I fully embrace my sweet tooth. I have accepted that it is a part of me. A fabulous part of me!

Most of what you see on our blog is healthy. And don’t get me wrong, these cookies are too. But we’re real people. We have late night ice cream runs. My heart sings when Matthew brings home dark chocolate for me.  I often feel like a big sit-down dinner isn’t complete without something sweet to follow.

I used to eat two huge bowls of fat-free ice cream at night and STILL want more. Oh, and that was after I poured a bunch of sugary cereal on top of it…for texture, of course.  But what I’ve found is that natural sweeteners like dates, agave, maple syrup and brown rice syrup are more satisfying. It takes a fraction of the sweet stuff to make me very, very happy. It’s been said a million times, but when you’re eating the good stuff – the real stuff – you need to eat much less of it to be satisfied.  A lifetime supply of sweet-like impostors won’t do anything but leave me wanting more.

Apparently Nobs isn’t too sure about the carrots, but we’re working on him.

This cookie was the product of a need for something sweet, healthy-ish, fast to throw together and satisfying. I won’t say it’s a superfood, but it is the perfect sweet treat!

Raw Carrot Cake Cookies
{gluten-free, raw, vegan}

Makes about 2 dozen

1 cup dates
1 large carrot
2 cups walnuts
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Puree dates in a food processor, then remove and place in a large bowl. Cut the carrot into one-inch pieces and add to the food processor. Pulse until they are finely chopped, then remove and place in the bowl with the dates. Pulse the walnuts in the food processor until they are broken up into very small pieces, about the size of tiny pebbles. Remove and add to the bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and use your hands to combine the ingredients or dump it all back into the food processor to blend it a little more quickly. Taste, adjust seasonings if you like, and dump it back into the bowl.

Form small balls with the dough in your hands (about the size of a ping-pong ball) and flatten gently between your palms. Top with a bit of shredded coconut and grated carrot. Store covered in the refrigerator and serve chilled.