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These are the most amazing Carrot Cake Cookies! These delicious soft and chewy carrot cake cookies are topped with a smooth and delicious cream cheese frosting. These big and soft cookies taste just like a slice of carrot cake in a cookie form with lots of grated carrots and the classic warm spices you’ll find in a carrot cake. Plus they require no resting which makes they quick and easy to make!
These Carrot Cake Cookies are so delicious and is a super easy recipe. These delicious cookies are topped with a smooth and velvety cream cheese frosting and a sprinkling of walnuts. They taste just like a slice of carrot cake making it hard to not eat the whole batch of at once. Plus they are perfect to serve for any gathering.
For more cookies recipes, try Lemon Cheesecake Cookies, Tiramisu Cookies and Coffee Cake Cookies.
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Easy to make: These cookies are so easy to make and makes for a great dessert.
- Cookies: These soft and chewy cookies taste just like a slice of carrot cake.
- Cream cheese topping: These cookies are topped with a smooth cream cheese frosting and sprinkled with chopped walnuts.
INGREDIENT NOTES
These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- Butter: Take it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking.
- Sugars: Both granulated sugar and dark brown sugar is used in the cookies for the best flavor and texture.
- Cream cheese: Cream cheese gives the most smooth and delicious tangy flavor to the frosting.
- Vanilla extract: I recommend using pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Spices: To give that classic carrot cake taste, it has ground cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Here is how to make and bake these Carrot Cake Cookies. This recipe needs an electric mixer, two large bowls and a spatula.
The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.
Before starting, preheat the oven to 175ºC/ 350ºF conventional oven. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
STEP 1: Finely shred the carrot, then place the shredded carrot on a few pieces of paper towel. Squeeze out the excess liquid from the carrots. Transfer the shredded carrots to a bowl, making sure it weighs 50 g/ ½ cup.
STEP 2: In a bowl, sift together all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Give it a stir so it's all mixed together. In a separate large mixing bowl combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar and butter and whisk until it becomes light and fluffy.
STEP 3: Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix it in. Then add the shredded carrots and mix until just combined. Finally add the dry ingredients and mix it together until combined.
STEP 4: Using a medium size cookie scoop, scoop out 6 cookies at a time per prepared baking sheet. Bake one baking sheet at a time for 12-13 minutes.
STEP 5: Once baked let them cool down on the baking tray for 5 minutes as they still will be soft when they are done. After they have cooled down a bit, use a spatula to lift them onto a wire rack and let them cool down completely.
STEP 6: Once the cookies have completely cooled down, add the butter to a bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer mix the butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla bean extract and cream cheese and cream it together with the butter until combined.
STEP 7: Scrape down the sides of the bowl, sift in the powdered sugar and mix it together. Add a scoop of frosting on each cookie and spread it out. Optionally top them with chopped walnuts.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
- Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.
FAQ
Scoop the cookie dough into balls and store them in an airtight container. You can store them in the freezer for up to 30 days. Let the cookie ball thaw for 1 hour before baking them as instructed in the recipe.
When the cookies come straight out of the oven, use a large mug or cookie cutter and gently circle around the edges to make them perfectly round.
Yes, you can add a small handful of nuts, finely chopped, to the cookie dough in step 6, and continue the recipe as written.
HOW TO STORE
Store the Carrot Cake Cookies in a the fridge in an airtight container. They are best enjoyed within 1-2 days.
Other Cookies Recipes To Try
Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
Carrot Cake Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
CARROT CAKE COOKIES
- 75 g finely shredded carrots reduced to 50 g (½ cup)
- 210 g all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground all spice powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 110 g butter room temperature
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 100 g dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg (59-60 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 70 g butter room temperature
- 140 g cream cheese
- 140 g powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- a few walnuts for topping the cookies with
Instructions
CARROT CAKE COOKIES
- Before starting, preheat the oven to 175ºC/ 350ºF conventional oven. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper
- Finely shred the carrot, then place the shredded carrot on a few pieces of paper towel. Squeeze out the excess liquid from the carrots. Transfer the shredded carrots to a bowl, making sure it weighs 50 g/ ½ cup.75 g finely shredded carrots
- In a bowl, sift together all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Give it a stir so it's all mixed together and set it aside.210 g all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground all spice powder, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg powder, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a separate large mixing bowl combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar and butter. Using an stand mixer or electric hand mixer, whisk it together for 3 minutes on medium speed, so it becomes light and fluffy.110 g butter, 100 g granulated sugar, 100 g dark brown sugar
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix it in. Then add the shredded carrots and mix until just combined.1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Finally add the dry ingredients and mix it together until combined.
- Using a medium size cookie scoop (2,5 tbsp/ 1.33 ounce cookie scoop, around 55 g each), scoop out 6 cookies at a time per prepared baking sheet. Bake one baking sheet at a time for 12-13 minutes.
- Straight out of the oven, use a large mug or cookie cutter, gently circle around the edges to make them perfectly round.
- Once baked let them cool down on the baking tray for 5 minutes as they still will be soft when they are done. After they have cooled down a bit, use a spatula to lift them onto a cooling rack and let them cool down completely.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- Once the cookies have completely cooled down, add the butter to a bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer mix the butter for 3 minutes on medium-high speed.70 g butter
- Add the vanilla bean extract and cream cheese and cream it together with the butter until combined.140 g cream cheese, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, sift in the powdered sugar and mix it together for 1-2 minutes on low speed.140 g powdered sugar
- Add a scoop of frosting on each cookie and spread it out. Optionally top them with chopped walnuts.a few walnuts
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