Air Fryer Carrot Cake Cookies

Air Fryer Carrot Cake Cookies are my favorite thing to bake every spring because they deliver everything I love about carrot cake in one soft, chewy, perfectly spiced cookie. The dough is loaded with shredded carrots, chopped walnuts, and warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg that fill every bite with that warm, bakery-spiced flavor you expect from a great carrot cake. The air fryer bakes them up soft and thick faster than a traditional oven, which makes them perfect for Easter, Mother's Day, and spring brunches when I already have a lot going on in the kitchen. Top them with tangy cream cheese frosting and toasted walnuts and they look absolutely stunning.

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 25

Course: cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Air Fryer Carrot Cake Cookies

Servings:

Calories: 293kcal

Author: Mandy Applegate

Ingredients

For the cookies:

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup quick oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup unsalted butter softened
¾ cup white sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups shredded carrots
½ cup chopped walnuts

Cream Cheese Frosting:

½ cup cream cheese softened
¼ cup unsalted butter softened
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup finely chopped walnuts for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup quick oats, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon cloves, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
In a large bowl, beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
1 cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup white sugar, ¾ cup brown sugar
Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Stir in the shredded carrots.
2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 ¼ cups shredded carrots
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the walnuts.
½ cup chopped walnuts
Scoop cookie dough balls and place them in the air fryer basket, leaving space between each one.
Air fry at 320°F (160°C) for 10 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese, vanilla, and butter until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar mixing until creamy.
½ cup cream cheese, ¼ cup unsalted butter, 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frost each cooled cookie and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
¼ cup finely chopped walnuts

Notes

Here are a few things I've learned from making these Air Fryer Carrot Cake Cookies that will help yours turn out just right.

Shred the carrots fresh: Pre-shredded store-bought carrots tend to be too thick and dry. Freshly grated carrots on the fine side of a box grater give you the right texture and moisture for the dough.

Don't overmix after adding the flour: Mix until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined. Overmixing at this stage develops gluten, making the cookies tough instead of soft and chewy.

Don't skip the chill if your dough is soft: If your cookie dough feels too soft to scoop cleanly, refrigerate it for 20 to 30 minutes before air frying. Chilled dough holds its shape better in the air fryer basket.

Cool completely before frosting: The cream cheese frosting will melt and slide right off a warm cookie. Give them enough time on the wire rack to cool all the way through before you frost them.

Soften your cream cheese properly: Cold cream cheese leads to lumpy frosting. Pull it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you make the frosting so it blends completely smooth with the butter.

Store properly: Once cooled and frosted, keep them refrigerated for 3 to 5 days in an airtight container, layering them with parchment if you're stacking them, or freeze the unfrosted cookies for up to 2 months and frost them fresh before serving.

Nutrition

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