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Delicious carrot cake cookies topped with cream cheese frosting on a wooden board.

Carrot Cake Cookies

These carrot cake cookies are the perfect blend of cozy spices and tender carrot, topped with cream cheese frosting, resembling the classic dessert without the hassle of layers.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 120
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Cookies
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour For structure
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats For a hearty carrot cake vibe
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda To help them puff
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt To balance sweetness
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon Main spice flavor
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg Optional, for additional flavor
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger Optional, adds a little zip
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened For richness
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar For depth of flavor
  • 1/4 cup white sugar For sweetness
  • 1 large egg For binding
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract For flavor
  • 2 cups finely shredded carrots Fresh for moisture and texture
  • optional cups raisins or chopped walnuts For added texture and flavor
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened Base for the frosting
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened For richness
  • 2 cups powdered sugar Sweetness for the frosting
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract For flavor
  • a pinch salt To balance sweetness

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
  3. In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and stir until smooth.
  4. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until no streaks of flour remain. Fold in the shredded carrots and fold in raisins or walnuts if desired.
Baking
  1. Scoop about 1 and a half tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheet.
  2. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges look set and the centers are slightly soft.
  3. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
  1. Beat together the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth.
  2. Gradually add the powdered sugar while mixing to prevent a sugar cloud.
  3. Stir in the vanilla and a pinch of salt. If the frosting is too soft, chill for 15 minutes before spreading.
  4. Frost the cookies once they are completely cool.

Notes

For soft cookies, avoid overbaking and let cool before frosting. Optionally, consider variations with raisins or walnuts, and for a bar version, press dough into a baking pan and adjust baking time to around 18-22 minutes.