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These Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting are a MUST for carrot cake lovers! You will love the frosting. So many delicious flavors in one little cookie!
Why I Love These Easter Cookies
If you are a carrot cake or a cookie fan, you are going to LOVE these carrot cake cookies! The cream cheese frosting on the top is so yummy! We have made these with raisins and without, and both ways are really good. Plus, there’s just something wonderful about taking carrots and making them into cookies. Love getting veggies in when taking a bite of delicious cookie!
Ingredients You’ll Need
The ingredients in our Carrot Cake Cookies are similar to the ingredients used when making carrot cake. Most are ingredients you already have on hand.
For the Cookies:
- Shortening
- Brown sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Milk
- Quick oats
- Flour
- Shredded carrots
- Raisins (can be left out)
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Ginger
- Optional add-ins: walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips
For the Frosting:
- Cream cheese – softened
- Butter – softened
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
How to Make Carrot Cake Cookies
- Make the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat together the shortening, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, and milk until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl before moving on.
- Add the dry ingredients. Add the remaining cookie ingredients to the bowl and mix on low speed until a soft dough comes together.
- Scoop. Using a spoon or cookie scoop, drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake. Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are set and lightly golden on the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.
- Make the cream cheese frosting. Beat together the cream cheese, butter, milk, and vanilla until light and smooth. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar until the frosting is thick, creamy, and easy to spread.
- Frost and garnish. Spread a generous dollop of cream cheese frosting over the top of each cooled cookie and finish with a sprinkle of chopped walnuts.
Make Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies
Recently, Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World has offered a Carrot Cake Cookie in sandwich form. It has become a popular treat in the park. You can make it at home by spreading frosting on the bottom of one of our carrot cake cookies, then adding another carrot cake cookie on top. The bottoms of the cookie are the inside of the sandwich. The fluffier tops of the cookie are on the outside.
If you are visiting Hollywood Studios and want to find their delicious carrot cake cookie, you can find it seasonally at the Trolley Car Café.
How to Shred Carrots
This recipe calls for shredded carrots. The easiest way to get finely shredded carrot is with a box grater. Rinse and peel the carrots, then use the side of the grater with the small holes to grate the carrot. Hold the carrot at the top (thickest part of the carrot) and start grating it at the bottom. Be careful and watch your fingers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Although the name implies CARROT, there really isn’t that much carrot-y flavor. What you really taste is the rich and sweet brown sugar, the warm cinnamon, the nutty nutmeg, and the spicy ginger.
It is unsure where the exact country of origin that carrot cake came from, but it is agreed on that it had its start in the Middle Ages when sugar was scarce so the people used carrot as a sweetener substitute. It seems that carrot cake has been a treat enjoyed around the world for a long time!
Freshly grated carrots are best. Pre-shredded carrots are thicker and drier, which can affect the texture and moisture of your cookies.
The edges should be lightly golden and set, while the centers remain soft. They will continue to firm up as they cool.
Read next: 33+ Easy Dessert Ideas
More Carrot Recipes
Love carrots? They are delicious and colorful as a side dish, and in desserts. Buy a big bag and try some more recipes using carrots:
Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Video
Ingredients
Cookie Ingredients
- 3/4 cup shortening
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup milk
- 3 cups quick oats
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots, (1 cup carrots and ½ cup zucchini also works)
- 1/2 cup raisins, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional for topping)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 to 1½ pounds powdered sugar
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with hand beaters, mix shortening, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, and milk together. Scrape the sides of the bowl before adding dry ingredients.
- Add remaining cookie ingredients to the mixture and mix at a low speed until blended.
- Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls using a spoon or cookie scoop onto a cookie sheet.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven. After cookies have slight cooled, place them on a wire rack and allow them come to room temperature before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Blend cream cheese, butter, milk, and vanilla together.
- Stir in powdered sugar until frosting is smooth and creamy.
- When cookies are cooled, spread icing on the top of each cookie and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
Equipment
- Stand or hand mixer
- Baking Sheet
Notes
- The cookie batter/dough will be wet. Be sure to use a cookie scoop or spoon when forming the dough into balls and placing them on the cookie sheet.
- Add chopped walnuts to the cookie dough for a nutty crunch.
- Add chocolate chips for a little something sweet.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I don’t buy shortening anymore with all the negative health things about it plus it has become very expensive. Can you substitute butter for the shortening in this recipe?
Yes, you can. I would do softened butter. It will just slightly change the flavor and texture
I think that’s too much powdered sugar a think a typo
No, that is correct. You will probably end up with leftover frosting, but it is very good!!
It says a pound to a pound in a half of powdered sugar maybe it more like a cup to a cup in a half.
I have taken these to parties & they are always a hit!! Finger desserts are always the best & when your cookie tastes like one of your favorite desserts, you know this recipe will be saved in my favorites!
Yum! These turned out so good! Thanks!
I totally prefer these over the cake! Small, soft, & the right amount of carrot taste!
Saw the recipe this morning and made them this afternoon. They are incredible. This recipe will be added to my Christmas ones. By the way, I used gluten free all purpose flour and it worked perfectly. Thank you so much!
Great taste to these cookies. Don not try to make them larger than the tbsp that the recipe calls for or they fal apart and don’t bake as well. The frosting required about 2 cups of powdered sugar and this was more than enough for the batch, delicious!
Wow! My husband wil love these!! Thanks for sharing!