Delicious and Easy Carrot and Coconut Cookies
Vegan carrot coconut cookies. The humble carrot is like your reliable work colleague or best mate. They always turn up for you, they’ve got your back and you know you can trust them. A carrot will always taste delicious whatever time of the year you get them and it can perform perfectly in both sweet and savoury dishes.
If you’re a regular of this blog, you’ll know that I like using unusual ingredients, or mixing things up, and these cookies, whilst using perfectly normal ingredients, has one unusual one: cooked carrots.
Yes, yes, I know, “carrot cake!” I hear you cry. But these cookies are not carrot cake. They are more scrumptious than carrot cake. They are healthier. They are easier. They last ages in the biscuit tin.
I love to spend my evenings browsing vintage cookbooks for ideas that I can veganise, and these cookies jumped out to me: the Betty Crocker Cooky book has been a source of unending inspiration, and whilst some of the recipes may seem quaint, good flavor is always in fashion.
My carrot and coconut cookies are simple: just stir, drop and bake. The icing is optional if you want a healthier cookie, but it does add a luscious fruity sweetness.
Table of Contents
How do you make Vegan Carrot Coconut Cookies?
- In a large bowl, blend together the wet ingredients, which is to say, the butter, cooked carrots, yogurt and also the sugar. Don’t worry, this mixture will not not properly amalgamate at this point. In fact, it will look a bit gross.
- Sift in the dry ingredients (except the coconut), and mix well. I have recommended wholemeal flour, and I stirred in the little bits left in the sieve too.
- Fold in the coconut, and then, using a spoon (or medium cookie scoop), drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto a prepared cookie sheet.
- They will spread out a little during baking but not hugely so.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until no longer wet on the top, then leave to cool on a cooling rack.
- If you wish, go ahead and ice them once cool.
What ingredients are in Vegan Carrot Cookies?
- Cooked Carrots. The most important ingredient! I boiled up 300g of raw carrots, and used about half of this amount for these cookies, so I would say that 150g raw carrots = 1 cup cooked. You could also use tinned carrots if you prefer, thoroughly drained. Make sure that the carrots are cooked completely, almost to the point of the collapse.
- Dessicated Coconut. This is optional, and if you absolutely hate coconut, then just omit it. I would recommend adding some sultanas or walnuts to the mixture instead though.
- Yogurt. I used Alpro plain yogurt. This is one of my go-to egg replacers. When I’m veganising a recipe, I try to imagine the texture of the finished product: do I want it to be crisp, moist or chewy? Then I decide what type of egg replacer to use.
- Vegan Butter. I used Flora Plant-Based butter, although this is not my favourite vegan butter. I find it difficult to find other brands locally. You could easily replace this with vegetable oil or melted (and cooled) coconut oil.
Modifications
- Omit the coconut if you don’t like it.
- Add a quarter cup of vegan chocolate chips
- Add a quarter cup of sultanas
- Add a quarter cup of chopped walnuts
- Use plain white flour instead
FAQ
Yes! You can use any gluten-free flour of your choice.
Other delicious vegan cookies
- Raw Chocolate Brownies with Tahini Icing
- Keto Chocolate Truffles
- The Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cacao Nib Truffles
- Turtle-style Cookies
- Delicious Tangy Lemon Cookies
- Lofthouse Cookies
- Anzac Biscuits, oaty and delicious
Other vegan carrot recipes
Vegan Wholemeal Carrot Cookies
Equipment
- 2 lined baking trays
Ingredients
- ½ cup Butter - vegan, or vegetable oil
- 6 tbsp Sugar
- ¼ cup Plain Yogurt - vegan
- ½ cup Carrots - cooked, mashed
- 1 cup Wholemeal Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 6 tbsp Shredded Coconut
- pinch Salt
Icing
- 1 cup Confectionary Sugar - sieved
- 2 tbsp Orange Juice - I use freshly squeezed
- ¼ tsp Orange Zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190c
- In a large bowl, blend together all the wet ingredients, the butter (or oil if using), mashed carrot and yogurt. It will not form a smooth mixture so don't worry, just make sure it's as amalgamated as you can.
- Sift in the flour, salt and baking powder. Add the bits of wholemeal left in the sieve to the mixture too.
- Gently fold in until thoroughly mixed and then fold in the coconut.
- Using a spoon or medium cookie scoop, drop spoonfuls of the mixture on your prepared baking sheets, leaving 2" between each cookie.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until the top is no longer wet.
- Leave to cool for a minute on the baking sheet, then remove to cool completely on a cooling rack.
To make the Icing
- Whisk the icing sugar, lemon juice, zest and maple syrup together. Icing needs to be thick enough that it doesn't drop off a spoon. Add a little more juice or icing sugar to achieve the right consistency.
- Using a teaspoon, smear the icing over the cookies. Grate a little extra orange zest on the icing whilst still sticky, then leave to set.
Please note that where the recipe asks for milk, butter or yogurt, this refers to any plant-based version that you prefer.
Love these delicious cookies and that wonderful icing!
What a great combination or carrot and cookies! Loved the zing from the orange zest too.
Amazing cookies! Thanks for the recipe.
These were so good!
Such an easy, healthy
, and delicious treats to make for the kids, yum!