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.
Servings: 18 cookies
Equipment
- Large Stainless Steel Scoop (1.7 tbsp)
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 the butter and brown sugar. Cream at medium speed for 2 minutes, or until combined. Add the 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 1.7 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 the remaining dough.
- While the cookies cool, make the icing. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cream cheese and butter. Mix at medium speed for 2–3 minutes, or until creamy. Add the 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 the desired consistency. Transfer to a piping bag or zip-top bag and trim the corner off. Pipe a drizzle of frosting on the cooled cookies and serve.
Notes
My Top Tip: 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.
Storage: If you add the cream cheese frosting to the cookies, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. They taste great without the icing, too! If you leave them plain, they'll last in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the fridge for up to one week.
Freezing: Place the cookies on a baking sheet in the freezer until completely frozen. Then, transfer them to freezer bags or an airtight container. They'll last in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and enjoy.
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
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