Today’s recipe is a result of stumbling across an old post on my blog (like, REALLY OLD, from April 2010!) where I had written about making the “Inside Out Carrot Cake Cookies” from Epicurious and I remembered how much I loved them. You know, sometimes you want a piece of carrot cake but making a full-sized one is a bit of a palaver (and then you have a huge full-sized cake to contend with!). Those little cookie-cakes are the perfect compromise (and take way less time to make too!). And then once I started thinking about them, I couldn’t stop! I had a major craving for them! And I figured they’d be perfect to share!
Because I was going to be seeing a few people this weekend (outside! distanced! masked! Hello and welcome to Ontario where one dose of the vaccine is all we’ve been promised this summer – most of us will not be fully vaccinated until late summer/ early fall, but… I digress…) and a few of those people don’t eat gluten, I set about figuring out how to adapt these – not such an easy task given that they are already crumbly (because they are cakey) and that gluten provides some structure in baked goods like this.
I ended up simply substituting some almond and coconut flour for the all-purpose, with a few other tweaks (less sugar, less butter and I also omitted the raisins and walnuts – catering to those who can’t eat whole nut pieces in baked goods). So, in fact, a whole different cookie but no less delicious (in fact, I think I like this version better!). They have a hint of sweetness, a little crunch around the edges but retain the cakey insides. AND they are delicious on their own, no icing or frosting needed!
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Because these cookies are just a little bit sweet but not overly so, they can handle a little cream cheese frosting (hurrah! my favourite!). Spread it thin and enjoy a single cookie or spread it a little thicker and sandwich them. No matter how you choose to enjoy them, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how tasty these are, even with no gluten!
Carrot cake cookies (gluten-free)
Love carrot cake, don't want a whole slice? These cookies taste just like the cake, only in a smaller portion. Bonus? They're gluten-free (but you wouldn't know!).
Ingredients
for the cookies:
- 1 cup (100g) almond flour
- 1/2 cup (50g) coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60g) dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups grated carrot (from 1 medium, approx. 180g)
for the frosting
- 125g brick-style cream-cheese, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (50g) icing sugar
Instructions
Make the cookies
- Pre-heat the oven to 375˚F and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
- Whisk the almond flour, coconut flour and baking soda in a small bowl.
- In a medium bowl, beat the butter and two sugars together with electric hand beaters or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth and creamy.
- Add the egg and vanilla and continue to beat until fluffy and pale and very smooth (about 2 minutes).
- With the beaters or mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Add the carrots and mix until the carrots are evenly distributed through the batter.
- Use a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop and scoop out 18 cookies, spacing them about 2-inches apart on the baking trays.
- Use a small glass dipped in water (so it doesn't stick) to slightly flatten the cookies - be gentle here.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. The centre of the cookies will still feel quite under-baked but they will firm up after they have cooled.
- Let the cookies sit on the baking trays for 15 minutes before you place them (still on the parchment paper) on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting
- In a small bowl, using electric hand beaters or using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth and very creamy.
- Add the icing sugar (on low speed) and mix until the frosting is completely smooth.
Assemble the sandwich cookies
- Turn half of the cookies upside down.
- Place about a tablespoon of the frosting in the middle of each of the upside down cookies.
- Use an offset spatula to smooth the frosting to nearly the edge of the cookies.
- Carefully top the frosted cookies with an unfrosted "top" cookie and gently press down.
Notes
- Store these cookies in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving them.
- These are best on the day you make them but you can prepare the cookies and frosting the day before and fill them just before serving. Or put the cookies and frosting on the table and let guests fill their own (single layer or double layer!).
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These were the perfect late-spring, early-summer dessert and I’ll be making them again soon!
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Gosh, these are astoundingly good.
A mini “piece” of moist carrot cake…perfect.
so, they look like a biscuit (as we know them down under) but taste like a piece of cake? Fantastic.
Yes, absolutely!!