Carrot cake in a cookie form, yes please! Did I mention that these cookies are low in calorie and won’t stick to your thighs? Believe it! They are loaded with shredded carrots, wonderful fall spices, and plump raisins. A cream cheese drizzle on top finishes off these healthy goodies!
What makes these carrot cake cookies so healthy?
The ingredients in these cookies are quite similar to a regular oatmeal raisin cookie, but with a few added ingredients.
The oats, whole wheat white flour, and plump raisins give you a crazy amount of fiber. We all know that extra fiber promotes great digestive health and can even help lower cholesterol! Who knew that a cookie could give you all that! Sign me up!
The shredded carrots are full of antioxidants and are great for your eye health, heart health and even lower your risk for cancer.
I am sure you are wondering about the glaze itself, but anything in moderation is okay to have once in awhile. So don’t fret and enjoy these low calorie carrot cake cookies!
Tips and tricks for cookies
- If you don’t have the matchstick carrots in your fridge, just use a good old veggie peeler and shred away. I just cut some of the larger pieces to make them smaller.
- Be sure to only use old fashioned oats because instant oats will not give the structure to the cookie itself and they won’t turn out the same way.
- You can either cream your drizzle, confectioner’s sugar and milk in a food processor to get your glaze or melt the cream cheese slightly and then whisk in the confectioner’s sugar and milk to achieve the same results for the glaze. Pick you poison!
- Without glaze, these cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days. With glaze, store in the refrigerator.
Ingredients for low calorie cookies
- Whole wheat white flour
- Baking powder
- Apple pie spice: pumpkin pie spice can be used as a substitute.
- Salt
- Light brown sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Old fashioned oats: Quaker is great, but any generic brand will work too!
- Shredded carrots
- Raisins
- Cream cheese
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Skim milk
How to make low calorie carrot cake cookies
These cookies are not time consuming at all, and can be whipped up pretty quickly. The flavor in these cookies is so amazing and I can’t believe that they are so healthy!
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray two baking sheets with non-stick spray and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, apple pie spice and salt.
Second, in another large bowl, whisk the brown sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla. Add in the flour mixture, oats, carrots and raisins. Stir with a large spoon until well combined. Drop about a tbsp of batter on cookie sheets about 2 inches about (each sheet will have 12 cookies).
Third, Bake the cookies until they are golden brown on the bottom (13-14 minutes). Let them cook on a baking sheet for 10 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Fourth, while the cookies are baking, make the cream cheese glaze. Put the cream cheese in a small microwavable bowl and heat for 10-12 seconds just to slightly warm it up. Add in the confectioner’s sugar and milk. Whisk fast until glaze it at desired consistency.
Lastly, with a spoon drizzle that cream cheese glaze on each cookie and enjoy!
If you enjoy these cookies, check these out!
Low-calorie carrot cake cookies
Equipment
- 2 baking sheets
- Non-stick spray
- Whisk
- Large spoon
- Wire rack
- spatula
- Vegetable peeler
Ingredients
Carrot cake cookies
- 1 cup whole wheat white flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp apple pie spice
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- ½ cup grated carrots
- ½ cup raisins
Cream cheese glaze
- ¼ cup cream cheese room temperature
- 2 tbsp confectioner's sugar
- 2 tbsp skim milk
Instructions
Carrot cake cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°. Light coat the two baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, apple pie spice and salt together in a medium mixing bowl.
- In another mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, melted butter, egg, and vanilla together. Add in the flour mixture, oats, and raisins and stir with a large spoon until well combined. Drop tbsp of batter onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake until the cookies are golden brown on the bottom (13-14 minutes). Let them cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to complete cooling.
Cream cheese glaze
- Combine cream cheese, confectioner's sugar, and skim milk in a bowl. Stir until you reach the desired consistency. Adding more confectioner's sugar or milk if needed. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies.
Notes
- Store unglazed cookies in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Store glazed cookies in the reftigerator for 3 days.
Nutrition
fun fact of the day!
A moonbow is a rainbow that happens at night! I would LOVE to see one of these!