These chewy carrot cake cookies with cream cheese frosting are a sweet treat, perfect for spring time or any time of year! You may be asking yourself "carrot cookies?" But trust me, these cookies are out of this world, and even better than the famous crumbl carrot cake cookies. These are a play on my favorite carrot cake recipe, full of warm spices and topped with luscious cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle of chopped walnuts.
If you're looking for other carrot recipes, check out my classic carrot cake or carrot cake cupcakes!
Why You'll Love These Carrot Cake Cookies
Chewy cookies, not cakey cookies- These are super chewy carrot cake cookies. There is a very particular way you have to make these cookies to achieve a chewy centered cookie, so be sure to read each step to find out how!
Topped with homemade cream cheese frosting- As if the cookies weren't already amazing enough on their own, they get topped with delicious cream cheese frosting to make this great recipe even greater!
Perfect amount of spice- The dough is flavored with the perfect amount of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Each bite has the best carrot cake flavour!
Ingredients for Carrot Cake Cookies
- Butter- make sure it's unsalted and softened
- Brown Sugar- we're using only brown sugar to keep these cookies extra chewy
- Egg Yolks- make sure they're room temperature
- Vanilla- as always I recommend vanilla bean paste for the best flavor, but extract will work perfectly fine as well
- Finely Grated Carrot- we'll be grating the carrots, then pulsing them in a food processor to get them extra finely ground into little bits. Then we'll be drying the carrots to keep these cookies extra chewy. See recipe photos and notes for more on this.
- Flour- just the right amount of all purpose flour helps give these cookies their perfect, chewy texture
- Ground Spices- a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger brings a warm flavor to these cookies
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder- equal parts are used to just slightly leaven these cookies and give them a little lift
- Salt- brings out all the flavors in these cookies
- Cream Cheese- used for the perfectly smooth cream cheese frosting. Use full fat cream cheese for the best flavor and consistency
- Powdered Sugar- used to sweeten the cream cheese frosting
Step by Step Instructions
STEP ONE: Shred your carrots with a box grater or shredding attachment on a food processor. Then, add them to a food processor fitted with an "S" blade. Pulse until they are very fine bits.
STEP TWO: Dry your carrots. This may seem weird but it is the only way these cookies will bake properly and not turn out cakey! Spread your carrot bits on a plate and place a paper towel over the top. Lightly press to absorb the liquid. Repeat the step at least four more times until hardly any liquid transfers to a paper towel. (It needs to reduce down to just about ⅓ cup (45 g) from ½ cup (75 g). Set aside.
STEP THREE: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, ground spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside the dry ingredients.
STEP FOUR: In a large bowl cream butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer on high speed until pale in color and fluffy, 2-3 mins.
STEP FIVE: Add in the egg yolks and vanilla and mix on medium speed then medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
STEP SIX: Add in the carrots and combine on low speed just until combined.
STEP SEVEN: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low then medium speed until combined.
STEP EIGHT: Scoop dough onto the prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper, using a medium sized cookie scoop, about 2 tablespoon of dough. You should be able to get 18 cookies. (Scoop 6 cookie dough balls per baking sheet.)
STEP NINE: Bake the cookies, then let cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. Then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
STEP TEN: While the cookies bake make the frosting. Add the butter to a medium bowl and whip until pale in color and super fluffy. Add in the cream cheese and mix until thoroughly combined. Sift in the powdered sugar and mix until combined, smooth and fluffy.
STEP ELEVEN: After the cookie are cool, spread cream cheese frosting onto each with a mini offset spatula. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts, then serve!
See recipe below for the complete measurements.
FAQs
Why did my cookies come out cakey? The number one reason this could happen is because not enough moisture was removed from the carrots. It absolutely has to be pressed with paper towels prior to being added to the batter or the cookies will not bake properly. Wet cookie dough equals cakey cookies. The carrot bits should be dry enough that it goes from being ½ cup (75 g) down to just about ⅓ cup (45 g). Hardly any liquid should transfer onto a paper towel once it has been dried enough. The second reason could be because too much flour was used. Please weigh your flour, or follow the spooned and leveled method. (See tips below for more on this.)
Can I chill the dough? Yes! Just make sure to bring the dough to room temperature before baking.
How do I store these cookies? Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to three days, or freeze them for up to two weeks!
Pro Tips
Measure your flour properly. This is always my #1 baking tip. Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour. This will always lead to using too much flour. Instead, sprinkle spoonfuls of flour into your measuring cup and swipe excess flour off with the back of a knife. Or better yet, weigh your flour. 1 cup of all purpose flour equals 125 grams.
How to get perfect, circular cookies. When the cookies are straight out of the oven, scoot a circular cookie cutter around their edges to give them a perfect circular shape!
Make sure to beat your eggs into the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale in color and fluffy, not just until it's combined. Doing this will help give you perfectly textured cookies.
If you make these cookies please, please leave a star review! Tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ and follow me on Pinterest also for other dessert ideas!
Other Cookie Recipes to Try Next Time
📖 Recipe
Carrot Cake Cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric mixer
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake Cookies
- ½ cup (75 g) finely ground carrot bits, please read recipe carefully for instructions about 2 large carrots
- 1 ¾ cups (219 g) all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled, see recipe notes)
- 2 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, cold
- 1 ½ - 2 cups (195-260 g) powdered sugar (depending on sweetness preference)
- chopped walnuts for toping, optional
Instructions
For the Carrot Cake Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Shred your carrots with a box grater or shredding attachment on a food processor. Then, add them to a food processor fitted with an "S" blade. Pulse until they are very fine bits. Measure out ½ cup (75 g) of carrot bits.
- Dry your carrots. (This may seem weird but it is the only way these cookies will bake properly and not turn out cakey!) Spread your carrot bits on a plate and place a paper towel over the top. Lightly press to absorb the liquid. Repeat the step at least four more times until hardly any liquid transfers to a paper towel. (It needs to reduce down to just about ⅓ cup (45 g) from ½ cup (75 g). Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, ground spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside the dry ingredients.1 ¾ cups (219 g) all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled, see recipe notes), 2 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground allspice, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon sea salt
- In a large bowl cream the butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer on high speed until pale in color and fluffy, 2-3 mins.¾ cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened, 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar, packed
- Add in the egg yolks and vanilla and mix on medium speed then medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.2 egg yolks, at room temperature, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- Add in the dried carrot bits and combine on low speed just until combined.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low then medium speed until combined.
- Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, using a medium sized cookie scoop, about 2 tablespoon of dough per scoop. Scoop 6 cookie dough balls per baking sheet. (You should be able to get 18 cookies.)
- Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes. (12 minutes is usually perfect.) Let them cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.(When the cookies are straight out of the oven, scoot a circular cookie cutter around their edges to give them a perfect circular shape.)
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the butter to a medium sized bowl. Whip with an electric mixer on high speed until pale in color, fluffy and about double in size, about 5 minutes.¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, softened
- Add in the cream cheese and mix on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined.4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, cold
- Sift in the powdered sugar and mix on low then medium speed until combined. Then, mix on high speed until light and flufy, about 1 more minute.1 ½ - 2 cups (195-260 g) powdered sugar (depending on sweetness preference)
Decorating the Cookies
- One the cookies are completely cooled, spread cream cheese frosting onto each using a mini offset spatula.
- Sprinkle with chopped walnuts if you desire, then serve!
Instead of blotting the carrots with paper towels, can I squeeze out the liquid with a cheese cloth or using my hands? Would the results essentially be the same?
Hi Lina! I think a cheese cloth would do the trick! Just make sure they're super dry like the photos show 🙂
Just made these today & they didn’t spread hardly at all & the dough before forming into a cookie scoop was extremely crumbly. Any thoughts as to why? I followed the recipe amounts exactly.
They came out very good. They didn’t spread either but I pressed with a glass cup when I took them out and worked. I don’t know either why they didn’t spread.