Carrot Cake Cookies are soft, easy to make, and topped with luscious cream cheese frosting perfect for Spring or anytime you have a sweet craving. With all the cozy flavors of classic carrot cake in cookie form, their tender texture and sweet frosting make them completely irresistible.
There is something about carrot cake that screams spring. Even in the dead of winter, a bite of soft carrot cake is enough to tie me over until the flowers bloom.
I love cake, but carrot cake cookies are easier to make, eat, and share. Plus, my kids love cookies (what a surprise!), so I came up with these soft carrot cake cookies to satisfy the craving for cake and springtime.
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Easy Carrot Cake Cookie Recipe
My cousin Amy is an incredible baker with the most AMAZING carrot cake recipe ever. Here’s the secret ingredient: carrot baby food.
I know it works amazingly in the cake, so I used it for these cookies and some freshly shredded carrots. This, combined with sugar, real butter, a dash of cinnamon, and a cream cheese frosting, makes this cookie soft, moist, and not overly sweet. It ends up being a perfect combination.
Traditional carrot cake cookie has raisins, oatmeal, walnuts, and coconut, which combined into a cookie would make my kids squirm – they’re not really fans of all the add-ins. So, I keep these simple with just a swirl of cream cheese frosting on top.
If you happen to love all the carrot cake mix-ins, you can easily add them to the frosting. Stir in some raisins, top with some walnuts, or colored coconut to give it an Easter feel.
The first time I made them my kids loved them – especially the icing – and were so happy they didn’t have nuts! I know my kids all too well. And my husband… well, I had to chase him out of the kitchen after he licked the frosting off four cookies!
Whether you keep them simple or dress them up, I know you’re going to love this recipe. No matter what time of year it is, they’ll make you think of spring.
Cookie Baking Tips
Recipe Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Cream the sugar and butter and then beat in the egg yolks, vanilla, carrot baby food, and shredded carrots.
Add the flour, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar, and cinnamon. Stir until the batter is well combined.
Scoop and form the cookie dough with a cookie scoop into walnut-sized balls and place them two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake the cookies for 12 minutes or until they are lightly golden.
Cool the cookies on a wire rack before adding the frosting. While the cookies cool, make the frosting.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. Adjust the speed to low and add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until the frosting is smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract.
Add a heaping tablespoon of frosting on top of each cookie just before serving, or refrigerate frosting until ready to frost.
If you love carrot cake, be sure to try these delicious recipes:
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Soft Carrot Cake Cookies
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Cookies
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup carrot baby food
- 1 cup finely shredded carrots
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 teaspoons almond extract
- 2-3 teaspoons milk
Instructions
Carrot Cake Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line cookie sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
- Cream together sugar and butter. Beat in egg yolks, vanilla, carrot baby food and shredded carrots.
- Add flour, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar, and cinnamon. Stir until well combined.
- Form dough into walnut size balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Don’t flatten. Bake 12 minutes or until lightly golden.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract.
- Add a heaping tablespoon of frosting on top of each cookie just before serving, or refrigerate frosting until ready to frost. Enjoy!
I love how soft are these cookies! They look amazingly delicious!
Hi. They look yummy. Would like to have measurements please.
They are in the recipe card, you can hit jump to the recipe at the top of the post, and it will take you straight there. Otherwise, you can scroll to the bottom.
I made these cookies today. I didn’t use baby food carrots I cooked fresh and puréed them. I did enjoy them. However, I would’ve added more cinnamon, a little bit of nutmeg. Also, I think I would’ve tried to flatten them out a little bit because I made them as sandwiches and put the frosting in the middle instead of on top, also the recipe calls for milk for the frosting but there’s no mention of it in the directions. I did not use any milk. These are delicious.