Carrot Cookies with Blood Orange Icing

These Carrot Cookies have just the right amount of crunch and chew, paired with my Blood Orange Icing to seal the deal!

So the end of February is upon us. How in the world did that happen? In my corner of the world things seem to be levelling out. Still on lockdown, variants are still a looming threat but there is a thread of hope. I’m guessing Spring is just under a month away.

I know many of my fellow bloggers are bypassing St. Patrick’s Day and heading right to all things Spring but I promise, with my Irish heritage it would be sacrilege to ignore such an important holiday. I definitely have some green recipes headed your way. In the meantime, I could not wait to share these cookies with you.

One of my favourite desserts is carrot cake. Some of you may argue that carrot cake isn’t really dessert. We used to have this argument at my last restaurant. It’s NOT DESSERT my Italian owners would proclaim. But the guests loved it. Who could blame them? Our Nona Maria made the best carrot cake ever. NOT VEGAN or GF I can assure you but I sampled it all the same. It was just that good. My cookies ARE vegan and gf and they too are delicious. I made a blood orange icing for them but they are fabulous on their own also. If you make them, please leave a comment or a review and don’t forget to pin it!

Carrot Cookies with Blood Orange Icing

Teri-Ann Carty

These Carrot Cookies have just the right amount of crunch and chew, paired with my Blood Orange Icing to seal the deal!

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Course Cookies, Desserts & Sweets

Servings 15 cookies

Equipment

baking sheet
oven

Ingredients

CARROT COOKIE INGREDIENTS

2 cup oats (gluten free if necessary)
½ cup oat flour (I ground mine from oats in a high speed blender)
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
2 flax eggs +5 tbsp warm water
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup +2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
½ cup maple syrup
¼ cup melted coconut oil
¾ cup grated carrot
½ cup apricots chopped
½ cup walnuts chopped

CASHEW BLOOD ORANGE ICING INGREDIENTS

½ cup soaked cashews
2 tbsp squeezed blood orange
zest of 1 blood orange
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp coconut kefir or yogurt
1 tbsp maple syrup
pinch of salt

Instructions

CARROT COOKIE INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat 350. If you have the grater attachment for your food processor use that or a box grater to grate your carrots. I used 2 smallish carrots.
Prepare the flax eggs, whisk and set aside.
In a medium sized bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. In a separate bowl mix Peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, carrot, melted coconut oil and flax eggs. Allow the mixture to sit for several minutes. The carrot will start to release water making the mixture more moist. Add wet to dry and fold in chopped apricots and walnuts.
Dampen your hands with water. Use a large soup spoon to measure out the cookie dough. Mould with your hands and place on a cookie sheet flattening the top slightly. These won’t expand much.
Place in the oven for 15-17 minutes until firm to the touch and slightly brown around the edges. Allow to cool completely before icing.

CASHEW BLOOD ORANGE ICING METHOD

I soaked my cashews for approx. 4 hours. Rinse cashews and place in a high speed blender. Add remaining ingredients and blend on high until you have a smooth icing. Scrape into a bowl and place into the fridge to firm up slightly. Once the icing has firmed up, smear onto each cookie.

Notes

*Keep in mind, once the icing hardens it WILL change colour. Cashews will oxidize and turn a caramel colour. It is OK! Enjoy immediately!

Keyword cookies, dairy free, dessert, gluten free, icing, plant based, sharable, snack, vegan

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