These Almond Flour Carrot Cake Cookies are simple, egg-free, dairy-free, gluten-free cookies rich in protein and fiber, and loaded with classic carrot cake flavors.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and lightly oil the paper with coconut oil. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients: almond flour, maple syrup, oil, baking powder, grated carrots, chopped pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and salt if used.
Stir with a rubber spatula at first, then squeeze with your hands to release the carrot juice in the dough, and form a sticky dough that can be easily rolled into balls.
Divide the dough into 12 balls of the same size. The dough is sticky, so you may want to oil your hands to roll the dough balls.
Place each dough ball onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving an inch of space between each cookie, and press the top slightly. These cookies do not spread as they bake, which means the shape you give them now is what you get after baking them.
Optional, press a few chopped pecans in the top center of each cookie to add some crunch.
Bake the cookies in the center rack of the oven for 12-15 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until golden brown on the edges.
Let them cool them down for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet, then slide a spatula under each cookie and cool them down on a wire rack for 1 hour.
Notes
Note 1: Or almond meal, cashew flour. For a nut-free version, use sunflower seeds or sesame flour.Note 2: You can use any liquid sweetener, like agave syrup or coconut nectar.Note 3: Or melted, cooled coconut oil, or melted plant-based butter. Oil-free options like mashed banana or applesauce will work, but the cookies will be very soft and fragile.Note 4: I grate the carrots with the smaller side of my hand grater box. Don't use grated zucchini instead, as they release too much liquid, and the cookies will be soft.Note 5: Or any other nuts like finely chopped walnuts, pistachios, almonds, or desiccated coconut.Note 6: You can also use allspice or more cinnamon, or skip.Storage: Store the cookies at room temperature for up to 4 days in an airtight container. You can freeze the cookies in Ziploc bags and thaw them at room temperature the day before.
Tips
Squeeze The Dough: I recommend using your hands to press the dough firmly because this releases the carrot juice and helps everything stick together.Adjust For Dryness: If your dough feels a bit crumbly, add a tiny bit more maple syrup to help it form a cohesive ball.Small Nut Pieces: Chop your pecans very finely so you don't create weak spots that make the cookies break apart.Cold Storage: I find these have the best texture when stored in the fridge, as almond flour cookies tend to soften at room temperature.Fun Swaps: You can use ultra-fine desiccated coconut instead of pecans for a different flavor profile.
Oven Mode: I use the fan-forced (convection) mode. If you have to use conventional mode, I recommend increasing the temperature by 25°F (15°C). The baking time should be the same, but it might take a few more minutes.