Carrot Cake Cookies (Printable version)
Soft, spice-filled cookies with fresh carrots, oats, and creamy vanilla drizzle. Classic carrot cake flavors in cookie form.
# Ingredient list:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
07 - 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
→ Wet Ingredients
08 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
09 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
10 - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
11 - 1 large egg
12 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Add-ins
13 - 1 cup finely grated carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
14 - 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
15 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
16 - 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
→ Cream Cheese Drizzle
17 - 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
18 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
19 - 1 tablespoon milk
20 - 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in a medium bowl.
03 - Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until creamy and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
04 - Add egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture, mixing until well combined.
05 - Gradually mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
06 - Fold in grated carrots, oats, walnuts or pecans (if using), and raisins (if using).
07 - Drop dough onto prepared baking sheets using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, spacing about 2 inches apart.
08 - Bake 11-13 minutes, until edges are golden and centers are set. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies using a spoon or piping bag. Allow glaze to set before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- They capture everything wonderful about carrot cake but are ready in half the time
- The texture is impossibly soft while still having a satisfying chew from the oats
- The cream cheese drizzle transforms them into something truly special
02 -
- Grating your own carrots makes a huge difference in moisture compared to pre-shredded ones
- Overmixing the dough will make these tough so stop as soon as the flour disappears
- The cookies might look slightly underbaked when you pull them out but they firm up beautifully while cooling
03 -
- Use the fine side of your box grater for carrots so they virtually disappear into the cookies
- If your dough feels too sticky chill it for 15 minutes before scooping