Description
Delicious and soft Carrot Cake Cookies with warm spices, quick oats, and chopped pecans, topped with creamy vanilla cream cheese frosting. Perfect as a cozy treat or dessert, these cookies combine the classic flavors of carrot cake in a portable and delightful cookie form.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 1 cup butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 2 cups quick oats
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- Milk as needed
Instructions
- Prepare for baking: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat and set it aside.
- Cream butter and sugars: Using a stand or handheld mixer, cream the softened butter and both sugars together at medium speed until the mixture is light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating just until incorporated. Then add the vanilla extract, scraping down the mixer bowl sides as necessary. Set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Since the dough will be thick, finish mixing by hand to ensure even incorporation.
- Add carrots, oats, and pecans: Stir in the shredded carrots, quick oats, and finely chopped pecans by hand just until combined. The dough will be very thick at this point.
- Scoop and shape cookies: Use a 1 1/2 inch or 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough. Roll the dough into balls and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Slightly flatten the tops of the dough balls. If you don't have a 1 1/2 inch scoop, use what you have and adjust baking time accordingly.
- Bake cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges but still soft. Avoid overbaking to maintain a soft texture.
- Cool cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Make cream cheese frosting: In a large bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. On low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar until combined, then increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add milk a tablespoon at a time to reach your desired frosting consistency.
- Frost cookies: Once cookies are completely cooled, spread or pipe the cream cheese frosting over the tops. Optionally, garnish with additional chopped pecans.
Notes
- Do not microwave butter for the cookie dough; let it soften naturally at room temperature to maintain proper texture for baking.
- Use freshly grated carrots with the small holes of a box grater for the best texture; avoid pre-packaged matchstick carrots as they are too thick.
- If using old-fashioned whole rolled oats instead of quick oats, pulse them 4-6 times in a food processor until they resemble quick oats.
- Do not microwave butter or cream cheese for the frosting, as it can become too runny. Soften them at room temperature instead.
- You can freeze frosted or unfrosted cookies by first freezing them on a baking sheet until solid, then wrapping individually in plastic wrap and storing in a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 140 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
