Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting have all the flavors of a classic carrot cake, but in a charming and simplified handheld version! Made with a cake-like cookie base dotted with fine carrots, sweet spices, and they’re finished with a lightly tangy cream cheese frosting plus optional pecans for crunch.
These carrot cake cookies are the supreme spring cookie… but you’ll find they’re so delicious you’ll want to serve them year round!
They can be served as a single cookie as pictured or sandwich two together with a layer or that decadent cream cheese frosting in the middle for a whoopie pie carrot cake cookie.
The texture will likely remind you of a muffin top where it’s and fluffy but has some chew and density to it as well. They are melt-in-your-mouth tender soft, perfectly sweet with hints of tang from the frosting, and their warm spice flavor just shines. Plus they are fun to decorate with a cute carrot finish if time allows.
The other great thing about these cookies is they freeze well so you can bake them ahead then just frost when you are ready to serve.
They are fun for kids and adults alike making them the ideal treat that you’ll want to add to your Easter or Mothers Day menu.
Carrot Cake Cookies Recipe Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: This creates the foundation and overall structure of the cookie, just use regular all-purpose flour.
- Baking soda and baking powder: These are added to help the cookies rise.
- Salt: This is a critical ingredient to keep the cookies from tasting flat.
- Spices: Cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg are the trio of sweet spices used here for the classic carrot cake flavor.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is called for in the recipe, but if you only have salted then just omit the 1/4 tsp salt (as there is about 1/4 tsp salt per stick of butter, the frosting will just be a tad saltier).
- White sugar: Added to sweeten the cookie base.
- Brown sugar: Also added for sweetener, with additional flavor and moisture.
- Egg: Used as a binder to hold the cookies together, it also helps them rise.
- Vanilla extract: A great flavor enhancement for the cookies and frosting.
- Carrots: These are to be finely grated on the small holes of box grater. This ensures not only a better texture throughout but also that the carrots bake and soften through by the time the cookies are done.
- Cream cheese: Originally the recipe used 5 oz cream cheese but I’ve found the frosting holds up better with a little bit less so updated that to 3 oz. If you like the tang of a greater amount use 3 oz. still but add 1 tsp of lemon juice.
- Powdered sugar: This is a very fine sugar that works best for frosting for a smooth non-gritty texture.
- Pecans: These are optional but I like to add them to at least half of the cookies because so many people love that contrasting crunch and rich nutty flavor. Walnuts work well too.
How to Make Carrot Cake Cookies
Heat oven, ready pans: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 18 by 13-inch baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk dry ingredients: In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg for 20 seconds, set aside.
Cream sugar and fat: In the large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer (or in bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) blend together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy.
Add liquids: Blend in egg and vanilla extract.
Blend in flour and carrots: Add half of the flour mixture and mix just until combined, then mix in carrots, then mix in remaining 1/2 of the flour mixture just until combined. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is properly incorporated.
Drop dough on baking sheets: Scoop dough out with a medium 1 1/2 Tbsp cookie scoop and drop onto prepared baking sheets spacing cookies 2-inches apart.
Bake the cookies: Bake in preheated oven until set (they should still be soft to the touch though), about 11 – 12 minutes. Cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool. After 5 – 10 minutes of cooling on rack finish cooling completely in an airtight container so they don’t dry. Once cool, frost with cream cheese frosting and top with pecans if desired.
Make the frosting: In a mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer whip together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla on low speed until blended. Increase to high speed and whip several minutes until light and fluffy. until light and fluffy.
If doing the carrot decoration set aside a few tablespoons to ting green and a few tablespoons to tint orange with food coloring. Add to a piping bag set with a small round tip (I used a Wilton #4 tip for decorating) and decorate.
Making Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cookies
I have also made these cookies gluten free and they are equally as delicious! Follow these changes for gluten free.
- Replace all-purpose flour with 1:1 Gluten Free Flour, I used King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour. Preferrably measure by weight at 213g.
- Use 7 Tbsp softened butter and 2 Tbsp vegetable oil for the fat.
- Flatten cookie dough balls slightly before baking. Increase bake time to 12 to 13 minutes.
- Wait to frost until ready to serve as cookies are a little more delicate.
- Also ensure all packaged ingredients are made in a gluten free facility, not cross contaminated.
Storing Carrot Cake Cookies
- Both regular and gluten free carrot cake cookies freeze well for up to 3 months after being baked.
- Store parchment paper between layers of cookies, keeping them in an airtight container.
- I do not recommend freezing the dough as it will thaw out runny.
- Add the cream cheese frosting once cookies are thawed.
- Cookies can be kept in the fridge for about 5 to 7 days.
Helpful Tips
Weight with scale: If possible use a kitchen scale to measure ingredients for the closest accuracy.
Chill frosting to thicken: Any cream cheese frosting can be come runny. The easiest fix is to simply chill the frosting in the freezer, stirring every few minutes until it’s the thickened consistency you’d like.
Testing cookies doneness: To tell when these cookies are done they should still have a light give in the center of the cookies when pressed, not firm but also not runny.
Oven thermometer: It’s helpful to use an oven thermometer to ensure your oven runs to the proper temperature.
Decorating tips: To decorate the carrot cake cookies with frosting I like to use an offset spatula though a butter knife works fine too. If you want to do the carrot decoration I recommend piping bags and a #4 Wilton tip. Or you may be able to just use a resealable bag with a corner sniped.
More Amazing Carrot Cake Recipes to Try
Carrot Cake Cookies
Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting are all the flavors of a classic carrot cake, but in a simplified handheld version! Made with a tender soft, cake-like cookie base dotted with fine carrots and sweet spices, and they’re finished with a lightly tangy cream cheese frosting. Plus, add optional pecans for crunch.
Servings: 23 cookies
-
For the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 18 by 13-inch baking sheets with parchment paper.
-
In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg for 20 seconds, set aside.
-
In the large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer (or in bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) blend together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy.
-
Blend in egg and vanilla extract.
-
Add half of the flour mixture and mix just until combined, then mix in carrots, then mix in remaining 1/2 of the flour mixture just until combined. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is properly incorporated.
-
Scoop dough out with a medium 1 1/2 Tbsp cookie scoop and drop onto prepared baking sheets spacing cookies 2-inches apart.
-
Bake one sheet at a time in preheated oven until set (they should still be soft to the touch though), about 11 – 12 minutes. Cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool. After 5 – 10 minutes of cooling on rack finish cooling completely in an airtight container so they don’t dry. Once cool, frost with cream cheese frosting and top with pecans if desired.
-
To make the frosting: In a mixing bowl using an electrix hand mixer whip together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla on low speed until blended. Increase to high speed and whip several minutes until light and fluffy. until light and fluffy.
-
If doing the carrot decoration set aside a few tablespoons to ting green and a few tablespoons to tint orange with food coloring. Add to a piping bag set with a small round tip (I used a Wilton #4 tip for decorating) and decorate.
I have also made these cookies gluten free and they are equally as delicious! Follow these changes for gluten free.
- Replace all-purpose flour with 1:1 Gluten Free Flour, I used King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour. Preferrably measure by weight at 213g.
- Use 7 Tbsp softened butter and 2 Tbsp vegetable oil for the fat.
- Flatten cookie dough balls slightly before baking. Increase bake time to 12 to 13 minutes.
- Wait to frost until ready to serve as cookies are a little more delicate and over time the frosting would soften them further.
Note that nutrition estimate does not include pecans as these are optional.
Nutrition Facts
Carrot Cake Cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 177
Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Trans Fat 0.3g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 29mg10%
Sodium 69mg3%
Potassium 45mg1%
Carbohydrates 24g8%
Fiber 0.5g2%
Sugar 16g18%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 1147IU23%
Vitamin C 0.3mg0%
Calcium 15mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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