Carrot cake cookies are a great alternative to making a whole carrot cake.

Customize Your Carrot Cake Cookie

These cookies allow for individual flexibility in flavor based on likes or dislikes. Instead of adding ingredients like coconut, pecans, and pineapple into the batter these ingredients are reserved from the cake batter and can be used as toppers.

This carrot cake cookie allows many people to finally be able to enjoy a slice of carrot cake since the cookie does not contain an ingredient that they might be allergic to or just do not like.

I have two sisters with nut allergies and they always have to ask if a cake contains nuts. Many times and especially with carrot cakes, they have to pass on having that dessert. With these carrot cake cookies, they can now “have their cake and eat it too”.

Carrot Cake Cookie

Print Recipe

Is it a cookie or a slice of Cake? It looks like a cookie, but has the moist texture of a slice of cake.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 stick unsalted soften butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar-packed
• 1/2 cup sugar-white
• 1 egg-room temp
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup finely chopped or shreded carrots

Frosting:

• 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1 stick soften unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups powder sugar

Optional Topping:

• finely chopped pecans or walnuts
• finely chopped pineapple
• finely chopped coconut
• green and orange food coloring if applying a carrot design with using some of the icing

Instructions

Cookie Batter:

• In a large measuring cup ( 4 cup) or medium size mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.Stir ingredients and set aside.
• Place the butter and sugar ( brown and white sugar) into the stand mixer and mix until the butter is creamy and light…for about 5 minutes
• While the butter is creaming, Slice pieces of carrots and place them into a food processor. Pulse carrots until they are finely chopped. You might want to chop the carrots in batches. Chop one or two carrots at a time until you obtain the one cup quanity that is needed for the recipe.

  I used 4 medium size carrot for a generous one cup.

  The carrots can be shredded instead of chopped it desired. My preference is to chop them finely
• When the butter is creamed, add in the egg and vanilla extract. Mix well
• Add chopped/shredded carrots to the butter mixture and mix well

  Add the flour a liitle bit at a time until all it is incorporated.

  Use a spactula as needed to scrap down the sides of the mixing bowl.
• Place the cookie dough in the refrigerator ( the whole mixing bowl ) for 20-30 minutes to get the dough cold
• Preheat the oven to 350

  Line two cookie sheet pans with parchment paper
• Using a tablespoon, scoop out some dough and roll the dough in the palm of your hand. The ball will not be smooth, but you can obtain a uniformed shape.

  Place the dough balls on the cookie sheet and place the cookie sheet back in the refrigator for about 10 minutes.

  Cold cookie dough bakes nicely. You will get a fluffier cookie ( more like a cake than a cookie) if you bake the cookie dough cold rather than at room temperature.

  Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes… until the edges start to slightly brown, until the cookies are set, but still soft to the touch

  Cool completely on a cooling rack before frosting

Making the Frosting:

• Add butter and cream cheese to the stand mixer mixing bowl and mix for about 3- 5 minutes until the mixture is well blended
• Add in vanilla and the powdered sugar slowly.Mix well
• If planning on placing a carrot design on top of the cookies, place a few tablespoons of frosting into two small bowls and add food coloring. One bowl for the orange and the other bowl for the green.

  Transfer the colored frosting into piping bags or sandwich bags. For these cookies, I used sandwich bags because of the small quantity.

Decorating the Cookies:

• Frost each cookie with the frosting using an off set spactula or butter knife.

  Depending on likes or dislikes, you can add a variety of ingredients that are commonly used in a traditional carrot cake or omit ingredients you do not like

  Suggestions:

  – finely chopped pecans with a carrot in frosting ( what is pictured) or walnuts

  – finely chopped coconut ( I would use a food processor to ensure that it is finely chopped)

  – finely chopped pineapple ( again, I would use a food processor since the pieces of pineapple will need to be very small)
• After your cookies are frosted and topped, place them back into the refrigator for a little while to set the frosting.

  Enjoy !!

Course: Dessert

Keyword: Carrot Cake Cookie, Easter Carrot Cake Cookies, How to make carrot cake cookies

Author: Beverly

Storage:

Place your cookies in an airtight container to maintain their moisture. Place a piece of parchment paper between layers

I hope you fall in Love with these cookies….I sure have. Please leave me a comment and let me know what your thoughts are about them. Attach pictures of your cookies. I would love to see them

Cheers…..Happy Baking !!