Description
Delight in these soft and flavorful Carrot Cake Cookies topped with creamy homemade cream cheese frosting. Packed with shredded carrots, warm spices, oats, and pecans, these cookies combine the beloved flavors of carrot cake with the perfect portable cookie form for a delightful treat.
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 F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat and set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Using a stand or handheld mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar at medium speed until the mixture is light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until incorporated, then add vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves to combine evenly.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. The dough will become thick, so finish mixing by hand.
- Add Carrots, Oats, and Pecans: Stir in the shredded carrots, quick oats, and chopped pecans by hand just until combined. The dough will be very thick.
- Scoop and Shape Cookies: Use a 1 1/2 inch (1 1/2 tablespoon) cookie scoop to form dough balls. Place them on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart and gently flatten the tops slightly.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, or until the edges turn lightly golden. Avoid overbaking to keep the cookies soft. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Frosting: In a large bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar starting on low then increasing to medium-high speed until thick and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add milk a tablespoon at a time as needed to reach desired consistency.
- Frost Cookies: Once cookies are completely cool, spread the cream cheese frosting on top. Optionally, garnish with additional chopped pecans.
Notes
- Do not microwave butter for the dough or frosting; soften it at room temperature to avoid runny consistency or spreading.
- Use freshly grated carrots with small holes on a box grater; avoid pre-packaged matchstick carrots as they are too thick.
- If you only have old-fashioned oats, pulse them 4-6 times in a food processor to create quick oats for better texture.
- You can freeze both frosted and unfrosted cookies by freezing them solid on a tray, then wrapping individually and storing in a freezer bag.
- Allow frozen cookies to thaw at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving to avoid condensation.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 140 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
