Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting (Printable)
Soft spiced cookies packed 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 carrots, peeled)
12 - 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
13 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
14 - 1/3 cup raisins (optional)
→ 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
# How-To:
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, and, if using, 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 the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until fluffy.
09 - Once cookies are completely cool, spread or pipe a dollop of frosting onto each cookie. Optionally, sprinkle with extra chopped nuts.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- You get all the spiced comfort of carrot cake in half the time with zero cake leveling or layering drama
- The cream cheese frosting on top transforms a simple cookie into something that feels special enough for company
- These freeze beautifully so you can pull out homemade comfort food on busy weeks
02 -
- Overgrating your carrots makes them mushy while too large pieces won't bake in properly so aim for fine even shreds
- Room temperature ingredients for both the cookie dough and frosting are non-negotiable for smooth results
- These cookies continue cooking on the hot baking sheet so pulling them when they look slightly underdone is actually perfect
03 -
- Grate your carrots by hand rather than using a food processor for better texture control
- Chill your scooped dough for fifteen minutes if your kitchen is particularly warm to prevent excessive spreading