really want to give them a try 😀 I'll buy some carrots tomorrow 🙂
Maria Doss
Hi Nelly, It will work without any problem! The only difference would be that the cookies will turn out much more softer and loose some of the texture. Hope it helps, Maria
Ms.BE
just came out of the oven. Of course; I tasted one. I didn't have dates, used; date sugar powder. Thank you for sharing.
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear! So glad you love it – Maria ♡