Description
Delightfully soft and flavorful Carrot Cake Cookies with warm spices, shredded carrots, oats, and pecans, topped with a creamy vanilla cream cheese frosting. These cookies bring all the cozy goodness of carrot cake into a handheld treat perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 1 cup butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 2 cups quick oats
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- Milk as needed
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Using a stand or handheld mixer, cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium speed until light and creamy. This process is essential for a soft cookie texture. Add eggs one at a time, beating just until incorporated after each addition, followed by the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is well mixed.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. This blend of spices delivers the classic carrot cake flavor.
- Mix Dry into Wet Ingredients: With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. The dough will be very thick, so finish mixing by hand if necessary.
- Add Carrots, Oats, and Pecans: Gently fold in the shredded carrots, quick oats, and chopped pecans by hand until just incorporated. The dough remains thick but holds all the delicious mix-ins well.
- Form Cookies: Using a 1 1/2-inch scoop or tablespoon, scoop dough and roll into balls. Place these balls on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Flatten the tops slightly to promote even baking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, until they are lightly golden around the edges. Resist the urge to overbake to keep them soft and chewy. After baking, allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Make Cream Cheese Frosting: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar on low speed until combined, then increase to medium-high speed and beat until thick and creamy for 1-2 minutes. Add milk one tablespoon at a time to reach your preferred consistency.
- Frost Cookies: Once cookies have cooled completely, frost them with the cream cheese frosting. Optionally garnish with additional chopped pecans for added texture and flavor.
Notes
- Do not microwave butter; soften it at room temperature to prevent cookies from spreading too much while baking.
- Use freshly grated carrots with the small holes of a box grater for optimal texture; avoid pre-packaged matchstick carrots as they are too thick.
- If you only have old-fashioned rolled oats, pulse them in a food processor 4-6 times to create quick oats consistent in size for this recipe.
- Do not microwave the butter or cream cheese for the frosting, as it will become too runny. Let them reach room temperature naturally.
- You can freeze both frosted and unfrosted cookies by placing them on a baking sheet, freezing solid, then individually wrapping and storing in a freezer bag. Thaw thawed cookies on the counter for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 190 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
