Old Fashioned Carrot Cookies

When I was in Junior High and my wallet was empty, I made my dad a bunch of cookies for his Christmas present. With ingredients that he and Mom had purchased! I was a smart one! I made some of his favorites: oatmeal (with nuts and raisins!), chocolate chip, pecan sandies, and these old-fashioned carrot cookies.

Old Fashioned Carrot Cookies are soft cookies that have only seven ingredients. They are irresistible with the orange glaze!

Make them gluten- and dairy-free!

I make gluten-free Old Fashioned Carrot Cookies using Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-free Baking Flour. The recipe calls for shortening rather than butter so it's also dairy free!

Of course, you can make Old Fashioned Carrot Cookies any size you want! I love using my small scoop to form them, though. It makes the the perfect size of cookie to accompany a cup of afternoon tea.

I bake them on a parchment lined baking sheet and let them cool entirely on a wire rack before glazing them.

Orange Glaze for Old Fashioned Carrot Cookies

You'll be tempted to think there are no carrots and only oranges in these cookies after you put the orange glaze on them. Indeed, I think the carrots are only used for their moisture and color!

Although you could use bottled orange juice, the flavor is so delicious using the zest and juice of a fresh orange! The consistency should be spreadable, almost drippy. The orange I used was very juicy and even the juice from only half of it was too much! I had to add more powdered sugar to thicken it back up.

Have you been wondering if my dad ate all those cookies by himself? The answer is that he absolutely did not! With four boys in the house, he had lots of help and they were all gone by the end of Christmas day!