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You are here: Home / Desserts / Cookies / Carrot Cake Cookies

Carrot Cake Cookies

March 27, 2018 Updated April 5, 2019 BySam 44 Comments

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Carrot Cake Cookies

These carrot cake cookies are moist, oatmeal-based cookies that come together in a flash.  They are topped with a generous topping of signature sweet cream cheese frosting (and sprinkles, if you’re feeling festive).  These bite-sized treats are much simpler than making a whole cake!

Carrot cake cookies with a cream cheese frosting topping! Much easier than making the whole cake! || Sugar Spun Run

I know I just posted a carrot cake recipe a few days ago, but with Easter right around the corner I’m feeling in the mood for all the carrot-based desserts, and I wanted to re-share another older recipe with you.

I was never happy with my original photos for these carrot cake cookies (taken two years ago!), so I’ve pretty much neglected them for some time, despite the fact that they are one of my favorite cookies… even though they are made with carrots.

As with my cheesecake layered carrot cake, I think a lot of that has to do with the copious amounts of cream cheese frosting piled high atop each and every carrot cake cookie.

In fact, when I first set out to make these carrot cake cookies, I was really setting out to make a tasty vehicle by which to transport hefty servings of cream cheese frosting to my mouth.

Carrot cake cookies on cooling rack, with icing and sprinkles

I think that I accomplished my goal, but to just talk about the cream cheese icing really robs these cookies of a lot of their due credit.

A lot of thought and care really did go into the recipe for this “cream cheese frosting vehicle”.  I wanted cookies that were soft and moist (because that’s how carrot cake needs to be), but still sturdy enough to hold said copious amounts of frosting.  Enough flavor to be delicious even on their own, without a frosting crown.

And with or without some festively (carrot) colored sprinkles.

Carrot cake cookies with a cream cheese frosting topping! Much easier than making the whole cake! || Sugar Spun Run

It took a few tries to get these just right, but here they are.

As I said, these cookies can be eaten plain (but why would you want to when there’s cream cheese frosting to be made).  They have an oatmeal base and a distinct carrot-cake flavor.  If you’d like, you can absolutely add raisins to your own cookies (a common feature in many carrot cakes), but as I’ve mentioned in the past, I don’t like raisins and so they have been omitted here.

Each bite is like digging into a freshly cut slice of carrot cake, no fork required.

Carrot cake cookies with a cream cheese frosting topping! Much easier than making the whole cake! || Sugar Spun Run

I brought these cookies to work and no one had any complaints about my liberal frosting application.

My co-workers, they get me 😉

Enjoy!

How to Make Carrot Cake Cookies

carrot cake cookies with icing and sprinkles

Carrot Cake Cookies

These carrot cake cookies are topped with cream cheese frosting -- sweet little treats that are much simpler than making a whole cake!
5 from 9 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: best cookies, carrot cake, carrot cake cookies
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 42 minutes
Servings: 42 cookies
Calories: 225kcal
Author: Sam Merritt

Ingredients

Cookies

  • 1 cup butter softened (226g)
  • 1 cup light brown sugar packed (200g)
  • 1/2 cup sugar (100g)
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 cups old fashioned oats (295g)
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (215g)
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 cup grated/shredded carrots (120g)
  • 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (120g)
  • 1/2-1 cup raisins OPTIONAL depending on preference

Frosting

  • 3/4 cup salted butter softened (170g)
  • 12 oz cream cheese softened (340g)
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar (565g)
  • 1 Tbsp corn starch (this helps the frosting to maintain its shape - it's less likely to make a mess your hands this way!)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F (177C)
  • Place your butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl and use an electric beater) and beat until creamy, about 1 minute
  • Add sugars and cream together until light and fluffy
  • Add vanilla and then beat in eggs, one at a time, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition.
  • In a separate bowl, combine oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.
  • Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet, pausing periodically to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
  • With mixer on low-speed, stir in carrots and walnuts/pecans (and raisins, if using)
  • Drop cookies by rounded spoonful (about 1 1/2 Tbsp scoop) onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Bake 11-12 minutes on 350F (177C).  Cookies may appear slightly underbaked at their centers still.
  • Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on tray then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely before icing.

For Frosting

  • In stand mixer, cream together butter and cream cheese.
  • Add vanilla.
  • Gradually add in powdered sugar, about 1/3 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Add corn starch and stir.
  • Spread frosting onto cookies or transfer frosting into a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 2D tip and pipe on top of cooled cookies.

Nutrition

Calories: 225kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

Carrot cake cookies with a cream cheese frosting topping! Much easier than making the whole cake! || Sugar Spun Run

You Might Also Like:

 Cheesecake Layered Carrot Cake

Slice of carrot cake cheesecake on a white plate

This Carrot Cake Cookies post was originally published 4/13/2015, photos and text have been updated 3/30/2017

Filed Under: Cookies, Desserts Tagged With: cookies, cream cheese, dessert

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Previous Post Cheesecake Layered Carrot Cake
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Comments

  1. Julie says

    November 13, 2020 at 10:09 am

    I can’t wait to try these! Should I dry the carrots after shredding them? Thank you 🙂

    Reply
    • Sam says

      November 13, 2020 at 10:44 am

      Hi Julie! I do not. Enjoy! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Ji-Ha says

    November 2, 2020 at 7:47 am

    5 stars
    I made these last night and they were soooo good!!! These cookies were actually sweet enough for me without the frosting, but they are good with it as well (because who doesn’t like cream cheese frosting?!). Thank you for another amazing recipe, Sam!

    Reply
    • Sam says

      November 2, 2020 at 10:26 am

      I am so glad you enjoyed them so much! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Evelyn says

    May 26, 2020 at 9:38 am

    Would it change how the cookies turn out in any way if I don’t add in the nuts?

    Looking forward to trying this recipe soon!! 😀

    Reply
    • Sam says

      May 26, 2020 at 9:53 am

      Nope that’s not a problem and no other changes are needed. Enjoy! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Bina says

    April 6, 2020 at 9:27 pm

    Hi Sam,

    Never heard of carrot cake cookies but anxious to try!!!! Would the dough freeze well? There are only two of us at home and I am planning to halve the recipe but even then it is a lot. So maybe make some of the dough into balls and freeze? Thoughts?
    Thanks 🙂

    Reply
    • Sam says

      April 7, 2020 at 12:49 pm

      Hi Bina! Yes the dough should freeze just fine, I would form it into balls and then wrap each ball with plastic wrap and store each in an airtight container or ziploc bag and then freeze. When baking cookies from frozen, they may need a bit more time in the oven. I hope that helps! 🙂

      Reply
      • Bina says

        April 7, 2020 at 8:22 pm

        Thanks! I made them today. Ate 6 and froze the rest. I made them without the frosting and they are not too sweet (perfect base for the frosting) so I put some powdered sugar on top and they were just right.

      • Sugar Spun Run says

        April 7, 2020 at 10:23 pm

        I am so glad that you enjoyed the cookies, Bina! 🙂

  5. Amber says

    April 6, 2020 at 12:55 pm

    How would you store these cookies?

    Reply
    • Sugar Spun Run says

      April 6, 2020 at 2:20 pm

      Hi, Amber! I recommend storing the cookies in an airtight container. 🙂

      Reply
    • Mic says

      July 7, 2020 at 3:55 am

      Hi Sam! Will this turn out fine if I use flour instead of adding oatmeal? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Sam says

        July 7, 2020 at 11:30 am

        Unfortunately I wouldn’t recommend it. They would end up being quite cakey.

  6. Lori Shutte says

    November 16, 2019 at 8:43 pm

    The best carrot cake cookies

    Reply
    • Sugar Spun Run says

      November 17, 2019 at 7:16 am

      I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Lori! Thanks for commenting. 🙂

      Reply
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The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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