Carrot Cake Cookies
These carrot cake cookies have all the delicious flavors of carrot cake, just in cookie form!! They bake up soft and chewy and are drizzled with a cream cheese glaze.
Carrot Cake Cookies: Ingredients & Substitutions
I love this recipe just the way it is, but I know some people might not have all these ingredients on hand! Or you might have food restrictions or allergies.
Below are some swaps and variations that can be made in this recipe.
- All-purpose flour – This recipe turns out best with all-purpose flour, but you can use a gluten-free flour blend in its place if needed. I recommend using King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Gluten Free flour.
- Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter in this recipe. Just be sure to add only 1/4 tsp fine salt. You can also use vegan butter in its place.
- Cream Cheese – The full-fat kind that comes in a block works best. I do not recommend using low-fat or whipped cream cheese. If you don’t have any on hand, you can use additional unsalted butter.
- Brown Sugar – This recipe calls for light brown sugar, but you can also use dark brown sugar.
- Large Egg – If you have an egg allergy, you can try using a flaxseed egg or an egg replacer like this.
- Warm Spices – Ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves give these cookies that iconic carrot cake flavor. Make sure your spices are still full of flavor and aren’t expired or lacking flavor!
- Finely Grated Carrots – I like to use a microplane to grate the carrots finely. It gives them such a great texture, and they practically melt into the cookie dough! If you don’t have a microplane grater, you can use a regular grater or a food processor. I do not recommend using the pre-grated carrots.
How Many Cookies Does This Recipe Make?
The recipe makes about 22 cookies using a 1 1/2 Tbsp scoop.
Storing these Carrot Cake Cookies
You can make these cookies in advance! Store glazed cookies in an airtight container for up to a week in the fridge.
Unglazed cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Can I Freeze Baked Cookies?
Baked and glazed cookies can also be frozen! Once they’ve cooled completely, you can freeze them for up to 2 to 3 months without any major loss of flavor or texture.
To freeze, place the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until firm (this prevents them from sticking together).
Then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or an airtight container. I recommend separating the layers with parchment or wax paper and pressing out as much air as possible to avoid freezer burn.
When you’re ready to enjoy them, let the cookies thaw at room temperature for about an hour.
Tips for Making the Best Carrot Cake Cookies
- Wring out the carrots with a paper or kitchen towel once you grate them! If you don’t, you’ll end up adding a lot of additional water to the dough, which will give the cookies an overly soft, cakey texture.Â
- Use a 1 1/2 Tbsp cookie scoop to make sure your cookies are uniformly sized and bake evenly.
- Ingredients at room temp mix together better. Be sure to set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
- Once you add the flour, mix the cookie batter just until the ingredients are incorporated. This will ensure your cookies are tender.
- Don’t over-bake your cookies. Even if the centers seem a bit soft coming out of the oven, they will firm up as they cool.
Let Me Know What You Think!
If you make these carrot cake cookies, I’d love to hear what you think!
Please leave a rating on the recipe card below and tag @chelsweets or use #chelsweets so I can see your cookies.
Carrot Cake Cookies
These carrot cake cookies have the delicious flavor of carrot cake, just in cookie form! They bake up soft and chewy and are drizzled with a cream cheese glaze.
Servings: 22 cookies
Calories: 156kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Cookies
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 113g
- 1/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature 56g
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar 133g
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar 66g
- 1 large egg, room temperature 56g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste 5g
- orange gel food coloring – optional
- 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 215g
- 1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
- 1/4 tsp baking soda 3g
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 cups finely grated carrots 70g
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened 56g
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 180g
- 3 Tbsp milk of your choice 45g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4ml
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
Instructions
Carrot Cake Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350F/175C and line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add 1/2 cup (1 stick) room temperature butter, 1/4 cup room temperature cream cheese, 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar, and 1/3 cup granulated sugar into a large bowl. Beat on a medium speed for about 30 seconds until the mixture is smooth and no lumps remain (we don't need to cream the mixture as much as we do when making cakes). If you notice any stubborn brown sugar chunks, use the back of a fork to break them up.
- Add 1 large egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste. Mix on a medium speed until fully combined. If you want the dough to have a hint of an orange color, you can add a small drop of orange gel food coloring in this step.
- Sift 1 2/3 cups flour (make sure it's properly measured by using a scale or fluffing the flour in the bag, then spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling with a knife), 1/2 tsp fine salt, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 3/4 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/8 tsp cloves into the butter mixture and mix on a low speed until no visible streaks of flour remain. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula (hidden pockets of butter will cause the cookies to overspread!). If you don't have a sifter, whisk the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl, then pour them into the wet ingredients.
- Place 1/2 cup of finely grated carrots on a kitchen towel or a few pieces of paper towel and squeeze out any excess liquid (my carrots started at 70g, and were 48g after I wrung out them out). Save 1 Tbsp of the carrots to garnish the cookies with, and fold the remaining carrots into the dough. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
- Use a measuring spoon or cookie scoop to shape 1 1/2 Tbsp cookie dough balls. You should end up with about 22 cookie dough balls. Then press a small pinch of the reserved shredded carrots on top of each cookie.
- Bake the cookies one tray at a time for 12-14 minutes (the sweet spot in my oven is 13 minutes, but every oven bakes differently), and rotate the pan halfway through to help them bake evenly. The cookies are ready when the edges just start to brown, but the centers still look puffy and slightly under-baked. The cookies will continue to bake on the sheet and firm up once removed from the oven, so it's always best to err on the side of under-baked!
- Place the cookie sheet on a wire rack and let the cookies cool fully on the pan. Let the cookies cool fully before adding the cream cheese drizzle.
Cream Cheese Drizzle
- While the cookies bake and cool, work on the cream cheese drizzle.
- In a medium-sized bowl, use an electric hand mixer to combine 1/4 cup of softened cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, 3 Tbsp milk of your choice (I use whole milk), 1 tsp of vanilla extract, and 1/4 tsp of fine salt. Mix on a medium speed until smooth. If the glaze seems too thick, add an extra Tbsp of milk. If it seems too thin, add an extra 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. The thickness can vary a lot based on the temperature of the ingredients and the type of milk you use.
- Drizzle the glaze over the fully cooled cookies, then enjoy!
Video
Notes
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Tips for Making the Best Carrot Cake Cookies
- Ingredients at room temp mix together better. Be sure you set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
- Once you add the flour, mix the cookie batter just until the ingredients are incorporated. This will ensure your cookies are tender.
- Use a 1 1/2 Tbsp cookie scoop to make sure your cookies are consistent in size. It helps them bake up evenly!
- Wring out the carrots with a paper or kitchen towel once you grate them! If you don’t, you’ll end up adding a lot of additional water to the dough, which will give the cookies an overly soft, cakey texture.Â
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Carrot Cake Cookie Variations
To make gluten-free carrot cake cookies, swap in your favorite gluten-free flour blend for the AP flour this recipe calls for, and be sure to over-mix your dough and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before baking for the best results.Â
Making These Carrot Cake Cookies In Advance & Storage Tips
You can make these cookies in advance! You can store them unglazed in an airtight container for 3 days at room temp, or for up to a week in the fridge if they’re glazed. You can also store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 156kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 141mg | Potassium: 42mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 665IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
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OMG!!! These are amazing. They reminded me of my other favorite – oatmeal raisin without the raisins. So moist. I love the way you include the measurements in the directions, so I don’t have to keep checking.
Hi ReGina,
Ahh thank you so much!! That makes me so happy to hear 🙂 So glad you enjoyed them and found the ingredient measurements in the instructions helpful too, it makes the baking process so much easier, right? Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!