Carrot cake cookies are chewy, oatmeal-based cookies topped with a swirl of cream cheese frosting. They taste like a slice of carrot cake, but are so much easier to make! Recipe includes a how-to video!
1Tablespoonscorn 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 (175C).
In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugars and use an electric mixer (or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) and beat until creamy, light, and fluffy (about 1-2 minutes).
1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup light brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar
Add eggs and vanilla extract and stir well. Pause occasionally to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
In a separate, medium-sized mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.
1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon salt
Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet, pausing periodically to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
Stir in oats until completely combined.
3 cups old-fashioned oats
Add carrots and walnuts/pecans (and raisins, if using).
1 cup grated/shredded carrots, ¾ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, ½-1 cup raisins
Drop cookies by 2-Tablespoon-sized scoops (43g) onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, spacing cookies at least 2" (5cm) apart. For more uniform cookies, roll the dough into a smooth ball between your palms (dough is sticky!). Bake 11-12 minutes on 350F (177C). Cookies may appear slightly underbaked at their centers still.
Allow cookies to cool completely on baking tray before decorating with icing.
For Frosting
Combine butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl (or bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment) and beat until smooth and creamy,.
¾ cup salted butter, 12 oz cream cheese
Gradually add powdered sugar, about half a cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4 ½ cups powdered sugar
Stir in vanilla extract.
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Add corn starch and stir.
1 Tablespoons corn starch
Spread frosting onto cookies or transfer frosting into a piping bag fitted with a Ateco 846 tip and pipe on top of cooled cookies.
Video
Notes
Carrots
I recommend peeling carrots before grating, it will make the carrots look nicer. To grate your carrots you may just use a box grater. My preferred method is to use the "shred" blade on my food processor to shred the carrots, then use the standard blade and pulse several seconds until the carrots are a fine consistency (don't go too far or you'll have carrot puree!).
Storing
Store frosted cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours or in the refrigerator (tightly sealed) for up to 5 days. I personally do enjoy the taste of these cold, but if you prefer them at room temperature just let them sit out of the fridge for about 15-20 minutes before enjoying.