Carrot Cake Cookies

I love a super moist carrot cake slathered in cream cheese frosting. Carrot cake cookies on the other hand are so much easier on your waistline then having a cake around. For some reason, if I have a cake in the house, I feel obligated to eat an entire slice and no matter how small you slice it, it’s a lot bigger than a cookie.

I feel that either I have to eat the whole cake before it gets stale or freeze it. I don’t seem to have the will power to eat it in moderation. However, with this carrot cake cookie recipe, you can get all the aromatic spices of carrot cake and the yummy cream cheese frosting, in a smallish cookie form.

If you’re thinking more of a bar recipe instead of a cookie, carrot cake cheesecake bars will give you a similar flavor profile. Or if you love sandwich cookies, try some with peanut butter.

The carrot cookies in the photos aren’t exactly small, but I was making these to give to some friends, so I may have gone a little overboard on the size.

These amazing cookies have a chewy oatmeal cookie texture and are sturdy enough to make into a sandwich cookie without the cookie falling apart when you bite into it. Each bite has the spice mixture you expect in a carrot cake with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. And seriously, is there anything better than a cream cheese frosting!

Why you’ll love these

• All the flavors of a carrot cake
• A melt-in-your-mouth cream cheese filling
• You can frost just one cookie or make into a sandwich cookie
• You get all the benefits of a slice of carrot cake without the need for a fork

What you’ll need

• Carrots – you won’t be able to use pre-cut carrots because they are too thick. Instead grate the carrots using the small holes in a box grater.
• Rolled Oats – Old fashioned not instant rolled oats.
• Raisins – these add a nice sweetness.
• Spices – cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg
• Pantry items – butter, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking soda and baking powder.
• Frosting – cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla.

PRO TIP: If you’re in a hurry and forgot to take the cream cheese out, you can speed up the process by cutting the cream cheese into smaller pieces. This also works if you need to soften butter.

Step by Step Directions

Step 1: Cream butter with the sugars and add eggs and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and then mix in oats, carrots and raisins. CHILL the dough for at least an hour.

Step 2: Use an ice cream scoop to shape the dough so that they are uniform in size and bake for 12-15 minutes. Let cool completely.

Step 3: To make the frosting, use a hand mixer to beat the cream cheese and butter, then add powdered sugar and vanilla.

Step 4: Spread the frosting on the bottom of one cookie and add another cookie to make a sandwich. In the alternative, you can frost the top of the cookie without making a sandwich.

Once assembled the carrot cake oatmeal cookies will need to be refrigerated since the frosting has cream cheese and butter. If you want to freeze them, place them in an air-tight container with parchment paper between the cookies.

FAQ’s and tips

How long can you leave cream cheese out to soften?

Since it’s a dairy product the general rule is 2-4 hours.

Can you freeze cookies with cream cheese frosting?

Yes, if you have just frosted one side of them, flash freeze the cookies first them layer them between parchment paper in an air tight container.

Can you use pre-cut carrots?

No the pre-cut carrots are too thick, instead grate carrots using the small holes of a box grater.

More Spring Cookies and Bars

• Lemon crinkle cookies
• Raspberry cream cheese brownies
• Cherry streusel bars
• Strawberry shortbread bars
• Sprinkle cookies