These carrot cake cookies are soft and cakey with freshly grated carrots, toasted pecans, warm spices, and a creamy cream cheese frosting. I like that they have all the flavors of carrot cake but come together as individual sandwich cookies.
They’re a fun way to turn classic carrot cake flavors into cookies. If you love carrot desserts, you should also try these Carrot Cake Muffins. Keep reading to see why freshly grated carrots and old-fashioned rolled oats make such a difference in the texture of these cookies.
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Video Instructions
Try These Carrot Cake Cookies
If you love carrot cake but want something a little different, these cookies have the same combination of carrots, warm spices, pecans, and cream cheese frosting in a soft cookie.
The cream cheese frosting is my favorite part because it turns the cookies into little carrot cake sandwiches. The toasted pecans also add a nice texture alongside the soft, cakey cookies.
Why You’ll Love It
- Soft and cakey: Baking powder makes these cookies soft and cake-like rather than crisp.
- Lots of carrot cake flavor: Freshly grated carrots, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg give the cookies their classic flavor.
- Creamy frosting: The cream cheese frosting adds a rich, creamy layer between the cookies.
- Easy to make ahead: The dough and frosting can be prepared ahead, and both the baked cookies and filling can be frozen separately.
Ingredients
- Freshly grated carrots: This is one ingredient I wouldn’t shortcut. Fresh carrots grated finely work best because they give enough moisture, whereas pre-packaged carrots are too thick, big, and dry and can completely change the texture of the cookies.
- Old-fashioned rolled oats: I like these because they add a chewy bite to the otherwise soft, cakey cookies.
- Pecan nuts: Toasted pecans add both texture and flavor. You can leave them out if you prefer, but I like the extra crunch they give the cookies. You can substitute with walnuts, but pecans give the best flavor.
- Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg: These are the spices that give the cookies their carrot cake flavor. You can leave out the ginger and nutmeg if you want, but keep the cinnamon.
- Cream cheese: Brick-style cream cheese should be softened at room temperature before mixing, while spreadable cream cheese can be used straight from the fridge.
How to Make Carrot Cake Cookies
1. In a large bowl, stir in the dry ingredients: all purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to combine and set aside. In another large mixing bowl, cream the unsalted butter, brown sugar, and sugar.
2. Add the wet ingredients: eggs and vanilla extract, and mix until well combined.
3. Then add the flour mixture and mix the batter just until it comes together.
4. Mix in the carrots and oats to incorporate. Then add the pecans and mix just until well distributed. Then cover and chill.
5. Scoop dough balls of cookie dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
6. Flatten to about ½ inch thickness. Then bake in the oven and let cool on a cooling rack.
7. Once the cookies are cooled to room temp, prepare the frosting. In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter until soft and creamy.
8. Then add the cream cheese and mix until well combined and no lumps remain. Mix in vanilla and powdered sugar until creamy.
9. Fill the cookies with the cream cheese filling and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Use only freshly, finely grated carrots and don’t pack them into the measuring cup. Just fill the cup without pressing the carrots down.
- Make sure the butter and cream cheese are soft so they mix properly.
- Once you add the flour mixture, avoid overmixing the dough.
- Chill the dough for the full 2 hours so it becomes firm enough to scoop and shape easily.
- Flatten the cookie dough to about ½ inch thickness before baking.
- If you want to increase the shelf life, keep the unfilled cookies at room temperature and store the frosting in the refrigerator, then fill the cookies just before serving.
- For make-ahead storage, place the dough balls in an airtight container or freezer-safe bags and place in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- You can make brown butter cream cheese frosting for this recipe, but I prefer the normal cream cheese frosting as it tastes more like real carrot cake frosting.
What Can You Serve With This?
- Cream cheese frosting
- Coffee
- Tea
- Fresh fruit
FAQs
No. Freshly and finely grated carrots are best because pre-packaged carrots are too thick, big, and dry. Using them can completely change the texture of the cookies.
Yes. The dough can be prepared 1 day ahead and the filling up to 2 days ahead, with both stored covered in the refrigerator. The dough can also be frozen for up to 1 month, while the filling can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Recipe
Carrot Cake Cookies
Ingredients
cookie dough
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cups freshly, finely grated carrots
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup unsalted, toasted pecans*
frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup cream cheese, softened
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to combine and set aside.
- In another large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined, about 1 minute. Then add the flour mixture and mix on medium-low speed just until it comes together about 30-60 seconds. Mix in the carrots and oats to incorporate. Then add the pecans and mix just until well distributed. Cover and chill for 2 hours until the dough is firm enough to scoop and shape it easily.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C (fan oven 330°F/165°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Scoop 2 tablespoon (about 55g) of cookie dough per cookie onto the prepared baking sheets, 4-inch (10cm) apart, and flatten to about ½ inch thickness. Bake one sheet at a time for about 12-13 minutes or until the edges are set and browned, and the top looks matt and dry. Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes until they are firm enough to move them. Then transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Once the cookies are cooled, prepare the frosting.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter on medium-high speed until soft and creamy, about 2 minutes. Then add the cream cheese and mix additional 1-2 minutes until well combined and no lumps remain. Mix in vanilla and powdered sugar until creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Fill the cookies with the cream cheese filling and serve. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.**
Notes
Cooking Time and Temperature
Bake at 350°F/175°C (fan oven 330°F/165°C) for about 12–13 minutes.Taste & Texture
Soft and cakey with freshly grated carrots, warm spices, toasted pecans, and a creamy cream cheese frosting.Storage, Freezing & Reheating
- Room Temperature: Unfilled cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Refrigerator: Filled cookies should be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. The filling should also be stored in the fridge.
- Freezer: The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month, the filling for up to 3 months, and baked cookies for up to 3 months. Freeze the cookies and filling separately.
- Thawing: Let frozen dough thaw at room temperature for about 30–60 minutes before baking. Thaw baked cookies for 1–2 hours at room temperature and the filling overnight in the fridge before filling and serving.
Serving Recommendations
- Fill the cookies with the cream cheese frosting once the cookies have cooled completely.
- If you want them to stay fresher longer, keep the cookies unfilled and fill only as many as you plan to serve.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Swap light brown sugar for dark brown sugar if desired.
- Leave out the ginger and nutmeg if you prefer, although keep using the cinnamon at least.
- Leave out the toasted pecans if desired.
- Use vegan butter and flax eggs for the cookie dough and vegan cream cheese for the filling to make vegan carrot cake cookies.
- Use brick-style cream cheese softened at room temperature or spreadable cream cheese straight from the fridge, depending on the type available.
Proper Storage Tips
- Store filled cookies in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Store unfilled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Keep the cream cheese filling refrigerated.
- For longer freshness, fill the cookies just before serving.
Pro Tips
- Use freshly and finely grated carrots rather than pre-packaged shredded carrots.
- Don’t pack the grated carrots into the measuring cup.
- Make sure the butter and cream cheese are soft for easier mixing.
- Avoid overmixing once the flour mixture is added.
- Chill the dough for 2 hours before scooping and shaping.
- Flatten the dough to about ½ inch thickness before baking.
**Filled cookies need to be stored in the fridge and last up to 2 days. The longer they are in the fridge, the softer and wetter they get because of the moisture of the filling. Unfilled cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. The filling needs to be stored in the fridge. That's the way I prefer to store. Just before serving, I fill as many cookies as I want to eat. In this case, they stay fresh for 3 days.
Small batch This recipe yields 12 cookie sandwiches. However, if you don't plan to eat that many, you could divide the recipe in half. In this case, you end up with 6.
Video
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