Light and flavorful with a dash of citrusy flavours, this orange carrot cookies recipe is worth a shot when you’re in the mood to bake!
Craving for a little something sweet, but still want to keep it healthy? This easy orange carrot cookies recipe has you sorted! Batch make these and store them for when you’re hit by a quick sweet craving.
Can I Use Orange Flavouring Instead of Juice and Zest?
If you’re a fan of shortcuts and have some orange flavouring at home, you could totally use that too! But trust me on this, nothing beats the intensity and original flavor of orange juice and zest!
In fact, you could also use a bit of that extra orange zest as a garnish on top of the glaze!
Why Did My Carrot Cookies Turn Dense?
Do your cookies tend to turn out dense and cakey? Following this recipe down to the very last detail will ensure that it doesn’t happen, but that’s not all.
Sometimes, you might not realize it, but you could be making teeny mistakes that could be causing your cookies to turn out dense.
One of the most common reasons why that could happen is because you might have used butter right from the fridge.
Another reason might be because your baking powder might have exceeded its shelf life, and it won’t help your cookies rise anymore. Not adding butter and sugar in the right proportions can also cause cookies to become thick.
So how do you fix that? Well, start by decreasing the amount of butter and sugar in the recipe. Also make sure the butter is not ‘cold’ but at room temperature before you begin working with it. Using shortening instead of butter is also another excellent trick, but if you don’t want to sacrifice the buttery flavor, you can work with a combination of both.
Last, but not the least, remember to check the expiration date on your baking powder before you use it!
How Can I Make These Orange Cookies Healthier?
Believe it or not, a few simple swaps can actually turn things around and make your homemade cookies healthier. While this orange carrot cookies recipe is actually healthy already (thanks to the carrots and orange juice), you can still tweak it a bit if you’re up for it.
- Swap the all purpose flour in the recipe for whole wheat flour.
- Replace the egg with a mashed banana. This doesn’t just add a ton of flavor and lends the cookies a fun texture, but also packs in a lot of potassium and other minerals and vitamins.
- Add in nuts or seeds into the batter. This will not just add in an element of crunch to the cookies, but will also make them healthier with fiber, healthy fats and vitamin E.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Since these cookies aren’t too sweet, you can have them with your cup of coffee or tea, or just as is.
Team them up with a bit of vanilla ice cream for a quick dessert.
Looking for more Cookie Recipes?
These melt-in-your-mouth Lemon Crinkle Cookies are absolutely dreamy. This cookie recipe is one of my favourites, I could have these for dessert everyday and be happy!
These Sprinkle Sugar Cookies are one of my kids favourites cookie recipes. They love to help make them and eat them too. Sprinkles always win!
These Jell-O Cookies are a really fun twist on a sugar cookie that will be sure to be a hit with kids because of their bright colour and flavour.
How to Make Orange Carrot Cookies
Yield: 2 to 3 dozen | Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 15 mins
Ingredients:
2/3 cup Shortening or Softened Butter
3/4 cup Sugar
1 cup Carrots, cooked and mashed
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Orange Zest
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp Salt
2 tsp Baking Powder
Glaze:
1/4 cup Hot Orange Juice
2 cups Powdered Sugar
Zest of 1 large or 2 small oranges, less 1 tsp used in cookie dough.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
With a mixer, beat shortening and sugar until crumbly.
Add carrots, egg, vanilla and orange zest to sugar mixture and beat until well mixed.
Sift flour, salt and baking powder and gradually add to dough, mixing well.
Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet.
Bake 15 minutes until golden.
Make glaze while cookies are cooling by combining hot orange juice and powdered sugar. Stir until all lumps are smooth, then stir in zest.
Drizzle glaze on top of cooled cookies.
Optional: lightly sprinkle with additional orange zest for garnish.
Orange Carrot Cookies
Light and flavorful with a dash of citrusy flavors, this orange carrot cookies recipe is worth a shot when you’re in the mood to bake!
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup Shortening or Softened Butter
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- 1 cup Carrots, cooked and mashed
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1 tsp Orange Zest
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
Glaze:
- 1/4 cup Hot Orange Juice
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
- Zest of 1 large or 2 small oranges, less 1 tsp used in cookie dough.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
With a mixer, beat shortening and sugar until crumbly.
Add carrots, egg, vanilla and orange zest to sugar mixture and beat until well mixed.
Sift flour, salt and baking powder and gradually add to dough, mixing well.
Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet.
Bake 15 minutes until golden.
Make glaze while cookies are cooling by combining hot orange juice
and powdered sugar. Stir until all lumps are smooth, then stir in zest.
Drizzle glaze on top of cooled cookies.
Optional: lightly sprinkle with additional orange zest for garnish.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
48Serving Size:
1 CookieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 83Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 46mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 0gSugar: 8gProtein: 1g
Elizabeth Lampman is a coffee-fuelled Mom of 2 girls and lives in Hamilton, Ontario. She enjoys travelling, developing easy recipes, crafting, taking on diy projects, travelling and saving money!
Dee
Wednesday 14th of September 2022
If I replaced the sugar with applesauce or grated apples do you think the cookies would have a good texture and hold together. Thanks
Elizabeth Lampman
Wednesday 14th of September 2022
I don't think that would work here as there isn't any liquid you can swap out in addition to the sugar. If you are looking for a healthier option I would use granulated monkfruit sweetener instead.