A less complicated option to do carrot cake, these carrot cake cookies are chewy, oatmeal-based cookies topped with a swirl of cream cheese frosting. They style like a slice of carrot cake, however are a lot simpler to make! Recipe features a how-to video!
5 Causes to Strive These Carrot Cake Cookies
- Simpler than making and adorning an entire cake. Carrot cake cupcakes definitely have their place as a handheld various to the basic cake, however these are even much less trouble and fulfill the craving with half the work!
- Distinct carrot cake taste. I aimed to completely encapsulate true carrot cake taste with this recipe. Between the carrots, rigorously balanced spices, and excellent texture, I’d say I nailed it. Add that to the cream cheese frosting on prime and you’ve got
- No chilling the dough! Although you may definitely make it upfront and even freeze it–I discuss extra about this within the FAQ part under.
- Constructed on an oatmeal cookie base, these have a hearty, but moist, mushy, and chewy texture (much like my zucchini cookies).
- Tried and true. I first shared this recipe again in 2015 and it’s actually stood the take a look at of time. They’ve acquired loads of 5 star scores and regardless of attempting to enhance on it this 12 months, I discovered no modifications had been really wanted. Just like the coconut cake I simply reshared, this one is a confirmed winner!
Carrot cake cookies are one in every of my children’ favourite cookies, even when they’re made with greens. I’ll admit although, I believe a variety of their love for them has to do with the cream cheese frosting piled on prime!
Quite a lot of thought and care went into growing this recipe all these years in the past. I wished cookies that had been mushy and moist, however nonetheless sturdy sufficient to carry copious quantities of frosting. Additionally they wanted to have sufficient taste to be scrumptious even on their very own, with out a frosting crown.
It took a couple of tries to get them good, however right here we’re!
Components
I’ll spotlight a couple of of the principle components within the cookies, after which we’ll briefly go over the frosting.
- Carrots. Similar to when making carrot cake cupcakes, I like to recommend peeling your carrots earlier than grating them. This may forestall them from imparting a greenish hue in your cookie dough. And sure, I like to recommend shopping for entire carrots and grating/shredding them your self; I elaborate on this within the FAQ part under.
- Sugar. A mix of brown sugar and granulated sugar offers these cookies a chewy texture and wealthy taste. Gentle brown sugar would work fantastic, however I really like to make use of a mix of darkish and lightweight brown sugar.
- Nuts. I like utilizing walnuts, however you may additionally use pecans (or skip the nuts fully!). No matter you employ, make certain they’re chopped sufficiently small to fold into the cookie dough properly. Additionally, in the event you’d wish to toast your nuts beforehand, take a look at my publish on the best way to toast pecans. If you wish to miss the nuts that’s completely fantastic, simply know that the cookies to are inclined to unfold a bit extra.
- Spices. Together with cinnamon and nutmeg. These heat spices largely make up the flavour profile of those cookies (and so they pair so properly with the brown sugar and nuts!). A pinch of ginger would even be pretty right here too!
- Oats. Fast-cooking oats might work in a pinch, however I like to recommend old school rolled oats for finest outcomes and texture (similar to when making my oatmeal raisin cookies!).
SAM’S TIP: If you happen to’d like, you may completely add ½-1 cup of raisins to your carrot cake cookies. Personally, I don’t like raisins, so I don’t add them.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese. Similar to when making my cheesecake, I like to recommend utilizing full-fat, brick type cream cheese for this cream cheese frosting. Utilizing the low-fat or spreadable variety offered in tubs would make for a runny frosting, and we actually don’t need that with a handheld dessert like these carrot cake cookies!
- Cornstarch. To make our frosting much more sturdy and thick, we’ll add just a bit little bit of cornstarch. There’s already cornstarch within the powdered sugar, however including this quantity ups the ratio and helps preserve the frosting secure on the cookie.
- Butter. I take advantage of salted butter within the frosting; this helps steadiness the sweetness and spherical out the flavour. If you happen to solely have unsalted butter available, add a heaping ¼ teaspoon of salt to your frosting.
- Sugar. Sure, that’s a variety of sugar, however we’re frosting practically three dozen cookies, in any case! Notice that lowering the sugar will have an effect on how sturdy your frosting is, so stick to the recipe on this one.
- Vanilla. Only a splash of vanilla offers the frosting a refined depth of taste. If in case you have some selfmade vanilla extract left over from the vacations, be at liberty to make use of it right here!
That is simply an summary of the components I used and why. For the total recipe please scroll right down to the underside of the publish!
How one can Make Carrot Cake Cookies
- Grate your carrots. You are able to do this with a grater, however I like to make use of my meals processor. I begin with the shred blade, then swap to the conventional blade and chop my carrots till they’re in fantastic items. Simply don’t go too far otherwise you’ll have carrot puree!
- Make the dough and add your add-ins till all the pieces is evenly integrated. I discover it’s simpler to change to a spatula for this step (ideally an orange one, because it matches the carrots! 😉).
- Roll 2-tablespoon sized scoops of dough between your palms, then bake on parchment lined sheets. Notice that the dough may be very sticky, so it could stick with your palms when rolling. You possibly can at all times skip the rolling and simply drop the dough instantly on the sheets if this bothers you, the cookies received’t be as uniform however will style simply nearly as good.
- Let the cookies cool utterly on the baking sheet. They might appear a bit underdone within the facilities and that is completely fantastic. Letting them to remain on the nice and cozy baking sheet will will enable them to complete baking outdoors the oven and preserve their chewy texture. As soon as cool, you may transfer them to a cooling rack whilst you put together your frosting.
- Add frosting to your cooled cookies. You possibly can both unfold this on with a knife or offset spatula, or pipe it on (my desire). I used an Ateco 846 for these photographs.
SAM’S TIP: Whereas not utterly obligatory, some orange and inexperienced sprinkles will give your carrot cake cookies much more of a carrot cake look! I simply picked up inexperienced and orange sequin sprinkles a couple of years in the past from my native grocery retailer, however coloured sanding sugar can be actually cute, too!
Often Requested Questions
I don’t suggest utilizing pre-shredded or “matchstick” carrots. Whereas fantastic for including to broccoli cheddar soup, they’re too thick, too lengthy, and far drier than freshly shredded carrots and don’t work properly right here. Shredding your personal carrots is straightforward and provides you with the very best outcomes, so it truly is a should right here. If you happen to don’t have a meals processor, simply use a cheese grater!
Sure, in the event you plan to take pleasure in them for a couple of days. They’ll be fantastic at room temperature in an hermetic container for a day, however after that they need to be saved within the fridge.
Sure, you may! I like to recommend you comply with the directions for drop cookies in my the best way to freeze cookie dough publish. You can too freeze the baked cookies too (with or with out frosting)!
Love baking with carrots? I’ve a carrot muffin recipe coming for you very quickly!
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Carrot Cake Cookies
Servings: 32 cookies
Energy: 317kcal
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Directions
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Preheat oven to 350F (175C).
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In a big mixing bowl, mix butter and sugars and use an electrical mixer (or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) and beat till creamy, gentle, and fluffy (about 1-2 minutes).
1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200 g) gentle brown sugar, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
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Add eggs and vanilla extract and stir properly. Pause often to scrape down the edges and backside of the bowl.
2 massive eggs, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
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In a separate, medium-sized mixing bowl, mix flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.
1 ¾ cup (215 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons floor cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon salt
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Progressively add dry components to the moist, pausing periodically to scrape down the edges of the bowl with a spatula.
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Stir in oats till utterly mixed.
3 cups (295 g) old school oats
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Add carrots and walnuts/pecans (and raisins, if utilizing).
1 cup (120 g) grated/shredded carrots, ¾ cup (120 g) chopped walnuts or pecans, ½-1 cup (80-160 g) raisins
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Drop cookies by 2-Tablespoon-sized scoops (43g) onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, spacing cookies not less than 2″ (5cm) aside. For extra uniform cookies, roll the dough right into a easy ball between your palms (dough is sticky!). Bake 11-12 minutes on 350F (177C). Cookies might seem barely underbaked at their facilities nonetheless.
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Enable cookies to chill utterly on baking tray earlier than adorning with icing.
For Frosting
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Mix butter and cream cheese in a big mixing bowl (or bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment) and beat till easy and creamy,.
¾ cup (170 g) salted butter, 12 oz (340 g) cream cheese
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Progressively add powdered sugar, about half a cup at a time, scraping down the edges of the bowl as wanted.
4 ½ cups (565 g) powdered sugar
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Stir in vanilla extract.
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
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Add corn starch and stir.
1 Tablespoons corn starch
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Unfold frosting onto cookies or switch frosting right into a piping bag fitted with a Ateco 846 tip and pipe on prime of cooled cookies.
Notes
Carrots
I like to recommend peeling carrots earlier than grating, it should make the carrots look nicer. To grate your carrots chances are you’ll simply use a field grater. My most well-liked methodology is to make use of the “shred” blade on my meals processor to shred the carrots, then use the usual blade and pulse a number of seconds till the carrots are a fantastic consistency (don’t go too far otherwise you’ll have carrot puree!).
Storing
Retailer frosted cookies in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as 24 hours or within the fridge (tightly sealed) for as much as 5 days. I personally do benefit from the style of those chilly, however in the event you want them at room temperature simply allow them to sit out of the fridge for about 15-20 minutes earlier than having fun with.
Vitamin
Serving: 1frosted cookie | Energy: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 3g | Fats: 16g | Saturated Fats: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g | Monounsaturated Fats: 4g | Trans Fats: 0.4g | Ldl cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 150mg | Potassium: 110mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 1139IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
Dietary data relies on third-party calculations and needs to be thought-about an estimate solely. Precise dietary content material will differ primarily based upon manufacturers used, measuring strategies, cooking methodology, portion sizes, and extra.
This publish was initially printed 4/13/2015, recipe is unchanged.
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