Carrot Cake Cookies (Print)
Soft, spiced cookies with grated carrots, oats, and cream cheese drizzle. A perfect handheld twist on classic flavors.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
07 - 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
→ Wet Ingredients
08 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
09 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
10 - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
11 - 1 large egg
12 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Add-ins
13 - 1 cup finely grated carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
14 - 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
15 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
16 - 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
→ Cream Cheese Drizzle
17 - 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
18 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
19 - 1 tablespoon milk
20 - 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger until well blended.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
04 - Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture, mixing until fully incorporated and smooth.
05 - Gradually mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Gently fold in grated carrots, oats, walnuts or pecans if using, and raisins if using until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
07 - Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
08 - Bake for 11-13 minutes until edges are lightly golden and centers appear set. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - For the cream cheese drizzle, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together until smooth and creamy. Drizzle over completely cooled cookies using a spoon or small piping bag. Allow glaze to set before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- They taste exactly like carrot cake but you can eat them with your hands without anyone judging you
- The cream cheese drizzle takes them from great cookies to the kind of thing people text you about days later
02 -
- Grate your carrots by hand instead of buying pre-grated ones, the packaged stuff is too dry and won't give you the same moisture in your cookies
- Don't overmix the dough once you add the flour or these cookies will turn tough instead of tender
03 -
- Chill the scooped dough for 15 minutes before baking if you want thicker cookies with less spread
- Warm your cream cheese slightly in the microwave if it's still cold and won't blend smoothly