If you love carrot cake or carrot dessert recipes, I guarantee that you’ll adore these Carrot Cake Cookies. They are soft, fluffy, and perfectly sweet. The frosting is a cream cheese buttercream, similar to what is used to frost a cake. I decorate them with adorable icing carrots as well to take the presentation over the top. They make a lovely treat for Easter and are always a hit with party guests!
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The cinnamon and nutmeg add the perfect spiced flavor to the cookie dough that will remind you of a classic carrot cake. Taking the extra step to make the homemade cream cheese frosting is worth it because it brings the whole dessert together. The flavors make these like carrot cake cheesecake cookies.
If you like carrot cake recipes, you will love Carrot Cake Bars, Carrot Cake Cheesecake and Naked Carrot Cake.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- They have balanced flavor and texture: These cookies are sweet with a subtle spiced flavor topped with a rich and tangy frosting. They are soft, yet chewy, too. It’s like heaven!
- You may decorate them however you like: Feel free to decorate these to match any holiday or special occasion, or just to make them super cute! You can even keep it simple with sprinkles or a dusting of cinnamon.
- It’s an easy recipe to follow: If you don’t do a lot of baking, don’t worry! This carrot cookie recipe is easy to follow and prepare.
Ingredients
Below I have included the components needed to make the cookies as well as the homemade frosting. They are common, affordable ingredients that are easy to find, so you can make this recipe anytime.
For the carrot cookies
- Butter: Allow your butter to sit on the counter for about 30 minutes to soften before you get to work on the cookies. This helps it mix easily with the other ingredients. I use unsalted butter to control the salty flavor.
- Sugar: For this recipe, I use a combination of white sugar and brown sugar. The caramel notes of the brown sugar add depth of flavor to the cookies.
- Egg: This will help with the flavor and structure of the cookies. Allow the egg to sit at room temperature with the butter for best results.
- Vanilla extract: A hint of vanilla enhances the other ingredients in this recipe beautifully. Always use pure vanilla extract when possible for authentic vanilla flavor.
- Carrots: I highly recommend grating the carrots yourself. The shredded carrots at the grocery store are too large for this recipe and will affect the texture of the cookies.
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour in this recipe. You can use your favorite gluten-free blend if you prefer, but I haven’t tried another variety of flour for these cookies.
- Spices: To capture the spiced flavor of a carrot cake, I add cinnamon and nutmeg. I also sprinkle extra cinnamon on top of the cookies once they are ready.
- Baking powder: This ensures that your cookies spread properly and don’t become dense.
- Mix-ins: Optional mixins to make this recipe feel like authentic carrot cake are raisins, chopped walnuts, or shredded coconut. You can use any combination of these or none of them if you prefer.
For the frosting
- Cream cheese: Ensure the cream cheese is softened to prevent lumps in the frosting. I recommend leaving it on the counter while you work on the cookie dough.
- Butter: Treat the butter the same as the cream cheese. It also needs to be soft, but not melted. I like unsalted butter for this as well, so the frosting doesn’t have a salty flavor.
- Powdered sugar: To sweeten and thicken the cream cheese frosting, powdered sugar is essential. It doesn’t add the same gritty texture as granulated sugar.
- Food coloring: I colored some of the frosting green and orange for decorations. Feel free to skip the food coloring if you’d like.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Apple ginger: Add apple pie spice and ground ginger to the cookie dough for a more complex spiced flavor that complements the apple and carrot.
- Pineapple: Drain a small can of diced pineapple and fold it into the cookies for a tropical twist.
- Maple almond: Replace some of the sugar with maple syrup and add slivered almonds for a different flavor profile.
How to Make Carrot Cake Cookies
Here are the instructions on how to make this recipe for carrot cake cookies with cream cheese frosting. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment or a silicone mat before you get started. I also recommend shredding your carrots!
Step 1: Combine the sugar and butter. Beat the softened butter and both sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 2: Add egg and vanilla. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and beat until well incorporated. The mixture should be smooth and creamy.
Step 3: Mix and add dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder in a separate bowl. Then, gradually pour it into the egg mixture and stir until everything is well mixed.
Step 4: Add shredded carrots. Fold in the shredded carrots until they are well incorporated throughout the cookie dough. It will be sticky!
Step 5: Scoop the cookies. Use a cookie dough or a large spoon and scoop the cookie dough onto the baking sheet. Be sure to leave about 2 inches of space in between each cookie so they don’t melt together.
Step 6: Bake and cool. Place the pan into the oven and bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes. The cookies should have perfectly golden brown edges. Once baked, let them cool for 5 minutes on the pan and then transfer them to a cooling rack.
Step 7: Make the frosting and decorate the cookies. Beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the powdered sugar until it is thoroughly incorporated. Once the cookies are cooled completely, spread frosting on top.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overmix the dough: To prevent tough cookies, only mix the cookie dough ingredients until they are just combined.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely: These cookies must be cooled completely before you frost them, or the frosting will melt off the cookies and create a mess.
- Don’t overbake the cookies: Only bake them until the edges just start to brown and the middle is set, but soft. If you bake the cookies too long, they will become dry and crumbly.
- Decorate the cookies: To create the adorable carrot design, color some of the frosting light green and some orange. Place each color in a separate piping bag. Use the green to pipe a bead pattern around the outer edge of the cookie and the orange icing to make a little carrot. Dust some of the frosted cookies with some cinnamon if you'd like, too!
If you love carrot recipes like this, you may also enjoy this Thai Carrot Ginger Soup.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Place these cookies in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze them unfrosted for up to 2 months in a Ziploc bag.
- Make Ahead: Bake this carrot cookie recipe and frost the cookies up to 24 hours before serving. This is helpful if you are making them to share!
Serving Suggestions
- Enjoy a scoop of pumpkin ice cream or gingerbread ice cream on the side or top for a showstopping dessert.
- Instead of plain walnuts or pecans, add some pizzazz to these cookies. Add these candied pecans or candied walnuts to the cookie dough for a twist.
- I feel like the flavors of this creamy caramel apple dip would pair beautifully with one of these carrot cookies.
- Add a little frosting to the top of a carrot cake cookie and top it with another to create yummy carrot cake sandwich cookies.
Recipe FAQs
Sure! I love the frosting on these cookies, but they are still just as delicious without it.
I don’t recommend it because of the carrots in the cookies and the cream cheese and butter in the frosting. They are more likely to spoil if left on the counter.
Of course! Add a few extra minutes to the baking time and bake them straight from frozen.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section, I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Carrot Cake Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup grated carrots about 2 medium carrots
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Optional Decorations
- Storebought or homemade cream cheese frosting
- Food coloring optional, for frosting
- Festive sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth and fully combined. Stir in the grated carrots.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Using a cookie scoop or spoon, drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly with the back of a spoon or your fingers.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are set. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, spread or pipe cream cheese frosting onto each cookie.To create the carrot cookie, tint some frosting in a light green and tint some in orange. Place in a piping bag or zip top bag with a tiny corner cut out. Pipe a bead frame around the cookie by piping dots around the outer edge. Next pipe the carrot. You can also just spread on some icing and dust with cinnamon, they are also delicious left plain.
Video
Notes
- Allow the cookies plenty of time to cool completely so the frosting doesn’t melt off of them.
- Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days with frosting or up to 5 days without.
- Feel free to freeze unbaked cookie dough for up to 3 months. Bake them straight from frozen and add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.
Nutrition
This post was originally published February 2020. It's been updated with a fresh recipe, new content, and images.
Dee says
Best carrot cake cookies I’ve ever made and over the years I’ve tried a lot of recipes. Mine don’t look as pretty as yours but they tasted great and I’ll definitely be making them again. thanks for sharing
Karin and Ken says
I love them too and mine don’t always look that pretty either. All the best. Karin
Kyra says
Hi Karin, I would have never made carrot cake cookies had it not come as a request from a close friend. I will give your recipe a try and let you know how it turned out. Hope they come out just as in the picture shown in your recipe. Thank you for sharing your recipe. Kyra
Karin and Ken says
I can't wait to hear how everything went. I love these cookies and hope you do as well. My fingers are crossed if that helps at all. Take care and all the best. Karin
Ai says
Loved these cookies. Mine didn’t look as pretty as yours but they tasted great. Thx
Karin and Ken says
These cookies are definitely delicious and my cookies don’t always look like that either. Enjoy your day. Karin
Gerard Obringer says
Is it cooked shreded carrots or raw?
Karin and Ken says
Uncooked and raw. No need to cook them. This recipe is definitely delicious and worth a try! All the best to you. Karin