Get a head start on your spring baking with this fun and delicious twist on carrot cake – carrot cake cookies! Soft and chewy cookies filled with grated carrots, oats, and cinnamon sandwiched with sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting.
This is a fabulous recipe for Easter, Mother’s Day, or any Spring occasion. These carrot cake cookies are always met with rave reviews. Prefer a more traditional carrot cake? We have that, too: Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Frosting.
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These cookies are
- Soft and chewy: A combination of oats, coconut, and brown sugar help make these cookies soft and chewy.
- Perfectly sweet: Brown sugar, granulated sugar, sweetened coconut, and powdered sugar make these cookies deliciously sweet.
- Filled with cream cheese frosting: This delicious treat is two cookies plus a generous portion of sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting.
- Easier than traditional carrot cake: These cookies have a rustic-homemade element that keeps them from being fussy (no fancy layer cake frosting techniques needed). They’re a delicious grab and go treat; no forks or plates needed!
Recipe overview
Cookies
Beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
Add egg and vanilla extract.
Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Add oats, carrots, and shredded coconut.
Chill the dough for 60 minutes. Scoop and place dough balls on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes.
Frosting
Once the cookies have cooled, proceed with the frosting:
Beat butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar and vanilla.
Assembly
Spread frosting on the underside of half of the cookies and top with another cookie.
Recipe tips
- Butter should be softened just slightly, but still cool to the touch.
- Do not use carrots packed in water.
- Use a cookie scoop so that all of the cookies are the same size (I use a 2 tsp scoop).
- Make the cookies a little bit on the smaller side (2 tsp works great) since each sandwich includes two cookies and frosting.
- Bake the cookies on parchment lined baking sheets.
- Pull the cookies from the oven when the center is still slightly underdone. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet. This will ensure a chewy cookie.
- Use my tips below for getting perfectly round cookies.
- Love carrot cake? Try our Carrot Cake Bars, too!
Baking with carrots
Type of carrots: It’s important that you grate full size carrots for this recipe. Do not use baby carrots or carrots that are packed in water. They will add too much moisture to the dough.
Grating carrots: Grate the carrots using the small holes on a box grater. This ensures that the carrot pieces are fine and they will soften during the short bake time.
Remove excess moisture: I recommend briefly squeezing the excess moisture out of the carrots using a clean towel or paper towels.
Measuring: Fluff the shredded and drained carrots with a fork and scoop them into the measuring cup loosely. Do not pack them in.
How to get perfectly round cookies
Option 1: Immediately after the cookies come out of the oven place a round glass, bowl, or cookie cutter (larger than the cookie) upside down over the top of the cookie. Gently but quickly swirl the glass/bowl/cookie cutter in a circular motion. The edges of the cookie will bump against the inside of the glass creating a perfectly round shape. Note: This only works when the cookies are hot, straight from the oven, and still on the warm baking sheet.
Option 2: Immediately after the cookies come out the oven use the back of a spoon to gently push the edges inward to create clean edges and a perfect round shape.
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Recipe
Carrot Cake Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened slightly but still cool
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons all purpose flour*
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats, not quick oats
- ¼ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- scant ⅔ cup finely grated carrots, not packed, see note
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts, optional
Cream cheese frosting:
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, plus more, if needed
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Cookies:
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (do not place the cookies directly on the baking sheets, they will spread too much).
- Beat butter and both sugars for one minute until light and creamy. Add egg and vanilla and beat to combine, scraping the bowl if necessary.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low until just combined. Add the oats, coconut, carrots and walnuts (if using) and mix until just combined.
- Place the dough in the refrigerator for 45-60 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F.
- Scoop the dough into 2-teaspoon sized mounds and place a couple inches apart on the cookie sheets (make sure they are mounded and not flat). Ensure that the cookie dough mounds are similar in size so that cookies will bake up the same size.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, until golden brown and still slightly underdone in the center (they will be very delicate). If necessary, rotate your cookie sheets halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking. Follow notes below for shaping the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheets placed on wire racks. Repeat with remaining dough, chilling the dough between batches and allowing the baking sheets to cool completely before adding the next batch of dough.
- Once the cookies have cooled to room temperature, proceed with the frosting.
Frosting:
- Beat cream cheese and butter until well combined. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. If the frosting appears too thin, add a little more powdered sugar or place it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Spread frosting on the underside of half of the cookies and top with another cookie. Transfer to the refrigerator to firm up.
Video
Notes
*Flour:
Fluff the flour with your measuring cup or whisk it to lighten it up. Lightly scoop a heaping portion and level it off with the back of a knife.Carrots:
Type of carrots: It’s important that you grate full size carrots for this recipe. Do not use baby carrots or carrots that are packed in water. They will add too much moisture to the dough. Grating carrots: Grate the carrots using the small holes on a box grater. This ensures that the carrot pieces are fine and they will soften during the short bake time. Remove excess moisture: I recommend briefly squeezing the excess moisture out of the grated carrots using a clean towel or paper towels. Don’t squeeze them completely dry, just a few squeezes to remove the excess liquid. Measuring: Fluff the shredded and drained carrots with a fork and scoop them into the measuring cup loosely. Do not pack them in.How to get perfectly round cookies:
Option 1: Immediately after the cookies come out of the oven place a round glass, bowl, or cookie cutter (larger than the cookie) upside down over the top of the cookie. Gently but quickly swirl the glass/bowl/cookie cutter in a circular motion. The edges of the cookie will bump against the inside of the glass creating a perfectly round shape. Note: This only works when the cookies are hot, straight from the oven, and still on the warm baking sheet.
Option 2: Immediately after the cookies come out the oven use the back of a spoon to gently push the edges inward to create clean edges and a perfect round shape.
Serving and storage:
These cookies are best within 1-2 days of making them. Store them in the refrigerator and eat them from the fridge or bring to room temp before serving. Recipe adapted from Cooking ChannelNutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Lane & Holly @ With Two Spoons
I love carrot cake and these look awesome!
Valentina @Valentina's Corner
Genius idea! I love it. PINNED!
Celebrating Sweets
Thanks, Valentina!
Jody
Can these be made without the walnuts? To make sure they are the right consistency should I add more flour or oats? My nephew has a nut allergy but want to make these for Easter
Celebrating Sweets
Hi, Jody. You can just leave the walnuts out. I have made them with and without nuts, and no other changes were necessary. I’ve also had luck swapping the nuts for raisins. Enjoy!
Stephanie
Can I leave out the coconut flakes? Or sub it with more oats?
Celebrating Sweets
Hi, Stephanie. You can just leave it out. Enjoy!
Nichol
Cookies taste great! Very sticky tho. How do you get them to come off the parchment paper with out breaking the cookie?
Celebrating Sweets
Hi, Nichol. I haven’t had trouble with them sticking. Make sure they are completely cool and try peeling the parchment off the bottom of the cookie rather than lifting the cookie off the parchment. Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy!
Shauna
I made these and they taste soooo good. But I need help. Mine tasted like mini cakes, the structure wasn’t cookie like. I didn’t have a 2 tsp scoop, so I used 2 teaspoons but they came out too big. I gave it 10 mins in the oven. I wanna perfect these. Any advice on how to make them a little harder. I also didn’t add coconut and walnuts.
Celebrating Sweets
Hi, Shauna. The coconut and walnuts shouldn’t have affected the structure. Here are a few suggestions…
– If the cookies were too big they probably spread too much. Usually that happens if the butter is too warm. It should only be slightly softened, definitely not too soft, you can always chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes if the butter is too soft (see my recipe notes for more on this).
– Feel free to increase the bake time if they’re too soft. Maybe my oven bakes warmer/faster than yours?
– Make sure that the flour is measured properly. I typically fluff the flour with the measuring cup, then scoop it until it’s heaping, and level it off with the back of a knife.
– Double check the freshness of your baking powder and baking soda – if they’re old they might not have done their job properly.
– Did you remember to add the oats (I know this recipe has a lot of ingredients)? The oats help with structure too, and they make these similar to an oatmeal cookie.
I hope these tips helped. Thanks for stopping by, and please let me know if you need anything else. Happy baking!
Debbie
I did it all and they were still not right. All fresh ingredients
Celebrating Sweets
Hi, Debbie. I’m going to retest this recipe today. Question for you: Did you line your pans with parchment paper or silicone liners?
Rhonda Nelson
Recipe says 1/2 cup butter which is one stick. Is that correct? The video didn’t look like whole stick. They are very soft so hoping they handed slightly.
Celebrating Sweets
Yes, 1/2 cup or 1 stick. The dough is a little soft, but it should firm up after chill time. Also, the extra moisture/softness will help them spread while baking. The end goal is a thin cookie that’s perfect for sandwiching (not thick and puffy). Enjoy!
Rachel
My family and friends are obsessed with these cookies! What an amazing recipe!!
Celebrating Sweets
Yay! I’m so glad that you like them. Thanks for stopping by!
Berta
Please, could you tell me how many grams is 1/2 cup of butter? Thank you!
Celebrating Sweets
I believe it is 115 grams.
M
the cookie batter ended up spreading while baking, making an entire sheet cookie! the batter tasted great but the recipe needs tweaking as to not spread like an entire cookie sheet. Did you test this recipe before posting??? Only asking because you didn’t provide step by step directions and the other postings that have tried your recipe…have all failed and do not look like what is posted.
Celebrating Sweets
I’m sorry to hear that your cookies spread. I have 7 step by step instructions listed in the recipe, as well as tips to keep the cookies from spreading in the notes section. I have copied and pasted that text below. The cookies will absolutely spread if the butter is too soft. I specifically state that the butter should be slightly softened.
Of course I tested this recipe before posting. I have made these cookies multiple times and I have a video showing the process. Regardless, I’m sorry that they didn’t turn out for you. I know that it’s frustrating to make something and have it not turn out as planned.
Notes from the recipe: “If your ingredients are too warm (butter specifically) these cookies might come out flatter than they should. The butter should be softened just slightly. If your butter is too soft, or the cookies spread more than you would like, you can refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. I do not recommend chilling for longer that that or the cookies won’t spread enough and they’ll be quite thick.”
Christina
Hello!!!
Yummy cookies!!Can you please tell me how to store them to keep them fresh sand how long do they last???
Thank you in advance!!! 🙂
Celebrating Sweets
Hi, Christina. You’ll want to store these in fridge. They will keep for a couple days. If you are not serving them the day you make them you might want to wait to add the frosting. Enjoy!
Tasha Burgoon
You listed two options for the coconut- sweet vs unsweetened. Which one? (I don’t bake often so I need specific instructions.) Could I sub raisins for the coconut instead? My husband loves carrot cake mix, but it’ has been difficult finding a recipe with raisins. Thanks and Merry Christmas.
Celebrating Sweets
Hi, Tasha. Yes, you can sub raisins for the coconut. I would recommend 1/3 cup raisins. If you do decide to use coconut, I prefer sweetened, but I give the option of unsweetened just in case that’s all someone has. Note: Make sure that your butter is softened just slightly. Soft enough to mix smoothly, but not so soft that it’s losing its shape. Enjoy!