Carrot Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

I tried several breakfast bar recipes and these were the best by far. These “cookies” are a sweet, soft and all-natural alternative to expensive store-bought breakfast bars. You could add protein powder or other boosters if desired, but I find them delightful as-is with just a glass of milk. They’re much less crumbly than muffins, so they’re ideal for breakfast in the car on rushed mornings.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 1/2 cups grated carrot
  • 1 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, or larger dried fruit chopped small)
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup + 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (separate measurements)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Equipment

  • Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
  • Food processor is very helpful but not required
  • Cookie sheet

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, stir carrot, dried fruit, and oats together until well mixed. Set aside.
  3. Melt butter. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.
  4. Add 1/3 cup applesauce and blend for 2 minutes.
  5. Add eggs and blend for another 3 minutes until mixture thickens. Stop mixing to scrape the sides of the bowl if needed.
  6. Add vanilla and remaining 1/4 cup applesauce. Mix on low until blended.
  7. With mixer on low, slowly add dry ingredients and mix until blended.
  8. Remove mixer and add the carrot-fruit-oat mixture. Stir by hand until well mixed.
  9. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for an hour.
  10. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheet.
  11. Either with your hands or two spoons, drop spoonfuls of dough onto the cookie sheet to form thick cookies. They won’t spread out much during cooking, so you can place them fairly close together.
  12. Bake 15-20 minutes until just lightly brown. Cool completely, then enjoy! You can store them at room temperature or freeze them for future enjoyment.

Source

Adapted from Earthwatersunwind’s Carrot and Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies recipe on GroupRecipes.com.