Carrot Cake Cookies
Thick Carrot Cake Cookies are soft, chewy, and perfectly spiced! Packed with the same classic flavors of carrot cake and topped with a cream cheese frosting and walnuts. These cookies are so easy to whip up and make a delicious treat for Easter or anytime you're craving carrot cake!
Servings: 20 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 whole egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- 1/4 cup walnuts chopped
- 1/4 cup raisins
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons butter softened
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat mats. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and ground nutmeg.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil, syrup, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the carrots, mix again until combined.
- Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients Add the raisins and nuts (optional). Mix until all of the ingredients are combined and a cookie dough has formed.
- Roll cookie dough out with a mini ice cream scoop and place on cookie sheet, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Gently press down on the cookies with your hand or fingers just a bit to help spread the cookies. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or just until the cookies are slightly golden brown.
- In the meantime make the frosting, in a medium bowl beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, butter, and milk until smooth. If the frosting seems too thick, add more milk. If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
- Once the cookies have baked and cooled, frost and top with more chopped walnuts, cinnamon, and shredded carrots (optional). Enjoy!
Notes
Recipe Notes:
- Store frosted cookies in the refrigerator in an airtight container or ziplock bag. Store for up to 4-5 days.
- Unfrosted cookies freeze well. Place baked and cooled unfrosted cookies in a ziplock bag or airtight container. If you need to layer the cookies, place a layer of parchment paper in between each layer to prevent the cookie from sticking. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw on the counter for a few hours or in the refrigerator overnight.
- Make Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies by leaving out the cream cheese frosting. You can swap the brown sugar for coconut sugar if you want these to be healthy breakfast cookies.
- Make Carrot Cake Cookie Sandwiches. Generously frost the bottom of one cookie and top with another cookie to make a cookie sandwich. These are fun for parties or make a fabulous lunchbox treat.
- Shred your own carrots. I highly recommend shredding your own carrots with a medium or small hole on a box grater. The pre-shredded carrots from the grocery store are too thick and won't release as much moisture.