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!
Janis
These are delicious. I made the frosting thicker. I will try doubling the recipe next time. Thanks.
Lisa Langston
These look so delicious! They are on my list of goodies to bake!!!! I am wondering if you can tell me which bundt cake pan to buy. I need a new one. One that is guaranteed NOT to stick!!!!! I haven’t had any luck in the past with the ones I have bought!!! Thank you!!
Celebrating Sweets
Thanks, Lisa! I hope you enjoy the cookies. Ass for bundt pans, I have linked to one very similar to the one I have. To be honest, sometimes my cakes come out of it easily, and sometimes they stick a little bit. The key is to liberally grease the pan right before you add the batter – I use a spray, I think it provides better coverage. Also, even if a pan says “non-stick”, I grease it anyways. Best of luck! Happy baking.
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-Allison
Roseanne
Made these today on a snow day. So delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Celebrating Sweets
You’re welcome. I’m so glad that you enjoyed them. Thanks for stopping by. Stay warm!
ameloche
Thanks For your valuable videos.
Belinda Mallette
I don’t know if you’ve noticed but there is no mention of where to add the carrots, oats and coconut in the written recipe? I figured it out from a picture of the bowl with those ingredients added. I don’t watch the videos necessarily, where I’m sure the steps are well representedI do the old-fashioned hand-written copy, I therefore find it important that everything is included in the recipe.
Celebrating Sweets
Hi, Belinda. Those ingredients are listed in step 3 in the written recipe. Copied and pasted from the recipe: 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 and mix until just combined.
Mia
Can I make these sugar free (also preferably with lower fat) for a diabetic?
Celebrating Sweets
Hi, Mia. I would not recommend those change. Swapping out the sugar in the cookies and the frosting would greatly change this recipe. I do have a “healthy” carrot cake recipe that is lower in fat and contains no refined sugar. The link is below. https://celebratingsweets.com/healthier-carrot-cake-naturally-sweetened-whole-grain/
Kendall
Delicious! I made swaps to make these vegan with GREAT success: vegan butter instead of butter, ground flax seed instead of egg, and maple cashew cream instead of cream cheese frosting.
I refrigerated the dough overnight before baking (just for my own convenience and schedule honestly) and they came out the perfect consistency–chewy on the inside, crunchy on the outside, and just the right thin-ness to make a sandwich cookie without being so thin that they broke. They looked just like your picture–I was so excited–that never happens to me! A little dough went a long way–I don’t have a cookie scoop, but a tiny bit of dough (about 2 tsps as recommended) spread into a good-size cookie. I also experimented with rolling the dough into a ball vs. just plopping dough messily right on the tray and it didn’t seem to matter–they spread into a nice, even circle either way.
Thanks so much for the recipe! My (non-vegan) friends and coworkers ate them right up and are demanding more. Everyone was shocked to hear they were plant-based. My one (non-vegan) friend referred to this as “the perfect cookie.” People also liked them both with and without the filling, but ultimately preferred them with the filling. Will DEFINITELY make again soon! Thanks for keeping my vegan baking popular!
Celebrating Sweets
Awesome! That is great to hear. Thanks for taking the time to stop by.
deepika kalla
what is the best way to store these cookies? I’m planning to gift them and will be making them a few days ahead. Thanks!! 🙂
Celebrating Sweets
I would recommend storing them in fridge. If possible, wait to add the frosting/filling until the day you need them. Enjoy!
HB
Hi there, what can I use in place of the coconuts due to allergy? Add more carrots?
Celebrating Sweets
You can just leave it out. Don’t add more carrots because that will add more moisture and could make the cookies spread too much. Enjoy!
Helen
I doubled the recipe and took them to a church mission event. They were a hit. They were the first dessert gone. They were a huge hit. Thank you for a fabulous recipe.
Celebrating Sweets
I’m happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to comment.