Carrot Cake Cookies
Updated
Updated
These Carrot Cake Cookies have all the flavors of my favorite carrot cake rolled into cookies. Soft, chewy, and sandwiched with a wonderful cream cheese frosting, I can never eat just one!
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5 STAR REVIEWS
I’m so excited to add these carrot cake cookies to my carrot cake collection—which already includes classics like my go-to carrot cake, a dreamy carrot cake roll, and even cozy carrot cake oatmeal. These cookies are such a fun twist on the original, and honestly, just as delicious!
They’re soft, tender, and perfectly sweet. I love them as-is, but when I add a swirl of sweet cream cheese frosting on top? Total game-changer.
Carrot Cake Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 oz. unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tsp vanilla
- ½ cup powdered sugar
For the Cookies
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk, (just the yolk)
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp coarse salt
- pinch of nutmeg
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats, do not use instant or steel cut
- ¾ cup finely grated carrots, packed
- ⅓ cup raisins, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
- Make the cookies: In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, both sugars, and egg yolk. Add in the flour, cinnamon, and salt. Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Mix in the oats, carrots, and raisins.
- Form mixture into tight tablespoon balls, squeezing/molding just a few times (this will help prevent crumbling after baking and cooling.) Drop 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. (You should have 20 balls.) Spray the bottom of your hand or a glass and flatten the cookies. (The dough will be sticky.)
- Bake until the edges are golden, rotating baking sheets halfway through, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.
- For the filling, beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until well-combined and smooth. Mix in vanilla. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until totally incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Remove frosting from refrigerator until soft enough to spread. Flip one of each cookie pair over, bottom side up. Dollop out the cream cheese filling over the cookie. Top with remaining cookie and press gently to spread the filling to the edges.
- Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Use a cookie scoop. This ensures the cookies are all uniform in size and bake in the same amount of time. Plus, it’s easier!
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How to Make Carrot Cake Cookies Step by Step
Preheat the oven and prep the baking sheets: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
Make the cookies: In a large bowl, whisk together ½ cup melted butter, ½ cup packed brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and a large egg yolk (just he yolk!) Add in the ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp salt, and a pinch of nutmeg; stir until thoroughly combined.
Add the carrots: Mix in 1 cup rolled oats, ¾ cup shredded carrots, and 1/3 cup raisins.
Form into balls: Form mixture into tight tablespoon balls, squeezing/molding just a few times (this will help prevent crumbling after baking and cooling.) Drop, 2 inches apart, onto prepared baking sheets. (You should have 20 balls.) The dough will be wet and sticky, so spray the bottom of your hand or a glass and flatten the cookies a bit.
Bake: Bake until the edges are golden, rotating baking sheets halfway through, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.
Make the filling: Beat 2 oz. softened cream cheese and 2 oz. softened butter with an electric mixer until well-combined and smooth. Mix in 2 tsp vanilla. Gradually beat in ½ cup powdered sugar until totally incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Fill: Remove filling from refrigerator until soft enough to spread. Dollop the cream cheese filling over the flat side of one cookie. Top with the remaining cookie and press gently to spread the filling to the edges.
Serve: Serve and enjoy!
How to Store Leftovers
Before spreading with the frosting, the cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. The filling can be made ahead and chilled for up to three days. After being baked and assembled, these are best when served within a couple of hours.
You can also freeze these cookies frosted or unfrosted. Let the cookies completely cool, then place them (frosted or unfrosted) on a baking sheet, leaving space in-between. Transfer baking sheet to the freezer and freeze the cookies until solid. Wrap each cookie individually in plastic wrap and add to a freezer bag and seal. When ready to serve, grab however many cookies you want from the freezer bag, and remove the plastic wrap (to avoid condensation.) Allow the cookies to thaw on the counter for about 20 minutes.
What to Serve With Carrot Cake Cookies
These carrot cake cookies are a decadent afternoon snack and even more decadent with a classic vanilla malted milkshake or a creamy boba tea on a hot summer day. Or, serve with an Irish coffee on those cold winter days.
More Carrot Cake Recipes
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Dear god, what was I thinking when I decided to go sugar free? Mini pumpkin pies, mini pecan pies, and now carrot cake cookie sandwiches. Holy moly. I’m drowning in my own saliva. 🤤🤤
WOW!!! These cookies are amazing! Today’s is my hubby’s birthday, and he loves carrot cake but he’s a Cookie Monster. Thank you (? THANK YOU) for combining two perfect worlds (for him)!! I followed the recipe 100%, although I doubled the measurements. The batch yielded 29 sandwich cookies!!! This recipe is a keeper!!
These cookie sandwiches were awesome. They were easy and tased delicious. They are not valor like carrot cake them are more chewy and the flavors are really good. I must have used too big of a cookie scoop since only got 11 cookies. One I had to taste to make sure it wasn’t “ Poison” as my Dad would say when we baked something he would always crap one and say I have to check To make sure it’s not poison. Miss you, dad
Love these! My family now begs for these at our gatherings.
A very easy recipe! I am going to add nutmeg to my next batch.
Great recipe! Even the cookies without the frosting are delicious.
These were absolutely delicious! I had to refrain from eating more than 2!
I found the recipe super easy to follow. I doctored up the icing with a little nutmeg, clove and cinnamon. Once sandwiched together they taste just like a carrot cake.
DELICIOUS! My partner said they’re like carrot-y oatmeal creme pies, which is so true. Even better the next day, as the cookies go all soft from the moisture of the frosting.
Here’s my suggested tweaks: I did brown butter for both the cookies AND the frosting. Adds huge depth in flavor for a few minutes’ effort. Chill the dough before baking – I always do this, but especially if the butter is melted for the recipe. I ran out of time and only chilled for half my usual time, and they still spread like crazy. You need a little spread since they’re sandwich cookies and not big, thick monsters, but I imagine they would’ve been paper thin if I hadn’t chilled the dough at all. I’d suggest 30 min.
These were awesome, thank you so much for the recipe :) Pretty easy too, The only bummer is that somehow even though I thought I measured right we didn’t reach 20 cookies. But this is easily doubled, as is the frosting which is thankfully not outrageously sugary, We decided to have them as single frosted cookies versus the sandwich so they would last longer but definitely will one day make them sandwichy!
Your recipe was well written and easy to follow and we will be sharing it with others as well as exploring more of your site and recipes
I opted to just make the cookies instead of sandwiched with the frosting. We loved them!
Delicious. I made this way and then gluten free (substituted with coconut flour – added another yolk, and 1/4 cup of coconut milk). Added walnuts to both recipes. Also added some coconut flakes to some for those who love coconut. DELICIOUS
Made these for an early Easter brunch with family and they were a huge hit!
Good cookies. I’m allergic to dairy so substituted plant butter and plant based cream cheese. Used the whole egg to help bind and added protein a benefit. Also added 1/3 c pecans and following spices in descending order: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. Next time I may try cinnamon chips.
This recipe came through when scrolling on Facebook . I realized I had all of these ingredients (subbed for gf flour) and immediately made them. They were demolished they were so good. I will be making these again SOON!
Are the oats the quick oats or the traditional? Thanks.
Rolled oats are the same as old fashioned/traditional.
So good! I’m impressed!
Think I squished mine down a little too much, haha but wow were they amazing all the same.. made them for my husband , eating sugar, but I did have to try one.. just ate the “ healthy parts !
Loved these so much!
Love it
These are the best! yummy yummy yummy!…and easy to make!
I made these and made some modifications. I doubled the recipe, cut back on the carrots by 1/2 cup and added coconut. I also added some nutmeg, vanilla, and a tsp. soda. I made a frosting that I drizzled on top!!
how abouut a sugar free for us diabetic
I’m hosting a frozen cookie dough exchange party, can the dough and filling both be frozen? Or would it be better to bake, build and freeze?
These cookies were a hit!
I added a bit more flour, more raisins.
I just made these. They are TASTY!!! Thanks for the recipe!
I made made these, but subbed in chocolate chips instead of raisins – really good.
Do you think it would hurt the recipe outcome to plump the raisins first? The cookies look great!
I think that would be fine!
Your blog is down home beautiful. Thanks for sharing your carrot cake cookie recipe. It looks AbFab. Merry Christmas! Cindy
Greetings, Cindy – thank you so much for the kind words and stopping by. Merry Christmas to you too!
Made these with my girls. We loved them!
These cookies were beyond popular! I made them for my son’s birthday at pre-school, both of his teachers asked for the recipe. I made another batch for hubby to take to work… apparently they disappeared in 2 mins flat :)
Oh good gosh! These were so incredible. I could seriously devour an entire batch of them right now. Love them!!!!
My family LOVED these!
yummm, im such a carrot cake fan, the idea of having it in little portable cookie form is a wonderful but entirely dangerous idea! :) lovely recipe, they look irresistibly scrumptious
yum- they are so good.
Cookies definitely trump wine. Every time. Especially ones as pretty as these!
Amy, great post….these are gorgeous! Wow. Carrot cake is one of my all time faves….will definitely be making these soon. ..they look incredible!
I always prefer sweets over booze…:) These look incredibly delicious!
Your version looks terrific!
These baked up beautifully and were do delicious, thanks for the recipe!
cookies and carrot cake combined? *brain exploded*
One of my biggest weakness’s is carrot cake – will need to try these!
I swear I think I can taste these cookies by looking at the photo. YUM! Totally making these. I have a bumper crop of carrots in the garden and this is the ticket.
YUM!
Heather
How perfect! If I had a week like yours, I think I would need cookies AND a glass of wine :)