Description
Carrot Cake Cookies deliver pure comfort straight from grandma’s kitchen to your plate. Packed with warm spices and sweet carrots, these tender treats blend classic cake flavor into a perfectly portable cookie format.
Ingredients
Scale
Primary Ingredients:
- 1 cup finely shredded carrots
- 1 large egg
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (150 g)
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup unsalted butter (113 g)
- 4 ounces cream cheese (113 g)
Binding and Sweetening Ingredients:
- ½ cup brown sugar (100 g)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 g)
- 2 cups powdered sugar (240 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Spices, Enhancements, and Additions:
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup raisins or dried cranberries
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- ¼ cup shredded coconut
- ¼ cup butter (56 g)
Instructions
- Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Whisk thoroughly to distribute spices evenly across your dry ingredients.
- Use an electric mixer to cream ½ cup softened butter with ½ cup brown sugar and ¼ cup granulated sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Incorporate 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract into the butter mixture. Mix until your batter looks smooth and uniform.
- Gently fold 1 cup finely shredded carrots into your wet ingredients. Ensure carrots are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
- Gradually add your prepared dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Stir carefully until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
- Fold ½ cup rolled oats, ½ cup raisins, ½ cup chopped walnuts, and ¼ cup shredded coconut into your cookie dough.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cookie removal.
- Scoop tablespoon-sized dough portions onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing each cookie 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookie edges turn golden brown but centers remain soft and slightly tender.
- Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling.
- For cream cheese frosting, beat 4 ounces softened cream cheese with ¼ cup softened butter until creamy and smooth.
- Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix until frosting reaches a spreadable consistency.
- Once cookies are completely cool, spread or pipe frosting over the tops using a spatula or piping bag.
Notes
- Grate carrots finely to ensure they blend seamlessly into the cookie dough and provide moisture without chunky texture.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking to prevent excessive spreading and help cookies maintain their shape.
- For a gluten-free version, swap all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend and ensure your oats are certified gluten-free.
- Add cream cheese frosting sparingly to keep the cookies from becoming too sweet, allowing the warm spices and carrot flavor to shine.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 238 kcal
- Sugar: 23 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg