This Carrot Cake Cookies Recipe creates bakery style, soft and chewy cookies topped with delightful homemade cream cheese frosting. One taste of these cookies and you will be hooked forever!! Perfect treat for any holiday!
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Click HERE to read my policies.
Why We Love These Carrot Cake Cookies
- This recipe makes 12 large bakery style cookies. Who doesn't love giant cookies?!
- Easy homemade drop cookie recipe that requires no chilling.
- Simple ingredients that you most likely have in your kitchen already.
- Cookies turn out soft and chewy with the most perfect edges.
- Topped with the best cream cheese frosting!
- Cookies can be frozen, with or without the frosting.
- These carrot cake cookies are perfect for gifting, sharing, serving at parties and bake sales!
Carrot Cake Cookies Recipe Ingredients
- Salted Butter
- Light Brown Sugar
- White Sugar
- Large Eggs
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Ground Cinnamon
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- All Purpose Flour
- Finely Shredded Carrots
- Pecans, Walnuts or Raisins for topping or add-ins
- Cream Cheese
- Powdered Sugar
- Milk
Substitution Suggestions
- Salted Butter: Feel free to use unsalted butter. I recommend adding an extra ½ teaspoon of salt to the cookie and a little extra pinch to the frosting.
- Light Brown Sugar: Dark brown sugar can be used. The cookies will turn out just a touch darker and a bit sweeter, but still super delicious!
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Pure extracts give the best flavor. Imitation extracts can leave a bad after taste to your baked goods. I am a broken record with this ingredient! You can also use vanilla bean paste if you like.
- All Purpose Flour: White whole wheat flour and whole wheat flour can be substituted. You can also use a blend of flours. For example: I like to use half all purpose and half whole wheat in a lot of baked items. If you use whole wheat flour the cookies will be a bit a more dense but still tasty!
- Finely Shredded Carrots: Shred your own carrots. You'll only need one medium-large carrot. Shred it finely and pat it with a paper towel. If you use store bought shredded carrots, they will still be hard and crunchy in the cookies.
- Pecans, Walnuts, Raisins: Any one these can be added to the cookies, or even a little bit of nuts and raisins. Add no more than one cup total. You can also just use them as a decoration on top. Whatever your heart desires!
- Milk: Any type of milk will work for thinning the frosting. You can use water or heavy cream as well.
How to Make Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl and hand mixer, cream together the softened salted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy and scraping sides as needed. This takes about 2-3 minutes.
- While the butter and sugars are mixing, shred the carrots. Shred them fine and then pat with paper towels to get rid of any excess moisture.
- Next, add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract.
- Now, add the dry ingredients: cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and all purpose flour. Mix on low just until incorporated.
- Stir in the shredded carrots and up to one cup of any additions, or mix in on low speed until evenly incorporated.
- Using a ⅓ cup or 3.25 oz scoop, place 6 even cookie dough scoops on each prepared sheet pan. Roll and slightly flatten the cookie dough to look like thick hockey pucks.
- Bake cookies, one pan at a time, on center rack for 15-17 minutes or until edges are lightly golden and the centers no longer look wet.
- Let cookies cool on pans for 10 minutes. Then remove cookies to wire rack and cool completely.
- While the cookies are cooling make the cream cheese frosting.
How to Make the Best Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or whisk attachment, cream softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing until fully incorporated after each cup.
- Beat in the vanilla extract until incorporated.
- Now add the milk, one tablespoon at a time, until you've reached your desired consistency.
- Add the frosting to a piping bag or gallon zip top bag, cut off the tip or corner or use a piping tip of your liking, and pipe the frosting on the cookies in any pattern you like. You can also use an off set spatula or butter knife and spread the frosting on top of cookies.
- Add any nuts, raisins, sprinkles or decorations immediately after you've frosted the cookies. You want to do it right away so the decorations will adhere to the frosting and not fall off.
- Let the cookies rest until the frosting has set.
Love Carrot Cake? Try my easy Sheet Pan Carrot Cake Recipe! It's my go to Easter dessert!
Storing Carrot Cake Cookies
Storing: Store these carrot cake cookies in an air tight container between layers of wax paper. Keep them in a cool dry place and they'll be shelf stable for 4 days. If you are nervous because of the cream cheese you can store the cookies in the fridge as well. They will dry out just a touch but will still be delicious!
Freezing: These cookies freeze well! You can freeze them with or without the frosting. Place the cookies in a freezer safe air tight container in single layers, between pieces of wax paper. Label, date and freeze. Cookies will last 3-4 months in the freezer.
Thawing: To thaw the frozen cookies, let them sit at room temperature until thawed or thaw in fridge.
Heather's Favorite Tools for this Recipe
- I don't think I could live without my KitchenAid Stand Mixer. It's the best tool ever for making cookies and so many other things.
- Long ago, I used to be a Pampered Chef consultant and I still prefer their baking tools and pans to any others. Their cookies sheets are the only ones I use for cookies. Find yourself a consultant, host a party and treat yourself to a set.
- A large cookie scoop is great for these sugar cookies. This large scoop from OXO on Amazon is a great one.
- Pre-cut parchment paper is a life saver and so easy. No cutting my fingers!
- If you are packaging them up for a bake sale these Self Sealing Cellophane Bags are the best!
- I love using a box hand grater for shredding small things or when I only need a little of something. I have a cheap-o one that has done me good for years! Here's a similar Box Grater.
Tips for the Best Carrot Cake Cookies
- Gather all your ingredients before you start baking. It is so much easier to bake when all your ingredients are ready. Plus, there is less room for error. Like forgetting an essential ingredient. I'm not saying I've done this, however, I am speaking from experience!
- Always read the recipe from start to finish before you start. Again, I am speaking from experience.
- Use room temperature ingredients. It helps everything mix together properly.
- Make sure to fluff your flour a bit before you measure it. When it sits for periods of time it becomes packed. Fluffy flour is better for the perfect cookie texture. To fluff your flour, just scoop it and dump it a few times or whisk it and then measure it out.
- Shred your own carrots. Do not use store bought shredded carrots. They are too dry and hard.
- Pat the shredded carrots dry with a paper towel. If there is too much moisture, the cookies can turn out gummy.
- Use a measuring cup or ice cream scoop to get the same size cookies, that way they will all bake evenly. I like to use a large scoop.
- For best results don't over bake the cookies. Over baking will cause the cookies to not be soft and chewy as intended. The edges should barely be golden brown and the centers should no longer look wet.
- Decorate cookies right away after frosting. This way the décor will stick to the frosting and not fall off when stored or packaged.
More Bakery Style Cookies:
- Chocolate Brownie Cookies
- Giant Sugar Cookies
- Gourmet Snickerdoodles
- Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Frosted Cookies and Cream Cookies
- Birthday Cake Cookies
- Gourmet Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Jumbo Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
- Oatmeal Cream Pies
- Monster Cookies
Carrot Cake Cookies Recipe
This Carrot Cake Cookies Recipe creates bakery style, soft and chewy cookies topped with delightful homemade cream cheese frosting. One taste of these cookies and you will be hooked forever!! Perfect treat for any holiday!
Servings: 12 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup finely shredded carrots, patted dry
- mix-ins or toppings: walnuts, pecans, raisins, optional
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¼ cup salted butter, softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl and hand mixer, cream together the softened salted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy and scraping sides as needed. This takes about 2-3 minutes.
- While the butter and sugars are mixing, shred the carrots. Shred them fine and then pat with paper towels to get rid of any excess moisture.
- Next, add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract.
- Now, add the dry ingredients: cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and all purpose flour. Mix on low just until incorporated.
- Stir in the shredded carrots and up to one cup of any additions, or mix in on low speed until evenly incorporated.
- Using a ⅓ cup or 3.25 oz scoop, place 6 even cookie dough scoops on each prepared sheet pan. Roll and slightly flatten the cookie dough to look like thick hockey pucks.
- Bake cookies, one pan at a time, on center rack for 15-17 minutes or until edges are lightly golden and the centers no longer look wet.
- Let cookies cool on pans for 10 minutes. Then remove cookies to wire rack and cool completely.
- While the cookies are cooling make the cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or whisk attachment, cream softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing until fully incorporated after each cup.
- Beat in the vanilla extract until incorporated.
- Now add the milk, one tablespoon at a time, until you've reached your desired consistency.
- Add the frosting to a piping bag or gallon zip top bag, cut off the tip or corner or use a piping tip of your liking, and pipe the frosting on the cookies in any pattern you like. You can also use an off set spatula or butter knife and spread the frosting on top of cookies.
- Let the cookies rest until the frosting has set before storing or packaging.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cookie | Calories: 518kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 431mg | Potassium: 128mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 2548IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Please rate the recipe, leave a comment and tell me how much you loved it!
Share the Recipe!Please share it and tag @heathershomemadekitchen and use #heathershomemadekitchen!
Leave a comment