Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting (Printable)
Soft, spiced cookies with shredded carrots, warm spices, and creamy frosting.
# What You Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 tsp ground cinnamon
03 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
04 - 1/2 tsp baking soda
05 - 1/4 tsp salt
→ Wet Ingredients
06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
08 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
09 - 1 large egg
10 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
→ Add-Ins
11 - 1 cup finely grated carrots (about 2 medium)
12 - 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
13 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
14 - 1/3 cup raisins
→ Cream Cheese Frosting
15 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
16 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
17 - 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
18 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract; mix until combined.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
05 - Fold in grated carrots, oats, nuts, and raisins.
06 - Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
07 - Bake 11-13 minutes or until edges are set and tops look dry. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
08 - Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until fluffy.
09 - Once completely cool, spread or pipe frosting onto each cookie. Optionally sprinkle with extra chopped nuts.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- You get all the spiced comfort of carrot cake without waiting an hour for it to bake
- The texture is somewhere between chewy oatmeal and tender cake, exactly what a cookie should be
- That cream cheese frosting on top makes people think you worked harder than you actually did
02 -
- Grating carrots by hand gives better texture than pre shredded bagged carrots which can be too dry
- Do not overbake these, they continue firming up on the pan and should stay soft in the middle
- The frosting only works on completely cool cookies or it will melt right off
03 -
- Use the large holes on your box grater, not the microplane, so the carrots add moisture without disappearing
- Weighing your flour instead of scooping prevents dense cookies that never spread properly