Soft Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
There’s nothing better than a soft carrot cake cookie 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!
Servings: cookies
Equipment
- 1 Electric mixer
- 1 Cookie sheet
- 1 sheet parchment paper
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Cookies
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 large yolk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup grated carrots
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar measured with the spoon-and-level method, then sifted
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts for garnish
Instructions
Carrot Cake 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.2 1/4 cups (281.25 g) all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking powder, 1 teaspoon 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.1/2 cup (110 g) brown sugar, 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar, 3/4 cup (170.25 g) unsalted butter
- 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.1 large egg, 1 large yolk, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Fold in the grated carrots gently with a rubber spatula.3/4 cup (96 g) grated carrots
- 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.1/4 cup (56.75 g) unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
- Mix in cream cheese just until combined. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Avoid overmixing.4 ounces (113.4 g) full-fat cream cheese, 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
- Spread frosting on top of each completely cooled cookie and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.1/4 cup (29.25 g) chopped walnuts
Notes
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.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.
