Carrot Cake Cookies

Carrot Cake Cookies are a delicious oatmeal and carrot cake cookie base topped with brown butter cream cheese frosting and chopped pecans. Everything you love about carrot cake is a perfect cookie form!

Carrot Cake Cookie Recipe

To be honest, I’m not a huge carrot cake fan. However, these cookies might have just changed my mind! In my opinion, the brown butter cream cheese frosting is really what takes these cookies to the next level. This is a crowd-pleasing gourmet cookie that anyone can make.

If you are more of a sandwich cookie type of girlie, you have GOT to try these Carrot Cake Cookie Sandwiches. So. Yum.

Ingredients for Carrot Cake Cookies

• Salted Butter (softened) – I always use salted butter in my cookies. If you only have unsalted, just add an extra pinch of salt to the dough.
• Granulated Sugar – Using equal parts granulated sugar and brown sugar gives us the perfect carrot cake texture.
• Brown Sugar
• Egg
• Vanilla
• All Purpose Flour
• Rolled Oats (blended to make Oat Flour) – You can just use 1/4 cup oat flour if you already have it on hand. However, I always just throw my oats into the blender and make my own rough oat flour. I personally like the bigger oat pieces in my cookie, so don’t feel like you have to blend it fully into a powder.
• Baking Soda
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• Grated Carrots (hand grated) – For the love of all things good, do NOT buy the pre-shredded carrots. I know grating them by hand is more work, but it is so worth it. The pre-shredded carrots are very dry and you’ll be so disappointed in the cookies. I also always shred using the fine (or small) side of the cheese grater. Don’t squeeze out the liquid from the carrots; leave them all juicy!

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

• Salted Butter – If you only have unsalted, just add an extra pinch of salt to the frosting.
• Cream Cheese – I usually take my cream cheese straight from the fridge and let the mixer do the work of mixing it and softening it up. This helps the cream cheese and the colder butter come together evenly.
• Powdered Sugar
• Vanilla – You technically don’t have to add the vanilla because the browned butter adds a lot of flavor as is. However, I love vanilla so I always add it.
• Salt
• Milk (if needed) – Don’t add any milk until the very end, and only if you need it. I almost never need it.

Toppings:

• Chopped Pecans
• Brown Sugar

How to Make Carrot Cake Cookies

1. Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, then set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or with a handheld electric mixer, cream together the salted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for 1 minute or until the mixture is light in color and fluffy in texture.
4. Scrape the sides of the bowl to include all ingredients, then add the egg and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
5. Next, add the flour, blended rolled oats (to create a rough oat flour), baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and grated carrots to the mixer. Continue to mix until a soft dough or thick batter forms.
6. Now scoop your cookies out using a #24 scoop, or portion the cookie dough out into about 3 tbsp portions and place on your prepare cookie sheet.
7. Bake the cookie dough at 350°F for 13-15 minutes or until the cookies have spread, flattened, and the centers of the cookie no longer look wet. The cookies will start to ‘crack’ a bit when they are ready to come out of the oven.
8. Be sure to allow the cookies to completely cool directly on the pan.
9. While the cookies are baking and cooling, brown the butter for the frosting.
10. To brown the butter, add the butter to a small pan on the stove and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter turns a golden color and gives off a nutty aroma.
11. Then, immediately pour the melted butter out of the pan (including all of those golden bits from the bottom of the pan) and into a bowl.
12. Allow the bowl of butter to cool down and then place in the freezer for 15-20 minutes or until the butter is back to a solid form.
13. Then to make the frosting, mix the solid browned butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer on low until completely smooth and mixed together.
14. Slowly add the powdered sugar to the butter and cream cheese mixture 1 cup at a time. Allow the mixer to slowly combine the ingredients before adding in more powdered sugar.
15. Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, mix in the vanilla and pinch of salt.
16. If needed, add a small amount of milk to adjust the consistency of the frosting. I never add milk to my cream cheese frosting.
17. Finally, spread the frosting on top of each of the cooled cookies.
18. Then top with chopped pecans and a sprinkle of brown sugar, if desired.
19. Store your carrot cake cookies in the fridge for up to 5 days.
20. Enjoy!

Why is Carrot Cake called Carrot Cake?

It is called carrot cake because it’s actually made with carrots! Because the carrots are usually grated quite fine and it is baked, you shouldn’t get big chunks of carrots. Most times, you won’t even realize there are carrots in there.

How to store leftover Carrot Cake Cookies:

Store your cookies in an airtight container or zip top bag in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer up to 3 months.

Recipes Similar to Carrot Cake Cookies

• Key Lime Pie Cookies
• Perfect Sugar Cookie Recipe
• Crumbl Birthday Cake Cookies

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