My carrot cake cookies are moist and soft, full of flavor, and finished with swirls of tangy cream cheese frosting. Best of all, they're quick and easy to make at home--let me show you how!
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my pineapple-filled carrot cake, too!
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❤️ Why You'll Love this Recipe
Simple to Make - My recipe for carrot cake cookies together in just about 30 minutes and even though they're so darn cute, they aren't complicated. This is a recipe kiddos can help out with for Easter prep!
Crave-worthy Flavor - This recipe gives carrot cake realness in a cute lil' cookie package. You'll taste all the classic elements of a good carrot cake like warming spices, vanilla, carrots, raisins, and nuts with a hint of bourbon.
I LOVE putting twists on your favorite dessert recipes and cookies get all the love here. Check out my chai-spiced peanut butter cookies, perfect oatmeal raisin walnut cookies, bourbon chocolate chip walnut cookies, iconic peppermint drop cookies, and sweet potato pie-thumbprint cookies next!
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Shaved Carrot, of course. Matchstick carrots and carrot ribbons won't do. Since these cookies don't have a long bake time, we need paper-thin lil' carrot shreds for the best texture.
Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar help give the cookies soft, tender texture with full-bodied flavor.
Bourbon and Vanilla Extract for rich, sweet, caramel-y flavor that enhances the whole cookie. Trust me, you'll notice if they're missing!
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Bourbon - We're using a small amount of bourbon and the alcohol should cook off while baking, but if you want to leave it out, just add another splash of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. Alternatively, you can use rum or cognac with similar results.
Dairy-Free - Use plant based butter and cream cheese to make these cookies dairy free. And if you make them eggless by using a flax egg instead, this will make completely vegan cookies. This substitution works like a charm in my oatmeal raisin walnut cookie recipe, too!
Mix-ins - I personally love all the extras in my carrot cake and carrot cake cookies but feel free to leave the raisins or pecans out. Or add in your favorites like shredded coconut, chopped walnuts, or crushed pineapple. Just be sure to drain the pineapple well.
Cookie Bars - Turn this recipe into carrot cake cookie bars by spreading the cookie dough into a square baking pan and baking as one solid piece. Cut it into bars and decorate as you like.
Sandwich Cookies - You can also spread the frosting between two cookies for double the treat. This is a twist on stuffed carrot cake cookies.
How to Make Easy Carrot Cake Cookies from Scratch
- Step 1: Soak the raisins in water and shred the carrots.
- Step 2: Mix up the dry and wet ingredients separately then combine them to make cookie dough.
Pro Tip #1
Soaking the raisins is optional but it rehydrates them, making them plump and juicy, which provides a better texture in the cookies.
Pro Tip #2
If dough is too loose and you can't scoop it, place it in the fridge for about 10 minutes to stiffen it. This can happen if you don't cool the butter to room temperature after melting it.
- Step 3: Scoop the cookie dough onto a sheet pan and bake until golden brown.
- Step 4: Mix up the cream cheese frosting.
Pro Tip #3
Leave at least two inches of space between each scoop of cookie dough to keep them from running together as they spread in the oven.
Pro Tip #4
The cookies will be very soft when they come out of the oven and it might seem like they won't hold up but just let them fully cool and they'll be nice and chewy!
- Step 5: Frost the fully-cooled cookies then adorn as you like!
Pro Tip #5
I like placing a carrot-shaped gummy candy on top of each cookie--and my family prefers this presentation, too. But you can also garnish them with other decorations like chopped pecans or pipe little carrots on with orange and green-dyed frosting. Or enjoy them plain--they're still amazing!
Frequently Asked Questions
Because of the cream cheese frosting, these cookies have to be refrigerated. Place them in an airtight container for the best results. Allow them to come to room temperature before serving or enjoy them chilled. They're actually wonderful when cold and will keep for up to one week!
Yes, these cookies will keep for up to three months in the freezer. To freeze them unfrosted, place them in an airtight freezer-safe container with slips of parchment paper or wax paper between each cookie to keep them from sticking together. Freeze frosted cookies face-up on a sheet pan until solid (about four hours) then transfer to an airtight freezer-safe container.
How to Serve
These cookies are delicious whether served at room temperature or cold. Either way, pair with a glass of milk for old-fashioned goodness!
This is a fabulous Easter dessert recipe but can truly be enjoyed any time of year, especially when carrots are at their best, from late fall through early springtime.
More Favorite Carrot Cake Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
I hope you'll enjoy this carrot cookies recipe with cream cheese frosting soon and very soon. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin this recipe for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
📖 Recipe
Easy Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 1 small bowl or cup
- 1 hand grater or food processor
- 1 whisk
- 1 silicone spatula or cooking spoon
- 1 cookie scoop ⅕ T size
- 1 stand mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake Cookies
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup pecans chopped
- 1 cup grated carrots about one large carrot
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled to room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 teaspoon bourbon whiskey or rum, cognac, or vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar sifted
- 6 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- carrot gummy candies optional
Instructions
- Prepare your Ingredients: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Place raisins in a small cup or bowl and cover with water then set aside. If working with pecan halves, chop them roughly and set aside.½ cup raisins, ½ cup pecans
- Grate the carrot using hand grater or food processor. Place the shredded carrot onto a few layers of paper towels then ball up the towels and squeeze to pull out as much moisture from the carrots as possible. This prevents your cookie dough from becoming too wet.1 cup grated carrots
- Make the Cookie Dough: Use whisk to mix the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl together until uniform. Whisk in the egg until smooth, followed by the vanilla extract and bourbon.½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon bourbon whiskey
- In another bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and ginger.1 ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- Add flour mixture to butter mixture and stir with silicone spatula or kitchen spoon until it starts to come together then fold in the carrots, pecans, and drained raisins until combined (about 10 stirs). Do not over-mix the dough.
- Scoop cookie dough onto prepared cookie sheet, leaving at least two inches space between each ball of dough so the cookies don't spread into each other while baking. (If the cookie dough is too runny to scoop, chill it in the fridge for about 10 minutes. This can happen if you don't cool the butter to room temperature after melting it.)
- Bake the Cookies: Transfer pan to oven and bake on middle or upper rack for about 15 minutes or until golden brown with set edges. The middles of the cookies will be soft but will firm up as they cool. Allow them to cool on pan for a few minutes then transfer to cooling rack(s).
- Make the Frosting: Use stand mixer with paddle attachment fitted or hand mixer to beat together powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth, fluffy, and glossy (about five minutes). Pause mixing to scrape down sides of bowl, as needed to incorporate all the ingredients.6 ounces cream cheese, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Once cookies are cool, frost and decorate as desired then serve. To make frosting easy, I like to use a dinner spoon to scoop a dollop of frosting into the middle of the cookie, then spread it out, leaving a lil dip or swoop in the middle for the decoration.carrot gummy candies
Helen says
These cookies are so cute and taste just like carrot cake. I couldn’t find the little carrot toppings so I sprinkled some shaved coconut, and they tasted great!
Jazzmine Woodard says
The shaved coconut sounds like a nice touch, Helen. Thanks for your note!