There's something magical about mixing the warm spices of carrot cake into a cozy little treat, and that's exactly what this Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe delivers. These cookies are soft, flavorful, and topped with the creamiest frosting that’s just the perfect sweet finish.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients & Why They Work
- Make It Your Way
- Step-by-Step: How I Make Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
- Top Tip
- How to Serve Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
- Make Ahead and Storage
- Frequently Asked Questions:
- Final Thoughts
- Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Why You'll Love This Recipe
I’m honestly obsessed with this Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe, and once you make these, I bet you will be too. It’s like all the best parts of carrot cake baked into handheld cookies that are incredibly soft and perfectly spiced, plus that frosting puts them over the top.
- Perfect Texture: These cookies are soft and chewy with just the right amount of moisture thanks to grated carrots and oats.
- Flavor Explosion: Warm cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger create that classic carrot cake taste in every bite.
- Easy Frosting: The cream cheese frosting is silky smooth and easy to spread, bringing a lovely tangy sweetness.
- Great for Any Occasion: Whether it's a casual snack, party treat, or gift, these cookies impress every time.
Ingredients & Why They Work
Each ingredient in this Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe plays a special role. Freshly grated carrots bring moisture and a touch of natural sweetness, while quick oats add texture without weighing down the cookies. The warm spices and nuts round out the flavor and crunch. Shopping tip: use the freshest spices you can find — it really lifts the whole recipe!
- Butter: Softened, not melted, to help achieve that tender cookie crumb without spreading too much.
- Brown Sugar: Adds deeper molasses notes and moisture compared to white sugar alone.
- Granulated Sugar: Balances the sweetness and helps create a slight crisp edge.
- Eggs: Bind everything together and add richness.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances all the warm, sweet flavors.
- All-purpose Flour: The base to hold all ingredients together.
- Baking Soda: Provides lift and helps cookies rise just right.
- Ground Spices (Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cloves): The magic carpet that turns these from simple cookies into carrot cake dreams.
- Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances flavors.
- Shredded Carrots: Use freshly grated for moisture and texture - avoid pre-packaged matchstick carrots.
- Quick Oats: Adds a tender chew; you can pulse rolled oats if you don’t have quick oats handy.
- Finely Chopped Pecans: Adds crunch and nuttiness — one of my favorite parts!
- Cream Cheese (for frosting): Soft and tangy, makes the frosting irresistibly smooth.
- Butter (for frosting): Adds richness and helps frosting whip to a fluffy texture.
- Powdered Sugar: Sweet and fine, perfect for creamy frosting.
- Milk: Optional, to adjust frosting consistency so it spreads easily but isn’t runny.
Make It Your Way
One of the things I love most about this recipe is how easy it is to make your own. You can swap nuts, try different spices, or even mix in raisins if you like. I’ve also tried making it with less sugar for a less sweet treat — it still turns out delicious!
- Nut-Free Variation: I once replaced pecans with sunflower seeds, which worked great if you’re avoiding nuts.
- Spice It Up: If you prefer milder spices, just reduce the cloves and nutmeg by half — I usually do this when baking for the kids.
- Gluten-Free Option: Swap all-purpose flour for a gluten-free blend that includes xanthan gum for structure.
- Dairy-Free Frosting: Try a vegan cream cheese alternative and dairy-free butter for frosting — works surprisingly well.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Step 1: Cream Together the Butter and Sugars
Start by letting your butter soften at room temperature—don’t microwave! Then, using a mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This step is key for that tender texture. I find scraping down the bowl a couple of times helps everything come together evenly.
Step 2: Mix in Eggs and Vanilla
Add the eggs one at a time to your creamed butter mixture, beating just until incorporated after each. Follow with the vanilla extract and give it one last scrape around the bowl—this keeps your batter silky smooth and lump-free.
Step 3: Combine Dry Ingredients
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves in a separate bowl. This step evenly distributes your spices so every cookie tastes just right.
Step 4: Slowly Add Dry Ingredients to Wet
With your mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. The dough will become quite thick, so once it’s hard to mix with the mixer, switch to stirring by hand to finish. This helps keep the batter from overworking, which keeps the cookies soft.
Step 5: Fold in Carrots, Oats, and Pecans
Gently stir in the shredded carrots, quick oats, and chopped pecans just until everything is combined. The carrots add moisture, oats give great chewiness, and pecans add a toasty crunch I can’t get enough of.
Step 6: Scoop and Bake
Use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop to form balls and place them 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lightly flatten the tops with your fingers. Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes, keeping a close eye so they’re just lightly golden around the edges. Overbaking will dry them out, so I usually set my timer for 10 minutes and check from there.
Step 7: Let Cookies Cool Before Frosting
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Frosting warm cookies will melt it into a mess, so patience is key here!
Step 8: Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese, butter, and vanilla on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar and then beat until thick and creamy. Add milk one tablespoon at a time if frosting feels too thick. I’ve learned that letting both butter and cream cheese soften naturally at room temp makes this step so much easier.
Step 9: Frost and Garnish
Once cookies are fully cooled, spread the frosting generously on top. If you'd like, sprinkle with extra chopped pecans for a pretty, crunchy finish.
Top Tip
From baking these cookies many times, I’ve picked up some tricks that make all the difference between just okay and absolutely scrumptious.
- Softened Butter Only: I can’t stress this enough — don’t microwave your butter or cream cheese. Room temp is the way to go for perfect texture and rise.
- Freshly Grated Carrots: Use the smallest holes on your grater so the carrots blend well without making the dough too watery.
- Watch the Bake Time: These cookies look underdone when removed from the oven, but they finish setting as they cool. Take them out at 10-12 minutes max!
- Cool Completely Before Frosting: You’ll thank me later — frosting warm cookies just melts and makes a mess.
How to Serve Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Garnishes
I like to keep it simple with a sprinkling of chopped pecans or a light dusting of cinnamon on top of the frosting. Sometimes a few tiny carrot curls from the grater add a cute, playful touch if I’m serving guests.
Side Dishes
These cookies pair perfectly with a hot cup of chai tea or a comforting latte — something with warm spices to echo the cookie’s flavors. For a party, I’ve also served them alongside fresh fruit platters and creamy yogurt to balance the sweetness.
Creative Ways to Present
For birthdays or special occasions, I’ve arranged these cookies on a tiered platter with edible flowers or carrot greens for a beautiful presentation. Wrapping them individually in parchment and tied with twine makes a thoughtful homemade gift too.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Keep leftover unfrosted cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If frosted, store them covered in the fridge to keep the cream cheese frosting fresh for about 4-5 days. Bringing to room temp before serving helps soften the frosting again.
Freezing
I like to freeze the cookies unfrosted for best texture. Place cooled cookies on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag. Frost after thawing for best results. You can freeze frosted cookies too, but the texture of the frosting changes slightly.
Reheating
Leftover cookies need a gentle touch to warm up. I microwave a single cookie for 15 seconds or warm a few cookies in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes—just enough to take the chill off without drying them. This makes the frosting soft and the cookie taste freshly baked.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Old-fashioned did aren’t ideal because they’re too coarse, which affects the cookie texture. However, you can pulse them in a food processor a few times to make your own quick oats alternative that works just fine.
Microwaving can melt the butter or cream cheese unevenly and make the dough or frosting too runny, which impacts both texture and how the cookies bake or frost. It’s best to leave them out at room temperature to soften naturally.
The key is not to overbake and to use freshly grated carrots and quick oats as the recipe calls for. Cooling the cookies properly before frosting and storing them in airtight containers helps maintain softness longer.
While this recipe uses eggs, butter, and cream cheese, you can experiment with vegan substitutes like flax eggs, dairy-free butter, and vegan cream cheese, but results may vary. I recommend doing a small test batch if you want to try vegan.
Final Thoughts
This Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe is genuinely one of those recipes I keep coming back to because it’s both comforting and a little indulgent, yet totally doable any night you want a special treat. It’s the kind of baking that fills your kitchen with amazing aromas and fills your heart (and tummy!) with joy. I hope you love making and sharing these as much as I do — truly a delicious way to brighten any day.
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Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 48 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Delicious Carrot Cake Cookies with a moist, spiced cookie base loaded with shredded carrots, oats, and pecans, finished with a luscious cream cheese frosting. These cookies combine the classic flavors of carrot cake in a convenient, handheld treat perfect for sharing or enjoying as a sweet snack.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 2 cups quick oats (not old-fashioned whole 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 ½ cups powdered sugar
- Milk as needed
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare baking sheet: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat and set it aside for baking.
- Cream butter and sugars: Using a stand or handheld mixer, cream the softened butter with the brown and granulated sugars on medium speed until the mixture is light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating just until incorporated, then add vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves to evenly distribute the spices and leavening.
- Mix dry ingredients into wet: With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. The dough will become very thick, so finish mixing by hand if needed.
- Add carrots, oats, and pecans: Fold in the shredded carrots, quick oats, and chopped pecans by hand gently just until evenly incorporated into the dough.
- Form and bake cookies: Scoop the dough using a 1 ½ inch or 1 ½ tablespoon scoop and roll into balls. Place the dough balls 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet and slightly flatten the tops. Bake for 12 minutes or until edges are lightly golden but the cookies remain soft. Let cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare cream cheese frosting: In a large bowl, beat the room temperature butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar on low speed until combined, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until thick and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add milk one tablespoon at a time to reach desired frosting consistency.
- Frost cookies and garnish: Once cookies are completely cool, frost each cookie with the cream cheese frosting. Optionally, garnish with additional chopped pecans for extra texture and flavor.
Notes
- Do NOT microwave butter for the cookie dough; let it soften naturally at room temperature to avoid overly soft dough that spreads too much when baking.
- Use freshly grated carrots using the small holes of a box grater for the best texture. Avoid pre-packaged matchstick carrots as they're too thick.
- If only old-fashioned oats are available, pulse them 4-6 times in a food processor to make quick oats suitable for this recipe.
- Do NOT microwave butter or cream cheese for the frosting; let them soften at room temperature to maintain frosting consistency and avoid runniness.
- You can freeze both frosted and unfrosted cookies. Freeze them solid on a baking sheet first, then wrap individually and store in a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
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