Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting (Printable)

Soft, spiced cookies packed with shredded carrots, warm spices, oats, and topped with luscious cream cheese frosting.

# Ingredient List:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 tsp ground cinnamon
03 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
04 - 1/2 tsp baking soda
05 - 1/4 tsp salt

→ Wet Ingredients

06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
08 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
09 - 1 large egg
10 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

→ Add-Ins

11 - 1 cup finely grated carrots, about 2 medium peeled
12 - 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
13 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
14 - 1/3 cup raisins

→ Cream Cheese Frosting

15 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
16 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
17 - 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
18 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
03 - Beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract; mix until combined.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
05 - Fold in grated carrots, oats, walnuts or pecans, and raisins until evenly distributed.
06 - Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
07 - Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until edges are set and tops look dry. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
08 - Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until fluffy.
09 - Once cookies are completely cool, spread or pipe frosting onto each cookie. Optionally sprinkle with extra chopped nuts.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They deliver all the comfort of carrot cake in under 15 minutes of baking time
  • The cream cheese frosting transforms them from ordinary cookies into something that feels like a tiny celebration
  • These cookies actually taste better the next day when the spices have had time to mingle and settle
02 -
  • Grating the carrots finely rather than coarsely makes all the difference in texture and helps them distribute evenly throughout each cookie
  • Room temperature ingredients are non-negotiable here because cold butter or cream cheese will create a lumpy, difficult-to-work frosting
  • These cookies continue to cook on the hot baking sheet after they come out of the oven, so removing them while centers look slightly underdone is actually correct
03 -
  • Use the large holes on your box grater rather than the microplane for the perfect carrot texture that still adds moisture without being watery
  • Sifting the powdered sugar before adding it to the frosting prevents any gritty lumps and ensures a silky smooth finish

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