Carrot Cake Cookies

I love making Carrot Cake Cookies when I want all the flavor of carrot cake but in easy handheld cookie form. They're soft, spiced cookies made with oats, shredded carrots, and crunchy walnuts, topped with tangy cream cheese frosting. I bake them for Easter, Mother's Day brunches, spring potlucks, birthdays, and bake sales because they're kid-friendly, crowd-pleasing, and travel well. They stay fresh at room temperature for 4 days, in the fridge for 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 30

Course: cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Carrot Cake Cookies

Servings: cookies

Calories: 293kcal

Equipment

3 Baking sheet lined with
Nonstick baking mat or parchment paper
Cookie scoop

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

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
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. Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Stir in the shredded carrots.
1 cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup white sugar, ¾ cup brown sugar, 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 the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each cookie.
Bake for 11–14 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cookies cool completely.
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, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
Frost each cooled cookie and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
¼ cup finely chopped walnuts

Video

Notes

This is one of those cookie recipes I love making on repeat, so here are a few tricks that make them turn out perfectly every time.

Use freshly shredded carrots: Pre-shredded carrots from the store are too dry and won't give you the same moist texture, so grate your own fresh carrots using a box grater.

Toast the walnuts first: Toasting walnuts in a dry skillet for 3 to 4 minutes brings out their flavor and adds extra depth to the cookies. You can also swap them for pecans if you prefer nuts with a sweeter, buttery crunch.

Don't overmix the dough: Once you add the flour mixture, mix until just combined to keep the cookies soft and tender instead of tough.

Chill the dough if it's too soft: If your kitchen is warm and the dough feels too soft to scoop, refrigerate it for 15 to 20 minutes so the cookies hold their shape better while baking.

Wait for them to cool: If you frost warm cookies, the cream cheese frosting will melt and slide off, so be patient and wait until they're room temperature, and always use full-fat cream cheese for the best texture and flavor.

Store properly: Keep cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temp or in the fridge for 3 to 5 days, or place unfrosted ones on a baking sheet for 1 hour, then freeze in freezer bags for up to 2 months. Thaw fully before frosting.

Nutrition

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