Carrot Cake Cookies
Updated Apr 30, 2025
Carrot cake cookies made with freshly grated carrots and an easy cream cheese icing to drizzle over the top. Bakes in 10 minutes.
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My Carrot Cake Cookies are So Good!
These carrot cake cookies are kind of the best of both worlds soft and chewy like a cookie, but with all the flavors of carrot cake. I mix fresh grated carrots right into the\ dough, which makes them super moist without being overly sweet.
They’ve got chopped pecans for a little crunch, and I finish them with a simple cream cheese icing once they’ve cooled. The dough comes together quickly and they bake in about 10 minutes. I usually have to double the batch because once the frosting goes on, they’re gone.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Carrot Cake Cookie Ingredients
- Flour + baking soda: I just use AP flour to keep things simple.
- Carrots: Grate them fresh or the texture of the cookie will be off.
- Spices: Ground cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
- Butter: Make sure your butter is at room temperature to easily cream together with the sugar. If you only have salted butter, skip the salt called for in the recipe.
- Eggs: To bind the dry ingredients together. You can make this recipe vegan by using flax eggs..
- Applesauce: Applesauce will keep your cookies soft and moist. I haven’t tested this recipe with an alternative, but you can try an equal amount of crushed pineapple for a more tropical flavor.
- Brown sugar: I like using light brown sugar, but you could use dark brown sugar, which will add a deeper molasses flavor.
- Vanilla + salt: Pure vanilla extract has the best flavor.
- Pecans: I recommend toasting the pecans, but it’s not a must.
Cream Cheese Icing Drizzle
- Cream cheese + Butter: The cream cheese should be softened to room temperature for easy creaming with the butter and sugar.
- Powdered sugar: The icing texture is best if you sift the powdered sugar first.
- Milk & vanilla extract: Adjust the amount of milk as needed. You want the drizzle to be firm enough to pipe but soft enough to flow across the cookies easily.
How to Make Carrot Cake Cookies
Making homemade carrot cake cookies is a breeze with these easy steps. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a hand mixer instead.
Cream cheese drizzle
Carrot Cake Cookie Recipe
Carrot cake cookies are made with freshly grated carrots and an easy cream cheese icing to drizzle over the top. Bakes in 10 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 egg at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup carrots grated, from about 2 medium carrots
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Cream Cheese Drizzle
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese room temperature
- 1 tablespoons butter room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons milk plus more, as needed
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Sift together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add butter and brown sugar. Cream at medium speed for 2 minutes, or until combined. Add applesauce and mix until combined.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla for 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix at low speed for about 30 seconds, or until only a few streaks of flour remain.
- Remove the mixing bowl from the stand mixer and fold the carrots and pecans into the batter using a rubber spatula.
- Using a 1.5 tablespoons-size spring loaded cookie scoop, scoop the cookies onto the prepared sheet pan, make sure the cookies are spaced about 1 ½ inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown around the edges and the centers are puffed and set.
- Let cool for 2 minutes on the baking pans, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
- While the cookies cool, make the icing. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add cream cheese and butter. Mix at medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until creamy. Add powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Mix until combined. You want the icing to be slightly runny, but firm enough to pipe. Add more milk as needed to reach desired consistency. Transfer to a piping bag or ziptop bag and trim the corner off. Pipe a drizzle of frosting on the cooled cookies and serve.
Equipment
- Stainless Steel Cookie Scoop (1.7 tbsp)
Notes
The frosted cookies should be kept in the fridge, but they are equally good without the drizzle! If left plain, these will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or up to a week in the fridge.
Nutrition
Calories: 130kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 19mg, Sodium: 66mg, Potassium: 50mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 646IU, Vitamin C: 0.3mg, Calcium: 15mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
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Additions
- Add raisins. Fold in ½ cup with the grated carrots and pecans.
- Sandwich Them! Instead of icing, you could turn these into sandwich cookies with a layer of my cream cheese frosting between two cookies.
- Zest it up. Fresh orange or lemon zest will add brightness to the finished cookie.
Recipe Tips
- Measure the grated carrots correctly. When measuring, the grated carrots should be packed firmly into the measuring cup. The carrots add a lot of flavor, sweetness, and moisture to the cookies, so you don’t want to skimp on them!
- Use a cookie scoop. I use a 1.7 tablespoon cookie scoop. Once I scoop the cookie dough onto the baking sheet, leave it rounded for a tall puffed cookie like the top of a muffin. You could also press the cookie a bit after scooping for a flatter top after baking.
- Don’t overbake the cookies. Golden brown edges and a set middle means your cookies are ready to be removed from the oven. Cookies will continue to cook for a few after being removed, especially when sitting on a hot baking sheet. Tall, soft, and chewy is the texture we’re aiming for.
- Don’t store the cookies on top of each other. This type of cream cheese frosting does not harden as it cools. It remains pretty soft, so be sure to store the cookies in a single layer to avoid smudging the frosting all over.
Comments
They look tasty!
Thank you!
Very tasty outcome and the topping is delicious. Initially I thought it is rather complicated but as I followed the instructions it was not difficult at all. I added walnuts instead!
So glad you liked them!
These turned out great! I made them dairy free by subbing the butter for 2 Tbsp coconut oil and 2 Tbsp homemade walnut butter. I made them to share with my toddler, so I left out the pecans. I baked a couple as a trial, and they didn’t spread at all. Maybe from subbing the butter or maybe because I packed the 1/2 cup with too many carrots. I simply flattened the rest before baking. The flavor was fantastic and enjoyed by my whole family. I’ve saved it to make again and will be adding pecans for myself — sounds like a tasty addition!
Love this! Thanks for sharing the tips!
Moist and delicious. Fun to make.
Glad you enjoyed them, Deborah!
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