Carrot Cake Cookies

Skip the time consuming layered carrot cake and make these delicious Carrot Cake Cookies instead! All the flavor with less time. A soft, chewy carrot cake cookie that’s topped with a homemade cream cheese frosting and chopped walnuts.

Carrot cake in cookie form? Yes please! These carrot cake cookies are insanely delicious. They’re soft and moist and topped with a sweet and creamy homemade cream cheese frosting.

These would be a great dessert anytime, but especially for Easter brunch. Cake is wonderful, but if you need an easily shareable dessert these cookies are a great option. And if you’re really wanting cake in sharable form, check out these delicious carrot cake bars.

Why You’ll Love Carrot Cake Cookies

• It only takes about an hour to complete this carrot cake cookie recipe, and half of that is bake time!
• These cookies are made completely from scratch. A great recipe to come back to over and over again.
• This easy carrot cake cookie recipe makes 36 cookies! It’s the perfect dessert to make for a party with a lot of guests.

Ingredients for Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

• All-purpose flour – Use a high quality all-purpose flour for best results.
• Grated carrots – Sometimes you can purchase pre-shredded carrots in the coolers near the produce section at the grocery store. But I recommend you grate your own carrots.
• Unsalted butter – Unsalted butter will produce best results. If you use salted butter, I recommend omitting the salt from the recipe.
• Eggs – Let your eggs come to room temperature before adding them to the cookie dough mixture.
• Vanilla extract – A little splash of vanilla extract adds a lovely flavor to these cookies.
• Granulated sugar – You will need both granulated sugar and powdered sugar in this carrot cake cookie recipe.
• Baking powder – Baking powder will act as a rising agent for these cookies.
• Baking soda – Baking soda will also be a rising agent for the cookies. Two rising agents makes for fluffy cookies!
• Cinnamon – This is a classic spice in carrot cake.
• Ground ginger – Ground ginger has a sweet and spicy kind of flavor to it, perfect for carrot cake.
• Salt – A little pinch of salt helps to balance out the sweetness of these cookies.
• Brown sugar – Using brown sugar, as well as granulated sugar, helps to add a rich caramel like flavor to these cookies.
• Chopped toasted walnuts – These are optional to add into the cookies, but I really like the taste of walnuts among these cookies!
• Powdered sugar – This is how you’ll sweeten the cream cheese frosting.
• Cream cheese – I do not recommend using fat-free cream cheese. Use regular cream cheese for the best, creamy frosting.

How to Make Carrot Cake Cookies

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside. Then, preheat the oven.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground ginger until thoroughly combined.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar with a hand mixer or stand mixer. Once it’s fluffy, add in the eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly. Then, mix in the vanilla extract.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed as you go. Once the ingredients are just incorporated, mix in the carrots and chopped walnuts.

Scoop the cookie dough with your cookie scoop and place onto the previously lined baking sheets.

Bake the cookies until the edges are golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet pan.

Repeat with any remaining cookie dough.

In another bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese until it is light and fluffy.

Mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.

Once your carrot cake cookies are completely cooled, spread the frosting evenly on top of each one.

Sprinkle chopped walnuts on the edge of each cookie and serve!

Storage Tips for Carrot Cake Cookies

FRIDGE: Store these easy cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

FREEZER: These cookies do freeze well. Store them in an airtight container or Ziplock freezer bag for up to 2 months. You can also freeze the cookie dough balls and then bake them a few at a time whenever you want them. It’s the perfect way to always have a freshly baked cookie.

Can I leave cookies with cream cheese icing out at room temperature for a party?

Yes, but I recommend you don’t leave them for more than an hour. These cookies with cream cheese frosting are best stored in the refrigerator.

What other nuts can I use in carrot cake cookies?

Traditionally, carrot cake is made with walnuts or pecans. But I think these easy cookies would taste create with macadamia nuts or peanuts too!

My carrot cake cookies came out hard. What did I do wrong?

If your cookies turn out hard instead of soft and chewy, you either over mixed the dough or baked the cookies too long. Be sure that you mix the dough until it is just combined and that you bake the cookies just until the edges begin to firm. The hot baking sheet will continue baking the cookies a bit as they slowly cool.

Carrot cake cookies are a go-to during springtime now. They’re just so delicious and easily shareable!

More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love

• Monster Cookie Bars are super easy and a great recipe for parties!
• A warm Oatmeal Cookie and a cold glass of milk just hits the spot some days.
• Molasses Cookies are a great classic cookie recipe.
• These M&M Cookies are one of my absolute favorites. Way better than the store-bought ones!