Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies

Thick, soft, and full of fresh carrot and apple, these Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies are a healthy make ahead breakfast or snack. They're whole grain and refined sugar free, and keep well in the freezer.

Recipe type: Breakfast, Snack

Serves: 18 large cookies

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup oat flour or whole-wheat flour*
• ½ cup ground flaxseed
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. nutmeg
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• ½ cup honey or pure maple syrup
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• ¼ cup (4 tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 cup grated carrot, chopped smaller if desired (2 medium carrots)**
• 1 cup finely chopped (or grated) apple (1 medium), no need to peel

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, stir together oats, flour, flaxseed, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together honey (or maple syrup), applesauce, egg, and vanilla. Mix in the melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the grated carrot and apple.
4. Use a large scoop or measuring cup to drop ¼-cup portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Use your fingers to gently shape the cookies and flatten slightly, as they won't flatten on their own during baking.
5. Bake 14-15 minutes, until set and lightly golden. (If baking more than one pan at a time, be sure to rotate the pans halfway through the baking time.) Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.

*You can make your own oat flour in your food processor. For 1 cup of oat flour, process 1 heaping cup of old-fashioned oats until finely ground, about 1 minute.
**I used my food processor to make grating the carrots quick and easy. A box grater would work as well.