Low Calorie 4 Ingredient Carrot Cake Cookies
Soft, muffin-like carrot cake oatmeal cookies made with just 4 simple ingredients.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup finely grated carrots 29 g
- 1/2 cup cinnamon-flavored unsweetened applesauce 122 g
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup 30 ml
- 1 cup quick oats 93 g
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the grated carrots, cinnamon-flavored unsweetened applesauce, and maple syrup. Stir until the carrots are evenly coated and the mixture looks smooth and saucy.
- Gradually add the quick oats to the wet mixture, stirring until the oats are fully coated and the dough is thick, soft, and slightly sticky with no liquid pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
- Taste the mixture and, if desired, stir in an additional small splash of maple syrup for extra sweetness, adding just enough to keep the dough thick and scoopable.
- Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, making 8 mounds and spacing them about 1 inch apart.
- Gently flatten each mound with your fingers or the back of a spoon into thick, round cookies.
- Bake for 12 minutes, or until the cookies look set around the edges and the tops feel dry to the touch but still soft in the center.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack or plate to cool completely.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- For a sweeter cookie, you can add up to 1 extra tablespoon of maple syrup, but adjust by adding a small splash at a time to keep the dough thick.
- If the mixture seems too loose, stir in an additional spoonful of quick oats until it holds its shape when scooped.
- Optional mix-ins such as chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, or raisins can be folded in without affecting baking time, but they will increase calories.
- To freeze, place cookies in a single layer to firm up, then stack in a freezer-safe container with parchment between layers and thaw at room temperature or briefly in the microwave.
- If the mixture seems too loose, stir in an additional spoonful of quick oats until it holds its shape when scooped.
- Optional mix-ins such as chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, or raisins can be folded in without affecting baking time, but they will increase calories.
- To freeze, place cookies in a single layer to firm up, then stack in a freezer-safe container with parchment between layers and thaw at room temperature or briefly in the microwave.