Description
These Carrot Cake Cookies combine the chewy texture of oatmeal cookies with the warm spices and sweetness of classic carrot cake, topped with a rich cream cheese frosting. Easy to prepare and perfect for anytime snacking or dessert, these cookies capture all the flavors of carrot cake in a convenient handheld form.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature preferred)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup grated/shredded carrots
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- ½-1 cup raisins (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¾ cup salted butter (softened)
- 12 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 4 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon corn starch (helps maintain frosting shape)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the cookies.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture is creamy, light, and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add Eggs & Vanilla: Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract thoroughly, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Combine Wet & Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing as you go and scraping the bowl sides to create a uniform dough.
- Add Oats, Carrots, Nuts & Raisins: Stir in the old-fashioned oats, grated carrots, chopped walnuts or pecans, and raisins if using, until everything is evenly incorporated.
- Scoop & Shape Cookies: Drop dough by 2-tablespoon sized scoops (about 43g each) onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing cookies at least 2 inches apart. For a neater appearance, roll each dough scoop into a smooth ball between your palms, noting that the dough is sticky.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 11-12 minutes. The cookies might look slightly underbaked in the centers but will firm up as they cool.
- Cool Completely: Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before frosting to prevent melting the cream cheese icing.
- Prepare Frosting: Beat together the softened salted butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and corn starch until the frosting is creamy and holds its shape well.
- Decorate Cookies: Once cookies are completely cooled, spread or pipe the cream cheese frosting onto each cookie. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- For added moisture and flavor, ensure the shredded carrots are fresh and finely grated.
- If you prefer, substitute walnuts with pecans or omit nuts altogether for a nut-free version.
- Raisins are optional and can be adjusted to your taste or left out entirely.
- The corn starch in the frosting helps keep it stable and prevents messiness while handling the cookies.
- Cookies tend to be slightly soft when hot but will firm up once fully cooled.
- Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days to preserve the frosting freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 frosted cookie
- Calories: 317 kcal
- Sugar: 27 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 49 mg
