These carrot cake cookies are made with a soft and chewy carrot cookie base and topped with a cream cheese frosting and chopped pecans.
If you love carrot cake, you’re going to be obsessed with these carrot cake cookies. They’re soft, chewy, and full of that cozy carrot cake flavor, but way easier to make.
These carrot cake cookies are everything you love about carrot cake, just in cookie form. They’re made with a soft and chewy carrot cookie base that's packed with cozy flavors like cinnamon and brown sugar.
Each cookie is topped with a swirl of rich cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle of chopped pecans for the perfect bit of crunch.
They’re sweet, a little spiced, and impossible to resist, like little bites of classic carrot cake with way less effort.
For more carrot cake recipes, check out my carrot cake loaf, easy carrot cake, and carrot bundt cake.
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Why this recipe works
- Carrot cake in cookie form- these cookies give you all the flavors of carrot cake in a fun, portable cookie. It's like getting the best of both worlds.
- Chewy texture- the texture of the cookie base is soft and chewy with just the right amount of bite. They’ve got that perfect texture that goes perfectly with the creamy cream cheese frosting.
- Cream cheese frosting- these cookies are topped with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting, every bite is a little bit of sweet, tangy heaven.
- No chill cookie dough- there is no waiting around for the dough to chill! You can get these in the oven in no time and start enjoying them in under one hour.
- Ease- these come together in a snap. Made with simple ingredients, easy steps, and before you know it, you’ve got fresh cookies ready to go.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Butter- use unsalted butter for this recipe. Only butter will work for this recipe, no margarine, and no coconut oil. Margarine has a weird taste and can ruin the flavor of these delicious cookies.
Flour– I used all-purpose flour for this recipe. cake flour will work great as well.
Baking soda – baking soda helps the cookies rise and spread. Make sure that your baking soda isn’t expired. Don’t replace baking soda with baking powder!
Sugar- I used granulated sugar for this recipe. You can use caster sugar as well.
Brown sugar- adds a caramel flavor and chewy texture to the cookies.
Eggs- you will need 1 large egg and 1 egg yolk for this recipe. Make sure that your eggs are at room temperature.
Vanilla extract- adds extra flavor. You can use regular vanilla extract, homemade vanilla extract, or vanilla bean extract.
Kosher salt- you will need ½ teaspoon of kosher salt for this recipe.
Cinnamon and nutmeg- add a delish flavor that complements the carrot cake flavor.
Shredded carrots- use freshly shredded carrots for these cookies since they’re softer, have more moisture, and blend better into the dough, while pre-shredded carrots are often dry and don’t mix in as well.
Pecans- use chopped and toasted pecans for the best flavor and crunch, since toasting brings out their rich, nutty taste and makes them even more delicious in the cookies.
For the cream cheese frosting
Powder sugar- you don’t have to buy powdered sugar, you can simply make it at home by blending granulated sugar in a blender or food processor.
Cream cheese– you will need to get your cream cheese to room temperature. Use full-fat cream cheese for this.
Heavy cream- use full-fat heavy cream for this recipe. This can't be substituted.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and kosher salt, and mix with an electric hand mixer until well combined.
To shred carrots for your cookies, start by peeling them with a vegetable peeler. Then, use a box grater or food processor to grate the carrots into small, fine shreds.
Afterward, place the shredded carrots on a paper towel or clean kitchen towel and gently press to remove any excess moisture. Add the shredded carrots, egg, and egg yolk to the mixture and mix until smooth.
Then, add the flour and baking soda, and mix with the hand mixer until almost combined.
Add the chopped pecans and fold them into the dough until the pecans are incorporated into the cookie dough and there are no lumps of flour visible.
Use a large cookie scooper to scoop out the cookies or scoop the cookies with a regular tablespoon, 1 ½ tablespoons at a time. Scoop them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Space them about 2 inches apart.
Bake in a 180°C (350°F) preheated oven for 9-11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are light golden brown. Do not overbake them, we want to keep these cookies soft and chewy.
Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the whipped cream cheese frosting
In a large mixing bowl add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract, and mix with an electric hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
Add the room-temperature cream cheese and mix until smooth and creamy.
Transfer the cream cheese frosting to a piping bag with a round piping tip and pipe on top of each cooled cookie. Top with chopped pecans and a sprinkle of cinnamon and serve!
Expert Tips
- Shred your own carrots. Freshly shredded carrots are softer, sweeter, and blend better into the dough.
- Pat carrots dry. If your carrots are super juicy after shredding, pat them dry with a paper towel so the dough isn’t too wet.
- Use room temperature butter and eggs. This helps the dough mix together smoothly without overworking it.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Use a cookies scoop to scoop out the cookies, that way you will have even-sized cookies, plus it ensures that your cookies bake evenly.
- Don’t overmix after adding flour. Mix just until everything is combined to keep the cookies from getting tough.
- Use a cookie scoop for even cookies. This keeps the cookies the same size so they bake evenly.
- Line your sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat! This step helps the cookies to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your brown butter chocolate chunk cookies release easily from the pan.
- Let cookies cool completely before frosting. This keeps the frosting smooth and prevents it from melting into the cookies.
Faq's
If your carrot cake cookies turned out cakey, it’s usually because too much flour was added, the dough was overmixed, or the shredded carrots were too wet.
Make sure to lightly dry the carrots with a paper towel before mixing them in to keep the cookies soft and chewy.
To get cookies perfectly round, use a cookie scoop for even sizing, and right after baking, gently swirl a round cookie cutter or a glass around the edges of each cookie to shape them while they're still warm and soft.
No, it’s better not to use pre-shredded carrots. They’re usually too thick, dry, and don’t melt into the cookie dough the way fresh shredded carrots do.
This usually means that there is too much flour in the dough. It is very important to measure your flour correctly. Check out our expert tips for how to measure flour correctly.
Storing
Since these cookies have dairy in them, they need to be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezing
For cookies that have already been baked but not topped with cream cheese frosting, allow them to cool completely before freezing.
Place the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag, separating layers with parchment paper.
These can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw at room temperature and add the cream cheese frosting on top.
For unbaked cookies, prepare the dough and shape it into individual portions. Place these on a baking sheet, freeze until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag.
Unbaked dough can be stored for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, place the frozen dough directly on a baking sheet and add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Substitutions
Dairy-free - if you are dairy-free, replace the butter with vegan butter or plant-based butter and use dairy-free cream cheese and dairy-free heavy cream for the cream cheese frosting.
Gluten-free- you can swap the flour with gluten-free flour to make these gluten-free. I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but it should work.
Variations
Nut- instead of using pecans, you can use any other nut for this, like peanuts, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, etc.
Add raisins or currants- for extra sweetness and texture, mix in a handful of raisins or currants into the dough with the chopped pecans.
Spices- add a pinch of ground ginger or cloves to the dough for an extra layer of warm spice.
Top with caramel sauce- drizzle some caramel sauce over the cream cheese frosting for a rich, sweet touch.
Chocolate chips- for a sweet contrast, add semi-sweet or white chocolate chips into the dough alongside the shredded carrots.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl (set of 3)
- Whisk Set (pack of 3) to whisk the ingredients together.
- Baking sheet and rack set (our fave)
- Cookie scoop set of 3 (the best cookie scoop we used).
- Rubber spatula
- Pastry bag
- Kitchen scale
- Oven thermometer
More cookie recipes
Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies- These pistachio chocolate chip cookies are filled with pistachio cream and are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.
Almond Croissant Cookies- These soft almond croissant cookies are filled with almond cream and topped with sliced almonds and powdered sugar.
Creme Brûlée Cookies- These creme brûlée cookies are made with a soft cookie that is topped with vanilla pastry cream, which is topped with caramelized sugar.
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If you liked this recipe
📖 Recipe
Carrot Cake Cookies w/ Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the cookie dough
- ½ cup Butter room temperature, unsalted
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ cup Granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup Brown sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 Egg yolk
- ½ cup Shredded carrots freshly shredded
- 1 ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- ⅓ cup Pecans chopped, and toasted
- 2 cups Flour AP, plain
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
For the cream cheese frosting
- 8 oz Cream cheese full fat, room temperature
- ⅔ cup Heavy cream cold
- ½ cup Powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and kosher salt, and mix with an electric hand mixer until well combined.
- To shred carrots for your cookies, start by peeling them with a vegetable peeler. Then, use a box grater or food processor to grate the carrots into small, fine shreds.
- Afterward, place the shredded carrots on a paper towel or clean kitchen towel and gently press to remove any excess moisture. Add the shredded carrots, egg, and egg yolk to the mixture and mix until smooth.
- Then, add the flour and baking soda, and mix with the hand mixer until almost combined.
- Use a large cookie scooper to scoop out the cookies or scoop the cookies with a regular tablespoon, 1 ½ tablespoons at a time. Scoop them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Space them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake in a 180°C (350°F) preheated oven for 9-11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are light golden brown. Do not overbake them, we want to keep these cookies soft and chewy.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the whipped cream cheese frosting
- In a large mixing bowl add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract, and mix with an electric hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Add the room-temperature cream cheese and mix until smooth and creamy.
- Transfer the cream cheese frosting to a piping bag with a round piping tip and pipe on top of each cooled cookie. Top with chopped pecans and a sprinkle of cinnamon and serve!
Notes
- Shred your own carrots. Freshly shredded carrots are softer, sweeter, and blend better into the dough.
- Pat carrots dry. If your carrots are super juicy after shredding, pat them dry with a paper towel so the dough isn’t too wet.
- Use room temperature butter and eggs. This helps the dough mix together smoothly without overworking it.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Use a cookies scoop to scoop out the cookies, that way you will have even-sized cookies, plus it ensures that your cookies bake evenly.
- Don’t overmix after adding flour. Mix just until everything is combined to keep the cookies from getting tough.
- Use a cookie scoop for even cookies. This keeps the cookies the same size so they bake evenly.
- Line your sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat! This step helps the cookies to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your brown butter chocolate chunk cookies release easily from the pan.
- Let cookies cool completely before frosting. This keeps the frosting smooth and prevents it from melting into the cookies.
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