Carrot Cake Cookies
Imagine the soft fluffiness of a cake, but with these ease of grabbing a cookie and eating it with one hand. That's what you get with these delicious carrot cake cookies.
Equipment
- Stand mixer
- 2 tablespoon sized cookie scoop
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
Cookie Ingredients
- 8 ounces unsalted butter (2 sticks) room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 each eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups carrots grated
- 1 cup pecans toasted and coarsely chopped
- ⅔ cup raisins
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- 4 ounces unsalted butter (1 stick) room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
Instructions
- Place butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, and beat on medium-high speed until smooth and well creamed, scraping down the bowl of the mixer as needed.
- Next, add eggs, one at a time, until combined. Scrape down the bowl, and add the vanilla and mix until just combined. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, stir together the carrots, pecans, and raisins.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and mix on low until just combined. Scrape down the bowl, and add the carrot mixture. Mix on low until just combined. Remove from the mixer, and scrape the bottom of the bowl, ensuring the mixture is well combined.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and scoop cookies onto parchment paper, using a 2 TBSP sized scooper. Place the cookies in the freezer to harden for 1-2 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the cookies from the freezer, and place on parchment lined baking sheets, alternating rows, so the cookies are offset, creating 2 inches between each cookie dough ball.
- Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating halfway through baking. Repeat with remaining cookies. Once the cookies are baked, let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- While the cookies bake, make the icing. Place the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high until smooth and add the butter. Beat on high until well combined, and then add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix on low, just until the sugar is incorporated. Stop the mixer, and scrape down the bowl to ensure all the butter and cream cheese is incorporated. Turn the mixer on high, and let whip for 2-3 minutes, or until light, fluffy, and pipeable.
- Remove from the mixer, and place in a piping bag. Cut the tip of the piping bag, about ½ inch up. Pipe frosting on the inside of half the cookies. Top the frosting with the other half of the cookies. Store in the refrigerator if not eating right away. Remove from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving. ENJOY!
Notes
NOTE: these cookies can be stored in an airtight container and frozen for up to 1 month. I doubt they will last that long, but it is an option!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!