Carrot Cake Cookies
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Carrot Cake Cookies are perfect for Easter and Spring time!
These Carrot Cake recipes – Carrot Cake Bars, Carrot Cake Bread and Carrot Cake Oatmeal – are other favorites to make around this time of year.
This recipe is essentially everything you love about carrot cake but in cookie form!
Most of the flavor comes from the cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and carrots and the velvety cream cheese frosting is the perfect finishing touch.
These cookies have a super moist crumb, are soft and chewy, and are wonderfully spiced, just like carrot cake. You won’t be able to resist them!
Ingredient Notes
These cookies require some basic baking ingredients, plus a couple you might need to grab at the store. If you don’t have cake flour that’s OK! Just use more All-Purpose flour in it’s place.
- Quick 1-minute oats: use gluten free oats if needed.
- Vanilla Pudding Mix (Instant 3.4 oz.): secret ingredient to make these cookies ultra moist!
- Ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg: because carrot cake, duh.
- Cornstarch: I love adding cornstarch to make thick, chewy cookies!
- Eggs: you’ll need 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks.
- Vanilla Extract
- Carrots: see tips and tricks below for how I like to grate my carrots!
Step by Step Directions
These cookies are pretty similar to how I make most of my cookie recipes. Once you’ve got that basic method down, you’ll handle cookie baking like a pro!
- Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.
- Add in the dry ingredients.
- Lastly, stir in carrots. Mix just until combined.
- Bake and allow cookies to cool completely while you make the cream cheese frosting.
- Once cookies are frosted, garnish with toasted pecans, chopped walnuts, or a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Tips and Tricks
- Use a cookie scoop: The dough is a pretty wet dough. I recommend that or using lightly floured hands to roll cookies into their shape. Plus, the scoop makes uniform cookies!
- Finely grate the carrots. I actually use a microplane zester to get ultra-fine shreds and this method actually adds moisture to the cookies. Alternatively, you can use a box grater (use the small holes) and then chop them to make the carrot shreds nice and small.
- Do not use the pre-grated matchstick carrots. They are too big and thick for these cookies.
- Use the quick 1 minute oats, not the old-fashioned rolled oats. I find the quick 1 minute oats result in a better crumb, and the old-fashioned oats dry out the cookie.
- Bake cookies just until edges are golden brown. To keep these cookies soft and cake-like, you’ll want to be sure not to over bake them. I always say slightly under-baked is best. (Baking time can also vary depending on size of cookies).
the goods
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Ingredients
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 cup Cake flour
- 1 cup quick 1 minute oats
- 1 (3.4oz.) box Instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 tsp. cornstarch
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 16 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cold (2 sticks)
- 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks (no whites)
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup finely grated carrots (about 2 large carrots)
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, cake flour, oats, pudding mix, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- With a stand or hand held mixture, cream together the butter and sugars for ~4 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- Add in the eggs, egg yolks and vanilla extract. Mix until blended, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Gradually add in the dry ingredients on low speed. Lastly add in the grated carrots and mix just until combined. Dough will be wet/sticky.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a cookie sheet or baking sheet. (6 cookies per baking sheet). Bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. Be careful not to over bake them, slightly under baked cookies will be soft and cake-like! Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- Make the cream cheese frosting: In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Then add in the softened butter and combine until smooth. Add in the vanilla extract, salt and gradually add in the confectioners sugar and beat until frosting is smooth.
- Frost cookies and garnish with chopped pecans/walnuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Video
Notes
- Add in raisins or chopped nuts into the batter if desired. (~1 cup)
- Do not use the pre-grated matchstick carrots. They are too big and thick for these cookies.
- Use the quick 1 minute oats, not the old-fashioned rolled oats. I find the quick 1 minute oats result in a better crumb, and the old-fashioned oats dry out the cookie.
- Cookies stay fresh covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Could these be made ahead, balled out and frozen? Then pulled out and baked the day you need them?
Yes! You should be able to bake from frozen, adjusting time as needed:)
Do you think it’s best to freeze extra dough before or after they are baked? These are one of my favorites btw!
Gorg! Thank you so much. I would do either. Freeze the dough balls pre-baking or freeze the baked cookies (without frosting).
I love all your recipes and cannot wait to make this! While I love cream cheese frosting warm weather doesn’t! Would these be good without it? Would you recommend maybe rolling in cinnamon sugar or sprinkling sugar on top if not using frosting?
Hi Casey! Thank you so much, that means a lot to me!! 🙂 I totally know what you mean. While I haven’t tested this recipe any other way I’m sure that would be delicious (maybe try a few both ways, rolling and sprinkling on top and see which you like best). Happy bakinggg!! xo, Tawnie
Can the cookies be left at room temperature if they’re not frosted? Planning on using a shelf-stable cream cheese.
Yes!! 🙂 Hope you love these. Thank you!
So So So Good! And so easy,too!
yay! I am so glad. Thank you. Love the photo!!
I am looking forward to trying this recipe but have a question about the cookie scoop size, it doesn’t’t say which size scooper to use or how bug to make these. I would love some guidance there, they look amazing! I made your monster cookies last week and they were amazing!!! My husbands new favorite for sure!
Hi Kim! Thank you sooo so much! So glad you enjoyed the monster cookies, I need to make the ones again. I should update the recipe card to be more clear, thank you for mentioned this! Above the recipe card in “shop this post” I have the oxo cookie scoop I use. It’s the large 3 Tbsp. scoop. If you make them that size you should get about 12 cookies but you can always make them smaller and adjust the baking times as needed. I hope you love them, thank you!
I have not made these yet, but I’ve made numerous other recipes. I want to try a gluten free version of this cookie? Can I swap out the flour for Bob Red Mill 1-1?
Yes! Love that flour for a gf option! Works perfectly.
So good! My dad can be a tough critic, and he loved these! A great way to get your carrot cake fix without having to bake a whole cake!
ooooo thanks to your Dad! 🙂 Love the photo!
Hi, Tawnie! Are these cookies able to be frozen?
Hi Abby 🙂 Yes, I would recommend freezing without the cream cheese frosting and once you’re ready to enjoy or serve them, frost them at that time. I hope you love them! xo, Tawnie
Will the recipe still work the same if I omit the oats? Thanks!!
Hi Larisaa! I love your name by the way 🙂 I have not tested this recipe without using oats. The batter might be sticky if you omit them, in that case I would add more flour. So sorry I can’t be of better help, I hope you love them! xo, Tawnie
I just tested this out… on accident… and they taste great but structurally they are way too soft. Definitely testing them out again. I filled mine with maple cream cheese flavored buttercream 😋
Hi Mitzi! Yes, this recipe makes a dough that is fairly wet/soft. Sometimes I use a little flour on my hands to shape them properly. The buttercream sounds incredible! Thank you! xo, Tawnie