Delicious and Easy Carrot and Coconut Cookies

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.

• 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.

• 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.

If you want to change up your carrot cookies try:

• 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

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:

• Vichy Carrots
• Vegan Smoked "Salmon"
• Air Fryer Roasted Carrot