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4.8 from 141 votes

Carrot Cake Cookies with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

A simple and flavorful recipe that's sure to be a favorite.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
35 mins
Servings: 36 Cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Cookies:
  • 12 tablespoons salted butter melted and cooled slightly
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ cups  all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups freshly grated carrots (see note)
Frosting:
  • 6 tablespoons salted butter softened
  • 6 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1 tablespoon sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • toasted pecans for garnish (optional)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (or use convection bake at 350 degrees F if you have that option). Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, lightly grease the parchment with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until well combined.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet batter and stir until a few dry streaks remain.
  4. Grab a handful of grated carrots and give a light squeeze over the kitchen sink to release as much liquid as possible without going crazy (i.e. don't get arthritis trying to squeeze the living daylights out of the carrots). Add the carrots to the batter. Repeat with remaining carrots a handful at a time until they've all been squeezed dry and added to the bowl.
  5. Stir the carrots into the batter until evenly combined (don't overmix).
  6. Scoop the dough out in 2-3 tablespoon size mounds and place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. If you want the edges or tops of the cookies smoother, lightly wet your hands with cold water or cooking spray and press any ragged edges into a neat circle.
  7. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. For the frosting, in a medium bowl with a handheld electric mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), beat the butter, cream cheese, sour cream and vanilla together until smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl down as needed. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until mostly combined. Increase the speed to medium/medium-high and whip the frosting until thick and creamy, 1-2 minutes. If the frosting is overly thick, add a tablespoon of milk or cream at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
  9. Frost the cooled cookies and garnish with toasted pecans, if desired.

Notes

  • Carrots: unfortunately the pre-grated matchstick carrots (in the produce section) won't work well for this recipe. The carrots need to be grated smaller than that. If you have a box grater, I'd suggest using the small holes. I use my food processor with the smaller of the two shredding disks. Carrots that have been freshly shredded/grated are going to release more water, which is going to help your cookies not end up being super cakey. I start with about 7 to 8 ounces of carrots (already peeled and trimmed, if needed) and after squeezing, I end up with about 5 1/2 ounces or so of carrots. 
  • Oven Temperature: these cookies bake at 375 degrees (or 350 for convection)...that's to help them retain their "puff" so they aren't thin and flat. If you are finding they aren't flattening at all while baking, it's possible your oven bakes hotter than mine, so reduce the temp to 350 degrees. 

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Cookie Calories 158kcal (8%) Carbohydrates 21g (7%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 8g (12%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Cholesterol 30mg (10%) Sodium 104mg (4%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 14g (28%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 36Cookies

Amount Per Serving

Calories

% Daily Value*

Serving 1 Cookie
Calories 158kcal 8%
Carbohydrates 21g 7%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 8g 12%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 30mg 10%
Sodium 104mg 4%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 14g 28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.