Carrot Cake Cookies
These chewy carrot cake cookies are full of warm spices, topped with delicious cream cheese frosting and sprinkled with chopped walnuts. They are a sweet treat perfect for spring, or anytime of the year!
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake Cookies
- 1/2 cup (75 g) finely ground carrot bits, please read recipe carefully for instructions, about 2 large carrots
- 1 3/4 cups (219 g) all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled, see recipe notes)
- 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3/4 cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/4 cup (56 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, cold
- 1 1/2 - 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 1/2 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 1/3 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 3/4 cups (219 g) all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled, see recipe notes), 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground allspice, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp 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.3/4 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 tsp 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 tbsp 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.1/4 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 1/2 - 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!
Equipment
Stand mixer or electric mixer
Notes
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 flour equals 125 grams.
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