Small in size, but mighty in flavor don’t underestimate the power of finding your carrot cake satisfaction in this two inch cookie version. Not missing a beat this cookie version packs the same flavor as the cake and along with that is a tender soft crumb, minus the aeration for a slightly more dense texture in this cookie dress-up. Making sure to finish with almost the same note as its cake counterpart the cookies are drizzled with a cream cheese glaze-of course you can dip the top and sprinkle it with nuts for a richer finish.
Carrot Cake Cookies
This is my latest cake turned cookie recipe and I have to say, I prefer it to the cake. Since I’m not a huge fan of carrot cake, although you won’t see me turning it down when offered-I did take a few liberties. For starters, since I’m always picking out the raisins, I omitted them completely. I also traded out the walnuts for pecans since I like the latter better. If you want to stay traditional and keep the raisins, add ½ cup of it to the recipe and keep the walnuts over the pecans.
A few notes:
- These cakelets or cakesters, whatever you want to term them are soft and tender with a cake like crumb—these are not a chewy cookie variation.
- Toast your nuts! This isn’t an option. Do it. You will be glad because it will make a huge difference in your baked goods.
- Variation: The base of this cookie can easily lend itself to zucchini bread cookies.
- For more cake cookie flavors check out the: Coffee Cake Cookies and German Chocolate Cake Cookies.
Carrot Cake Cookies
Yields 2-21/2 dozens of two inch cookies | Preparation: Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Ingredients:
Cookies:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, browned and cooled
- 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ cups shredded carrots
- 2 ¼ cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 3/4 cups pecans, toasted
Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 oz butter, melted and cooled
- 3-5 tablespoons milk
Instructions:
To make cookies:
- Heat and melt butter until it is brown and nutty smelling. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Place egg, egg yolk dark brown sugar and sugar in a stand mixer bowl and mix on medium speed with a paddle attachment and beat until mixture is glossy, about 1-2 minutes. Add cream cheese, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and molasses into mixture and beat to combine. Add shredded carrots to mixture and beat to combine. Add in cooled butter and beat to combine. Turn off mixture.
- Using a wooden spoon or a sturdy spatula, fold flour into wet mixture. Place 2 dozen heaping tablespoons of cookie dough onto a bake sheet.
- Bake cookies for about 10-12 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack before glazing.
To make glaze:
- Place sifted sugar, softened cream cheese and melted butter in a bowl and whisk to combine. Pour in 3 tablespoons of milk and mix to combine; add more milk as needed. Drizzle finished glaze on cookies or dip tops of cookies in the glaze for a richer taste. (Double glaze recipe if dipping tops.)
* For best results bake one sheet of cookies at time.
*The cookies can be made one day in advance and covered with the glazing the next day.
*If cookies are stored with more than one layer, place a sheet of parchment between each. Cookies will keep for 2 days in a tightly sealed container.
my all time favorite carrot cookies, thanks for sharing this really brought back my childhood dreams. Thanks a lot.
Feel free to check out my site am offering a free lunch bag this week 🙂
Wow these look fabulous! I adore acrrot cake but have never tried the cookies. Great for getting that carrot cake satisfaction without having to make a whole cake. Can’t wait to try
Mmmm…soft cookies are my favorite. I bet they would be acceptable as breakfast too! 😉
These look fantastic. I love carrot cake, so I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Am I missing the nuts here? How many did you add? I’m guessing you added them at the end with the carrots.
Carrot cake is my Hubby’s favorite, I bet he would love this just as much, and so much easier to make!
My husband will love you for these, he’s a fan of carrot cake in whatever form he can get it!
Kat-Thanks for asking. Yes, add the 3/4 cup of nuts at the end.
Yum, love carrot cake and the idea of having them as a cookie, even better!
So true about toasting nuts…such a small thing makes such a huge difference. I love carrot cake, so these look awesome to me!!
would you consider this a healthy cookie?
Now I can have my cake and cookie AND EAT IT TOO!
I’m pretty sure that I myself and bugs bunny will definitely want to go over preparing these carrot cakes. It’s a must to try.
Thank you for the recipe, if there is an option I prefer the cookie version and not the cake (although cookies take more time overall). Wonder if I could put pumpkin instead of carrots 😉
Jo- Stay tuned. I have a pumpkin cookie coming.
Alicia-Well, there is carrot-so slightly. 🙂
Carrot Cake is one my favorites, I never even thought about it in a cookie form. I can’t wait to try this.
I love the updates and the transformation into a carrot cake cookie. I like that you’ve removed the raisins too (I don’t like them either) and adding pecans sounds delicious.
Stunning photos Naomi, as always.
Love love love this idea of carrot cake cookies. I bet they taste better than the cake! I can smell them now…it’s reminding me of all the fun fall flavors like cinnamon and pumpkin that we are about to see. Oh and I agree with the raisin omission as well.
Delish. We added extra cream cheese into the frosting and it was superb.
Rachel-I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed them. Thanks for letting me know!
Oh, those cookies look heavenly. I love how you drizzled the cream cheese frosting on top. Pretty!
I have been wanting to try something similar to this for a while…I agree with the raisins…not a fan!
must try this recipe! love that you reused a sake glass for the milk.
I think these are amazing! My mom actually cut a recipe out of the paper and kept telling me to make them. I wasnt crazy over that recipe but yours looks amazing and will be making my mom these asap!
I’m always on the lookout for new cookie recipes– and interesting baking blogs– I’ve now got you bookmarked!
I’m a big fan of carrot cake, and I have a feeling I would love these cakey cookies, too!
These look amazing! I love carrot cake…!
Carrot cake cookies:
When I made these cookies which are amazing in flavor! they came out very flat and very very soft almost breaking. They did not come out chunky like in the picture. What do you think happened? I don’t understand what heaping tablespoon is?