Delicious, spiced, and healthy! These vegan and gluten-free carrot cake balls are made with oat flour and maple syrup. Great for meal prep and freezing for later.

Dairy-Free Buttercream Frosting (VG, GF)

Ingredients

• ¼ cup softened vegan butter
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1½ cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons dairy-free milk

Instructions

• Add softened vegan butter to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
• Mix in the vanilla extract until combined.
• Gradually add powdered sugar, about ½ cup at a time, mixing until smooth and fluffy.
• Add dairy-free milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
• Use immediately, or store the frosting in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Oat Carrot Cake Balls (VG, GF)

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed + 5 tbsp warm water (flax “egg”)
• 2 cups oat flour
• ½ cup almond flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup grated carrots (about 3 medium)
• ½ cup almond or peanut butter
• ¼ cup melted coconut oil
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a small bowl, combine the flaxseed and warm water to make the flax “egg.” Set aside for 5 minutes to thicken.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
• In a medium bowl, mix the grated carrots, almond (or peanut) butter, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir in the flax mixture until well combined.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold gently until just combined. Stir in the chopped walnuts.
• Scoop about ¼ cup of dough per cookie onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake one sheet at a time for 20–24 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.
• Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Once cooled, top with vegan buttercream frosting, if desired.

Tips

• Don’t underbake the balls - Make sure that they’re beginning to brown around the edges before you remove them from the oven so they don’t break apart
• Leave the balls on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack so they can harden and keep their shape
• Freeze the extras - they last longer and you can pop one in the fridge for the day you’d like to eat it