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Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies

These carrot cake breakfast cookies by Registered Dietician Lauren Marucci (@theperfectpearr) will give you something to look forward to when you wake up in the morning. They’re full of carrot cake flavor but lower in sugar and fat.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE COOKIES

  1. 1 1/4 cup (141g) old-fashioned oats

  2. 3/4 cup (62g) white whole wheat flour (or AP or whole wheat flour)

  3. 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

  4. 1 tsp baking powder

  5. 1 tsp ground ginger

  6. 1/2 tsp salt

  7. 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

  8. 1/2 cup (105g) walnut oil, or any neutral oil

  9. 1/3 cup (83g) 100% maple syrup or honey

  10. 1/4 cup (60g) milk of choice, room temperature

  11. 1 large egg, room temperature

  12. 1 tsp vanilla extract

  13. 1 1/2 cups (90g) shredded carrots (~3-4 large carrots)

  14. 1 cup (123g) chopped walnuts or pecans

  15. 1/3 cup (20g) unsweetened shredded coconut

  16. 1/4 cup (37g) golden raisins

 

FOR THE PROTEIN POWDER ICING

  1. 1/2 cup (66g) powdered sugar

  2. 1/4 cup (27g) vanilla protein powder

  3. 2–3 Tbsp milk or water

  4. 1 tsp cream cheese or vanilla extract

 

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE COOKIES

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. Whisk oats, flour, baking powder, spices, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

  3. In a large bowl, whisk oil, maple syrup or honey, milk, egg, and vanilla.

  4. Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix.

  5. Fold in carrots, nuts, coconut, and raisins.

  6. Scoop ~1/4 cup of batter onto baking sheet.  Shape into circles and flatten to desired thickness before baking.

  7. Bake 11-13 minutes, or until baked in the center.

  8. Cool on cooling rack.

  9. In a small bowl, whisk icing ingredients.  Add a Tbsp of milk or water if needed, until desired consistency is reached.

  10. Drizzle icing over cooled cookies.

  11. Let icing harden (~20 minutes) and enjoy!

NOTES

  1. Store in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.

  2. Store in fridge if using icing; if not using icing, you can store at room temp.

  3. Cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.

  4. These are easy to make ahead of time and enjoy for breakfast throughout the week!  Pair with Greek yogurt or eggs to get some protein and make it a balanced meal.