Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies
These vegan carrot cake cookies taste just like my favourite vegan carrot cake with all the fun of a soft and chewy cookie. Frosted and decorated with a simple vegan buttercream, these cookies are perfect for your Easter celebrations, but really are perfect enjoyed year round!
Servings 16 cookies
Calories 276kcal
Ingredients
For the vegan carrot cake cookies:
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 160 grams (⅔ cup) dairy free butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups plain flour/all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon mixed spice
- Pinch salt
- ¾ cup grated carrot approx 1 medium carrot
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
For the vegan buttercream:
- 60 grams (¼ cup) dairy free butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon dairy free milk
- Pinch salt
- Orange and green gel food colouring optional
- Chopped walnuts extra optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
- Make the vegan carrot cake cookies. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the brown sugar, dairy-free butter, and vanilla extract using an electric or stand mixer. Mix until light and creamy.
- Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, mixed spice, and salt, then mix until just combined. The dough may look crumbly but should press together easily.
- Fold in the grated carrot and chopped walnuts, using a spatula if needed to bring the dough together.
- Scoop out balls of dough (about 1 ½ tablespoons each) and place them evenly on the prepared tray, leaving space for spreading.
- Bake for 14 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. The cookies will still be soft but will firm up as they cool.
- Let the cookies cool on the tray for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the buttercream. In a bowl, beat the dairy-free butter and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the icing sugar, ½ cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. If the frosting becomes too thick, add a tablespoon of dairy free milk to reach a creamy consistency. Add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
- Decorate the cookies. Set aside 2-3 tablespoons of buttercream in two small bowls. Tint one orange and one green using gel food colouring.
- Spread the remaining white buttercream over the cooled cookies using a spoon or frosting knife.
- Transfer the coloured buttercream into two piping bags. Use a #66 or #70 tip for the orange buttercream (for the carrot) and use a Wilton #48 tip or similar for the green buttercream (for the leaves).
- Pipe a zigzag of orange in the centre of each cookie, starting small at the top and widening towards the bottom to create a carrot shape. Pipe two small green leaves at the wider end. Sprinkle with extra chopped walnuts if desired.
Notes
Storage: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 2g | Sodium: 167mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 1007IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg
