No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Carrot Cake Bites Recipe

Photographer: Averie Sunshine

Love Veggies and Yoga By Averie Sunshine

Please welcome new contributor to MarcusSamuelsson.com. Averie from the blog Love Veggies and Yoga will be sharing some of her amazing posts on our site.  Her blog features delicious recipes that run the gamut from Brownies to Vegan Cheezy Vegetable Bake. 

Growing up, I loved my grandma’s oatmeal raisin cookies and I also love carrot cake.  However, her cookies were made with a pound of butter and her carrot cake with a vat of cream cheese frosting.  Nothing wrong with that, of course!

Photographer: Averie Sunshine

Today’s recipe incorporates Oatmeal Raisin Cookies + Carrot Cake in a No-Bake Healthier Recipe than my Grandma’s

No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Carrot Cake Bites Recipe

1/ 2 c dry old-fashioned oats + 2 tbsp reserved
1/4 c carrots
1/4 c pitted medjool dates (I used 4 large, moist dates)
1/4 c raisins (I used a raisin medley blend) + 1/4 c reserved
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

Photographer: Averie Sunshine

Directions:

Blend the oats and carrots in a Vita or food processor for about 10 seconds.  Then add everything else (except the reserved ingredients) and blend for another 20 seconds or until incorporated.  Don’t overblend.

Remove the dough and by hand, stir in the reserved:

2 Tbsp dry oats
1/4 c raisins

Form into bite-sized balls or cookie shapes.  If needed, refrigerate or freeze the dough for 15 minutes to make it less sticky and easier to work with.

Yields: 1 dozen bites the size of a quarter gumball.  Store in freezer or refrigerator.

Optional: Pinch Pumpkin Pie Spice, Pinch Ground Ginger, 1/8 c Coconut Flakes, 1/8 c Walnuts/Almonds, 1/8 c chocolate chips.  Add frosting drizzle at the end, such as storebought Cream Cheese Frosting.  Or, follow my Raw Vegan Cheezecake Filling recipe (and reduce by half) for raw vegan cream cheeze frosting.

Note: For those desiring a more traditional cookie, bake at 350F for 8 to 12 minutes, or to desired level.

Photographer: Averie Sunshine

For a detailed visual guide with step by step photos of the process, see this post

These bites:

Are a fairly “healthy” dessert or snack.  We all have different definitions of healthy, but as desserts go, these are pretty healthy in my book.

They ‘re vegan and come together in less than 5 minutes.  Gotta love anything no-bake.

Seed & Tree Nut Free

And they combine two of my fave dessert flavors: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies + Carrot Cake, all rolled into one bite.

Photographer: Averie Sunshine

Need more vegetarian/vegan recipes, or fitness and yoga ideas?  Stop by Averie’s website, Love Veggies and Yoga

Tagged as: averie sunshine, Cake, carrots, Cookies, Oatmeal, recipe, vegan