Soft Carrot Cake Cookies (Printable Version)
Chewy spiced cookies loaded with carrots, oats, and warming spices topped with creamy vanilla glaze for a perfect handheld dessert.
# Ingredient List:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
07 - 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
→ Wet Ingredients
08 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
09 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
10 - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
11 - 1 large egg
12 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Add-ins
13 - 1 cup finely grated carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
14 - 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
15 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
16 - 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
→ Cream Cheese Drizzle
17 - 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
18 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
19 - 1 tablespoon milk
20 - 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
# Step-by-Step Instructions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
04 - Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture, mixing until well combined.
05 - Gradually mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
06 - Fold in grated carrots, oats, walnuts or pecans if using, and raisins if using.
07 - Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
08 - Bake 11-13 minutes, or until edges are golden and centers are set. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies using a spoon or small piping bag. Allow glaze to set before serving.
# Tips from hearthlykitchen:
01 -
- These cookies capture everything you love about carrot cake but in handheld form ready in under 35 minutes
- The cream cheese drizzle transforms them into something special without the effort of a full cake
- They stay incredibly soft for days thanks to the moisture from fresh grated carrots
02 -
- Overmixing the dough once the flour is added will make these tough so stop as soon as everything comes together
- These cookies continue to firm up as they cool so removing them when the centers still look slightly underbaked is the secret to perfect texture
- The cream cheese drizzle needs completely cooled cookies or it will melt right off instead of setting into pretty white streaks
03 -
- Grate your carrots by hand instead of buying pre shredded carrots which are too dry and thick for these delicate cookies
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking if you want thicker cookies with less spreading