Quinoa carrot cake cookies perfect for busy weekday mornings. Oil-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and high in protein to keep you fueled for hours.
Imagine cookies for breakfast.
Mmm.
Are you with me?
Now imagine carrot cake for breakfast.
Yes?
Now imagine those two spectacular scenes smushed together plus all of the health benefits of eating a bowl of oatmeal and then some.
These Toasted Quinoa Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies make all of those imaginings a reality next to your cup of coffee.
Fun fact: My first ever birthday cake was a carrot cake.
I remember seeing it in pictures, a yellow cake with the face of Big Bird smiling up at us under frosted yellow feathers.
Maybe just despite this, at an early age I decided that I didn’t like carrot cake.
I cringed whenever someone selected it for their birthday.
It was too carroty; too nutty; too something.
Too much carrot and not enough cake.
I had a thing about texture in foods as a kid.
I didn’t do orange juice with pulp and I certainly didn’t do nuts in my breakfast cookies.
Apparently my younger self didn’t appreciate the beauty of sneaking vegetables in desserts (and everything).
My how times have changed, because I absolutely love the texture of these cookies.
They’ve got a little bit of everything.
They’re packed with creamy almond butter, nutty flax seed, hearty oatmeal, sweet raisins, crunchy walnuts, shredded carrots, and even a bit of banana and applesauce.
I didn’t want you to miss out on anything first thing in the morning, so I packed in all of the goods.
They’re full of fiber, protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats that will give you tons of energy for the day ahead.
And of course, the quinoa, the star of the show.
Quinoa is a staple at my house and lately I’ve been loving toasted quinoa.
I always cook a big pot for the week to add to all of my salads, bowls, and entrees.
But have you tried baking with quinoa yet?
It has this wonderful roasted, nutty flavor that was calling to be included in a cookie.
I used this blend of cooked Toasted Quinoa and Toasted Quinoa Flakes to create them.
If you’re gluten-free, you’ll love baking with quinoa because it’s an excellent sub for regular flour in recipes!
These cookies are oil-free yet moist and soft with the addition of unsweetened applesauce and creamy almond butter.
I kept them refined sugar free, too, and instead added a banana and maple syrup as sweeteners.
If you find they aren’t sweet enough for you, add a little more maple syrup or another banana.
They’re versatile too!
Try subbing nut butter for the almond butter, any nuts for the walnuts, and any dried fruit for the raisins.
I piled a stack of these on my plate this morning as pre workout fuel and gobbled them up at a rate that made me wonder if they were ever really there at all.
Enjoy these Quinoa Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies with a hot latte or tea in the morning or throw them in a bag and take them to go.
They’re totally respectable for snacking, dessert-ing, and everything in between.
The cookies are dense and portable, holding up to the potential battles of commuting.
I highly recommend baking a batch on Sunday as meal prep and enjoying them Monday through Friday.
If they make it that far!
My secret if that I like them even better straight from the fridge than warm!
If you start your day off with these Quinoa Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies, let me know! I’d love to hear what you think of them.
Be sure to leave me a comment, rating, and review so I can use your feedback to create more yums.
Give me a shout on Instagram and use #floraandvino to show me your creations.
Check out my Pinterest page to pin more recipe like this one to make later.
Want more cookies for breakfast? Check out my Spiced Cashew Chickpea Snookies for more ways to start your day with healthy dessert!
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XO Lauren
Quinoa Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 24-30 cookies
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Enjoy carrot cake cookies perfect for busy weekday mornings. Oil-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and high in protein to keep you fueled for hours.
Ingredients
- 1 cup oat flour
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup Toasted Quinoa Flakes
- ½ cup cooked Toasted Quinoa (or sub gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats!)
- 1 cup finely shredded carrots
- 1 large banana
- 2 flax eggs (2 TBSP ground flaxseed + 6 TBSP filtered water)
- ½ cup roasted almond butter
- 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- ½ cup walnuts
- ½ cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the flaxseed and warm water and set aside to thicken for about 5 minutes. Next, add the smashed banana, almond butter, applesauce, and maple syrup and stir well to incorporate.
- Sift in the oat flour, quinoa flakes, and cinnamon and stir well to combine.
- Fold in the cooked quinoa, shredded carrots, raisins, and walnuts.
- With a cookie scoop, spoon ~1.5 TBSP batter for each cookie onto the baking sheet and flatten slightly with a fork.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned underneath and firm to the touch.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container the fridge for 3-5 days and freeze for long term storage.
- Category: Breakfast, Cookie, Dessert, Snack
- Method: Oven-Bake
- Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free
This post is brought to you by I Heart Keenwah, but all words and eats are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep me hungry!
Photography by Hot Pan Kitchen
These look amazing! I always thought carrot cake was strange too, but I love it now. I used to not like carrots too and now I eat them every day haha. So glad my taste buds grew up 🙂
Thank you, Kelly! Not sure why I’m just now seeing this comment, haha!