Carrot Cake Cookies

image of a carrot cake cookie that's been drizzled with a cream cheese glaze

5 from 6 rating

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.

Prep Time20

Cook Time13

Total Time33

Course: Cookies

Cuisine: American

Servings: 22 cookies

Calories: 156kcal

Author: Chelsey White

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

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.

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.

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