Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Love carrot cake but crave a delicious and easy treat? This recipe for Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting is for you! Packed with warm spices and fluffy with grated carrots, these cookies capture all the flavors you love about carrot cake in a bite-sized package. Plus, the tangy vegan cream cheese frosting adds the perfect finishing touch.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
- Craving carrot cake but short on time? These Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies come together quickly and easily, letting you enjoy that delicious flavor without the commitment of a whole cake.
- Love a classic flavor combo? The warm spices of carrot cake meet the tangy cream cheese frosting in these cookies, creating a taste bud party you won’t want to miss.
- Packed with hidden veggies: Who knew dessert could be nutritious? These cookies are loaded with grated carrots, sneaking in a sneaky serving of vegetables.
- Love to customize? This recipe is easily adaptable! Feel free to throw in your favorite chopped nuts or dried fruit for an extra flavor and textural punch.
- Bakery-worthy taste at home: No need for fancy equipment or skills here. This recipe is achievable for bakers of all levels, letting you create impressive treats in your own kitchen.
- Want to impress with minimal effort? These Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies look and taste like they came straight from a bakery, but require just a fraction of the work.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll need all the ingredients in the photograph below.
How to Make Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting with Step-By-Step Instructions
A complete printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.
Make the Frosting
In a medium bowl, cream together the vegan cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vegan butter until smooth. Chill the frosting in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the Flaxseed Egg
In a small bowl, whisk together flaxseed meal and water. Let it sit for five minutes until thickened.
Combine Wet Ingredients
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flaxseed egg, maple syrup, cinnamon, brown sugar, and softened vegan butter or coconut oil.
Add Dry Ingredients
Stir in the shredded carrots. Then, add the oat flour, almond flour, and baking powder. Mix until just combined. Gently fold in the chopped walnuts or pecans.
Scoop and Bake
Scoop about two tablespoons of batter per cookie onto the prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly with the back of a spoon. Space cookies at least one inch apart as they will spread. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.
Cool and Frost
Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, spread frosting onto half of the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies to create sandwiches. Enjoy immediately or freeze for at least one hour for an “ice cream cookie” texture.
Recipe Notes and Expert Tips
- Chilling is Key: The vegan cream cheese frosting needs at least 30 minutes in the fridge to firm up. This will make it easier to spread and pipe without ending up with a puddle on your cookies.
- Frosting Consistency: Not a fan of super sweet frosting? Start with ¾ cup of powdered sugar and gradually add more, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired sweetness and piping consistency.
- Flaxseed Egg Matters: Make sure your flaxseed egg thickens completely before using it in the batter. A runny flaxseed egg can make your cookies spread too thin and lose their shape.
- Bake Time for Texture: Craving chewy cookies? Bake for 15 minutes. Want them slightly crispier on the edges? Extend the baking time to 18 minutes. Keep an eye on them during the last few minutes to avoid over-baking.
- Nutty Options: This recipe is happy with chopped walnuts or pecans. Feel free to experiment with other chopped nuts like almonds or hazelnuts to add a different flavor twist.
- Spice it Up (or Down): Love a stronger cinnamon flavor? Add an extra ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients. Prefer a milder spice profile? Stick to the one teaspoon listed in the recipe.
- Ice Cream Cookie Craving? Freeze the frosted cookies for at least an hour! This will create a fun and delicious “ice cream cookie” texture – perfect for a cool summer treat.
- Leftover oat flour? Use it in smoothies, pancakes, or other baked goods to add a boost of fiber and healthy fats!
How to Store Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
So you’ve whipped up a batch of these amazing Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies and maybe even enjoyed a few too many (no judgment here!). But what about the leftover cookies? Fear not, with a little know-how, you can ensure your cookies stay fresh and delicious for days to come. Here’s how to store those leftover cookies like a pro:
- Frosted or Unfrosted? It Matters: This might surprise you, but frosted cookies actually store better in the freezer than unfrosted ones. The frosting acts as a protective layer, locking in moisture and preventing the cookies from drying out.
- Unfrosted Cookie Love: For unfrosted cookies, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They’ll still be perfectly delicious for a quick afternoon snack.
- Frosted Cookie Magic: Frosted cookies are best stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and flash freeze for 30 minutes. Once frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer-safe container.
- Thaw and Enjoy: When you’re ready to enjoy a frozen frosted cookie, simply take it out of the freezer and let it thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes. It’ll be like you just pulled it fresh out of the oven!
What to Serve With Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
For a plant-based powerhouse, wash your carrot cake cookies down with a delicious Tropical Smoothie or an Immunity Boosting Juice.
Pair it with a scoop of your favorite vegan ice cream; we love Banana Almond Milk Ice Cream, or, for a fruity burst, a Frozen Yogurt Cup.
More Easy Vegan Cookie Recipes for You to Try at Home
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- White Bean Cookies
- Amaretti Cookies
- Apple Oatmeal Cookies
- Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¾ cup vegan cream cheese
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
Carrot Cake Cookies
- 1 flax egg 1 tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 tbsp water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1½ cups shredded carrots
- ½ cup softened vegan butter or coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 cup quick oats blended to flour consistency
- 1 cup walnuts or pecan nuts
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Start by making the frosting. Place the vegan cream cheese, powdered sugar and vegan butter in a medium bowl and mix with an electric or hand mixer. Place the frosting in the fridge for 30 minutes to harden.¾ cup vegan cream cheese, ¼ cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C
- To make the flaxseed egg, mix the flaxseed meal with water and let it sit for approximately 5 minutes to thicken.1 flax egg
- Add flaxseed egg, vanilla extract, cinnamon, brown sugar, maple syrup, and softened butter to a medium bowl. Stir until combined.1 tsp vanilla extract, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup softened vegan butter or coconut oil, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ cup maple syrup
- Add shredded carrot and stir to combine, then add baking powder, almond flour, and oat flour. Mix to combine.1½ cups shredded carrots, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 cup almond flour, 1 cup quick oats
- Fold in chopped walnuts and stir again.1 cup walnuts or pecan nuts
- Prepare a large baking tray with parchment paper. Scoop around 2 tbsp of the batter per cookie onto the tray and flatten a little with the back of your spoon. Place the cookies at least 1 inch from each other as they’ll spread when cooking. This recipe should make around 20 cookies (for 10 sandwich cookies).
- Bake them for 15-18 minutes or until golden on the edges.
- Let them cool completely before transferring to a plate or rack.
- Once the cookies are at room temperature, prepare the ice cream cookies by adding 1-2 tbsp of the frosting to each cookie. You can consume them straight away, or freeze them for at least one hour, which will make the cookie sandwich harder like ice cream.
Notes
- Chilling is Key: The vegan cream cheese frosting needs at least 30 minutes in the fridge to firm up. This will make it easier to spread and pipe without ending up with a puddle on your cookies.
- Frosting Consistency: Not a fan of super sweet frosting? Start with ¾ cup of powdered sugar and gradually add more, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired sweetness and piping consistency.
- Flaxseed Egg Matters: Make sure your flaxseed egg thickens completely before using it in the batter. A runny flaxseed egg can make your cookies spread too thin and lose their shape.
- Bake Time for Texture: Craving chewy cookies? Bake for 15 minutes. Want them slightly crispier on the edges? Extend the baking time to 18 minutes. Keep an eye on them during the last few minutes to avoid over-baking.
- Nutty Options: This recipe is happy with chopped walnuts or pecans. Feel free to experiment with other chopped nuts like almonds or hazelnuts to add a different flavor twist.
- Spice it Up (or Down): Love a stronger cinnamon flavor? Add an extra ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients. Prefer a milder spice profile? Stick to the one teaspoon listed in the recipe.
- Ice Cream Cookie Craving? Freeze the frosted cookies for at least an hour! This will create a fun and delicious “ice cream cookie” texture – perfect for a cool summer treat.
- Leftover oat flour? Use it in smoothies, pancakes, or other baked goods to add a boost of fiber and healthy fats!
