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:
Pin to Pinterest.
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 carrot cake so these are going at the top of my “must try” list! They look delicious!
Love, these look delicious! Maybe I will make these for Easter brunch this year!
That is a great idea! I will be doing the same! And maybe use some white chocolate to add little carrots on top.:) San
Mmmmmm, Sandra! These look SO good! I love love love carrot cake, so these look like a delicious compromise! I am going to pin this! Thanks!
I’ve never been a big carrot cake fan, but I think you might win me over with those.
I am totally jealous that you got to go on a Disney Bahama cruise! Your cookies look yummy. I wonder if my youngest daughter would eat carrots in cookie form. Hmmm. Might have to try your recipe sometime. Thanks for sharing it!
Not a huge carrot cake fan usually, but these look really delicious! Might need to make them for Easter.
Yum! And since they’re carrot, they’re healthy, right? 😉
These look delicious, and I always love when I can rationalize that a cookie is healthy because it’s made with carrots!
My husband LOVES carrot cake. I’ll have to make these cookies for him. Thanks!
oh those look delish!! and a healthier cookie option to boot
These cookies look amazing, sometimes it’s hard trying to please everyone in the same family, but it sounds like you managed to please everyone this time. Beautiful pics! love the carrot on top.
These look absolutely delicious. That cream cheese frosting looks divine.
I will have to share this recipe with my mom she loves carrot cake.
These look so good! My dad would love them, carrot cake is his favorite dessert.
Pinned and I am going to make these this weekend – my daughters favorite cake is carrot cake! Her birthday is Monday – nice treat for her!
Thanks for the pin Debbie!!! xo San
oh MY! These look amazing! I want then right now!
I also love carrot cake so much! I bet these are super yummy-a must try this season for sure!
I love soft cookies and I love carrot cakes so I’m definitely going to try this! Yum!
I love carrot cake – it’s my favorite. I love the nuts, though, so I’m gonna be begging for those as well! I may send this recipe to my favorite carrot cake maker – my big sister!
My husband loves carrot cake! I would never in a million years have thought that you could make a carrot cookie. FABULOUS!
these look nice and moist, what a great way to sneak carrots to kids!
Mmm, these look yummy! I bet my kids would like them – or my coworkers! 🙂
Looks so so good. I am in love with carrot cake, the cookies have to be good too!
That looks so good. I have to make these!
WOW! How New & Inviting Sounds & Looks Delicious!