There’s nothing better than soft carrot cake cookies topped with cream cheese frosting. These cookies bring all the warm spices and comforting flavors of your favorite cake into a portable cookie form. If you’re a carrot cake lover, this recipe is a must-try!

Soft Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

With simple ingredients and an easy process, these chewy carrot cake cookies come together beautifully. They have just the right amount of carrot cake flavor and a perfectly soft texture.

Pair them with a smooth, slightly tangy frosting, and you’ve got a great recipe for any occasion.

Why make these cookies instead of a traditional carrot cake?

In a line: because they’re easier, quicker, and just as delicious!

But if you need more reasons, here are 3 more:

No Slicing, No Fuss – Just grab a cookie and go! No plates, no messy slicing, just pure carrot cake goodness in handheld form
Frosting in Every Bite – Instead of just a layer on top, you get that sweet, tangy cream cheese frosting on every single cookie
Great for Sharing – They’re easy to pack up for parties, gifts, or just to snack on throughout the week

Basically, if you love carrot cake but want something more casual and snackable, these cookies are a no-brainer!

Did you know “carrot cake” has been around for a long time?

The roots of carrot cake likely trace back to medieval times when sugar was expensive, and carrots were often used as a sweetener in cakes and puddings. The idea of using carrots in desserts was not new—carrots contain natural sugars that could be used as a substitute for more costly ingredients.

By the 18th century, carrot cake recipes began to appear in English cookbooks, especially in regions where carrots were abundant. These early recipes weren’t the spiced, creamy versions we know today but were more akin to simple carrot puddings or steamed cakes.

The modern version of carrot cake, with its signature spiced flavor and cream cheese frosting, became widely popular in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s.

Ingredients for these Soft Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

This recipe calls for commonly used ingredients. Each plays a role in making these delicious carrot cake cookies soft, flavorful, and perfectly textured.

All-purpose flour: Provides structure and stability for the cookies.
Cornstarch: Helps create a tender, chewy texture.
Ground cinnamon & nutmeg: Warm spices that enhance the classic carrot cake flavor.
Baking powder: Gives the cookies just the right amount of lift.
Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances the flavors.
Light brown sugar & granulated sugar: A mix of these sugars adds depth, moisture, and chewiness.
Unsalted butter: Adds richness and ensures a soft, buttery texture.
Egg & egg yolk: Bind the ingredients and add structure, with the yolk adding extra moisture.
Pure vanilla extract: Enhances all the wonderful flavors.
Grated carrots: Fresh carrots bring natural sweetness and moisture, making these cookies soft and flavorful.
Unsalted butter: Creates a creamy base for the frosting.
Cream cheese: The key ingredient for that classic tangy, smooth frosting.
Powdered sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting to the perfect consistency.
Walnuts: Optional, but they add a delicious crunch on top.

Take a look at the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe.

Add-ons & Substitutions

Mix-Ins: Add chopped pecans, shredded coconut, or golden raisins for extra texture and punches of flavor. You can also use them for decoration if you don’t want to mix them in.

More Spice? You can increase the cinnamon and nutmeg or add a pinch of ground ginger.

How to Make This Carrot Cake Cookie Dessert

Carrot Cookies

Start by lining a cookie sheet with parchment paper and setting it aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt.

Cream the sugars and butter at medium speed in a large mixing bowl for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. A few streaks of flour are okay.

Fold in the grated carrots gently with a rubber spatula.

Egg, yolk and vanilla added to creamed sugars and butter

Scoop dough using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop and place the balls on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) when ready to bake. Place the chilled dough balls on a cookie sheet, spacing them 3 inches apart. Bake for 13-17 minutes until the edges are golden brown.

Optional, for perfectly round cookies: As soon as your cookies are out of the oven, use a circular cookie cutter slightly bigger than your cookies (or anything circular and hollow) and make a circular motion to swirl the cookies around inside the cookie cutter. You can also use a spatula to push in the uneven edges until you have a perfectly round cookie.

Let the cookies cool on the sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat butter, vanilla, and salt until fluffy, about 1 minute.

Mix in cream cheese just until combined. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Avoid overmixing.

Spread frosting on top of each completely cooled cookie and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

Expert Tips

For best results, use room-temperature ingredients to ensure smooth mixing.
Grate fresh carrots using a box grater and pat them with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
Chilling the dough allows the flavors to develop and prevents the cookies from spreading too much. Don’t skip this step!
To create uniform cookies, use a food scale or cookie scoop to portion the dough evenly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it important to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy?

When you beat butter and sugar together, tiny air pockets form in the mixture. This trapped air expands during baking, helping to give cookies or cakes a lighter texture instead of being dense and heavy.

Doing this also properly dissolves the sugar which improves the structure and consistency of the final bake.

How should I store these cookies?

Because these carrot cake cookies have homemade cream cheese frosting, they should not be stored at room temperature, even in a cool place. Cream cheese frosting contains dairy, which can spoil if left out for too long.

For safety, store the frosted cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. If you’d like to serve them at room temperature, you can let them sit out for about 30 minutes before serving to soften the frosting.

If you want to keep them at room temperature, store the cookies without the frosting in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days, then frost them when ready to serve.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes! You can prepare the dough and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking.

You can also freeze the cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, pop them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and add 1-2 extra minutes to the baking time.

Can I freeze these cookies?

Absolutely! Freeze the baked and frosted cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw before serving.

Can I make these cookies without the frosting?

Absolutely! The cookies are delicious on their own, and the cream cheese frosting is optional. If you’re looking for a lighter treat, feel free to skip it.

These soft carrot cake cookies are a perfect treat for carrot cake lovers. Whether you’re baking them for Easter time or just because you love a slice of carrot cake in cookie form, this recipe is sure to be a favorite!

Be sure to check out below these other great recipes on the blog for more spring-inspired desserts, or check this link for more cookie recipes.