Description
Deliciously soft and flavorful Carrot Cake Cookies topped with creamy homemade cream cheese frosting, packed with warm spices, shredded carrots, oats, and pecans. A perfect twist on classic carrot cake in cookie form, ideal for dessert or snack time.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 1 cup butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 2 cups quick oats
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- Milk as needed
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat and set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Using a stand or handheld mixer at medium speed, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing just until incorporated. Stir in vanilla extract, scraping down the bowl as necessary.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Gradually add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients on low speed with the mixer running, then finish mixing by hand as the dough will be very thick.
- Add Carrots, Oats, and Pecans: Gently fold in the shredded carrots, quick oats, and chopped pecans until just combined. The dough will remain thick and dense.
- Shape Cookies: Using a 1 1/2 inch or 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop, portion the dough into balls. Place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet and flatten the tops slightly to help even baking.
- Bake: Bake for 12 minutes until the cookies are just lightly golden around the edges. Be careful not to overbake to maintain soft texture. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Frosting: In a large bowl, beat together butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar on low speed, then increase to medium-high speed and beat until thick and creamy, 1-2 minutes. Add milk one tablespoon at a time to achieve desired frosting consistency.
- Frost Cookies: Once completely cooled, spread the cream cheese frosting on the cookies. Optionally, garnish with additional chopped pecans for extra texture and flavor.
- Serve or Store: Enjoy immediately or store frosted cookies in the refrigerator. Cookies can also be frozen for future enjoyment following the provided freezing method.
Notes
- Do not microwave butter for the cookies as it will cause them to be too soft and spread excessively during baking. Allow butter to soften naturally at room temperature.
- Use freshly grated carrots with the small holes of a box grater instead of pre-packaged matchstick carrots to ensure proper texture.
- Old-fashioned rolled oats are not suitable; if only whole oats are available, pulse them in a food processor 4-6 times to make quick oats.
- Do not microwave butter or cream cheese for frosting to prevent runniness; soften both at room temperature.
- To freeze cookies, place cooled frosted or unfrosted cookies on a baking sheet without touching, freeze until solid, then wrap individually with plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag. Thaw thawed cookies on the counter for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
