Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies

File these babies under taste better than they look because – I know – but WAIT UNTIL YOU TASTE!

A friend recently joked on Instagram that she’s resorted to making big egg casseroles each week to refrigerate then quickly reheat for breakfast because her hangry toddler gets impatient waiting for her to make anything else. Umm, I hear that! I hardly have a chance to get the “ha-ha” aka peanut butter (children say the darndest things) out for Lincoln’s morning toast before he’s wolfed down the banana I give him as an appetizer and is banging his plate for more.

Point being – Mama needs some quick breakfast go-tos and lately they’ve been breakfast cookies on repeat. Not only are they toddler friendly, but they’re perfect for busy mornings when you can’t stomach another bowl of cereal, or refuse to look at the nutrition label on the packaged breakfast tart you pulled out of the pantry, lest you acknowledge that it has more sugar than a Snickers (mmm, Snickers,) but you need something fast.

That said Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies are winning major awards around here at breakfast and snack time for being quick and gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and refined sugar-free, but tasting like a legit soft and cakey carrot cake cookie!

I don’t know about you but I pretty much get instant anxiety when I see xyz-FREE goodie recipes. Usually because they’re replacing the good stuff with like, beans. You know? Sorry, but, I just can’t.

No beans here, friends! Just healthy, real foods that you and your tastebuds will be so excited to eat.

Old fashioned oats, chopped pecans, cinnamon, and flaxseed meal combine with mashed banana, unsweetened applesauce, coconut oil, honey, maple syrup, and shredded carrots for a gluten-free breakfast cookie that straight up tastes like DESSERT. Soft, fluffy carrot cake, in fact. I literally said to Ben as I ate the batter (which tastes like decadent cookie dough,) this tastes even better than the real thing!

And, hallelujiah, no refined sugar. Nope, not needed! Take my word for it that they don’t taste like bananas nor coconut, either. I think they cancel each other out, or something. Another bonus? I bet you have 90% of the ingredients in your house right now. I didn’t have to buy a thing.

Ok one more awesome thing about these breakfast cookies? They’re freezer-friendly! I make a double batch of both these and my Lemon-Blackberry Breakfast Cookies (which I sometimes use blueberries in – so good,) then wrap in saran wrap and freeze. To thaw, all you have to do is wrap in a paper towel then microwave for 20 seconds. Even Lincoln can wait that long!

Speaking of the L-man, he loves these breakfast cookies so much that I can’t bring them out of the freezer before it’s time to eat otherwise he refuses everything else on his plate. I guess I can’t blame him. Healthy carrot cake cookies for the win!

Start by grinding 1-1/4 cup homemade oat flour from 1-1/2 cups certified gluten-free old fashioned oats. If you don’t have a food processor you can just buy oat flour – blammo! I let the oats run in the food processor for 2 minutes or so, or until they’re as fine as they’re gonna get.

Next, finely chop 1/2 cup gluten-free pecans by pulsing a few times in the food processor. Again, if you don’t have one, no worries, just chop them by hand!

Add the oat flour to a large bowl with 2 cups old fashioned oats, 1/4 cup gluten-free ground flaxseed meal, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon each baking soda and salt, and then mix with a fork to combine.

In another bowl mash up 1 large banana to get 1/2 cup mashed banana then stir in 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1/4 cup coconut oil (either softened or melted,) 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup milk (any kind – I used unflavored almond milk,) and 2 Tablespoons maple syrup. Pour into the dry ingredients then mix until combined.

Next, get your carrots ready. You’ll need 1 cup finely grated carrots which is 2-3 large carrots. Peel then trim first, then grate ’em on the fine side of a box grater. Since these cookies bake in only 8 minutes you want to make sure the carrots are super fine so they have time to cook!

Add the grated carrots and chopped pecans into the bowl then mix until combined.

Scoop 1/4 cup batter (I used an ice cream scoop) onto a silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet then wet hands slightly and press down to flatten the cookies just a bit. They won’t spread in the oven, so the shape they go in as, is the shape they’ll come out as! Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

OK! You have a couple different Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookie enjoyment options at this point:

1. Eat immediately while warm. HIGHLY recommended.

2. Cool completely then store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

3. Cool completely then wrap each cookie in saran wrap, place in a Ziplock freezer bag, and then freeze completely. When you’re ready to eat, unwrap then re-wrap in a paper towel and microwave for 20 seconds. That’s it!

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies

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Description

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies are packed with good-for-you ingredients and are ready in just 20 seconds out of the freezer!

Ingredients

makes 12 cookies

• 2 cups gluten-free certified old fashioned oats
• 1-1/4 cups oat flour (blended from 1-1/2 cups gluten-free certified old fashioned oats)
• 1/4 cup gluten-free ground flaxseed meal
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup mashed very ripe banana (about 1 large banana)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup milk (any kind, I used almond milk)
• 2 Tablespoons real maple syrup
• 1 cup finely grated carrots (about 2 large carrots)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped gluten-free pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees then line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper and set aside.
2. Add oats, oat flour, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl then mix to combine. Add mashed banana, applesauce, honey, coconut oil, milk, and maple syrup to another bowl then mix until combined. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients then mix, and then add grated carrots and chopped pecans then mix until combined.
3. Scoop 1/4 cup batter (I used an ice cream scoop) onto prepared baking sheet then wet hand with water and press down to flatten slightly (cookies will not spread.) Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool completely then store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, or wrap individually in plastic wrap then freeze in a freezer bag. Remove from plastic wrap then wrap in a paper towel and microwave for 20-30 seconds to thaw.

Notes

• If you're grinding your own oat flour you'll need 3-1/2 cups oats total for the recipe. 2 cups oats whole, plus 1-1/2 cups oats that you will grind in the food processor to make 1-1/4 cups oat flour.

This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.

Enjoy this delicious, hardly ordinary start to your day!