Carrot cake is a classic dessert that many people love any time of year. Traditionally the delicious cake with homemade cream cheese frosting is made with carrots, spices, and sometimes nuts or raisins. But what if we took the addictive carrot cake flavor and put them into carrot cake cookies? Genius!
Not only will it hit all the must have flavor that carrot cake lovers require, but it’s a great recipe that you can enjoy without having to go through the hassle of making a fancy carrot cake or time intensive carrot cake cupcakes. The sweet treat is just what you need this Easter or any time a craving hits you.
Tips for Making Easy Carrot Cake Cookies
- To make scrumptious versions of this treat, start by creaming together your butter and sugar before adding eggs and vanilla extract.
- Add some complimentary spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Choose your favorite nuts or raisins for texture and flavor, and don’t forget to sprinkle shredded coconut on top!
- Bake your cookies at a low temperature in the oven to get the best results.
- Enjoy these scrumptious treats with a glass of milk or a scoop of ice cream for a fun twist.
- A silicone mat or parchment paper helps chewy cookies release easily from the baking sheet.
- Using a cookie scoop to scoop dough onto the prepared baking sheets is the best way to make sure that the carrot cookies are similar in size, which helps with the baking process.
- Cool your cookies on a wire cooling rack to speed up the cooling process.
Where did carrot cake come from?
In the US, carrot cake is a traditional dessert. It was established in Germany several centuries ago. The first recipe for this cake has been found by German historian, Albrecht Durer who described it as being baked with nuts, raisins and grated carrots on cinnamon in 1493.
Can you use pre-shredded carrots in carrot cake cookies?
There is some debate among bakers about whether or not pre-shredded carrots are suitable for use in carrot cake. Some argue that using these pre-shredded carrots results in a less flavorful and textured cake than using fresh carrots, as the shreds may be too fine to adequately incorporate into the batter.
For best results use a box grater or food processor to grate your own carrots or baby carrots.
Can you make these chewy carrot cake cookies ahead of time?
Yes, you can make carrot cake cookie dough ahead of time. To do this, simply prepare and bake cookies as usual. Then store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, simply reheat the cookies in a 350-degree F oven for about 10 minutes until they are warmed through.
This is a great way to enjoy the delicious flavors of carrot cake without having to spend time baking an entire cake.
How to Store This Carrot Cake Cookies Recipe
If you have leftover carrot cake cookies after serving, it is important to store them properly so that they stay fresh and delicious. To do this, simply wrap the cooled cookies in an air-tight container or plastic wrap, then keep them at room temperature for up to 3 days.
You can freeze the cookies for up to 3 months; to do this, simply wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in an airtight freezer bag or container.
When ready to enjoy, simply thaw the cookies at room temperature for about an hour before serving. This will ensure that your carrot cake cookies stay fresh and moist for as long as possible!
What You Will Need to Make Carrot Cake Cookies
- Carrot cake mix (I used Betty Crocker)
- Baking powder, cinnamon powder, nutmeg and salt
- Eggs
- Unsalted butter
- Rolled oats
- Carrots
- Walnuts
- Full fat cream cheese
- Cornstarch
- Pure vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
How to Make Carrot Cake Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside for later.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the carrot cake mix, baking powder, and spices. Then using a hand mixer, add the melted butter and eggs to the bowl and beat on low until fully incorporated.
You can alternatively mix everything with a rubber spatula if you do not have a mixer.
Fold in the grated carrots, rolled oats, and chopped walnuts.
Use a small cookie scoop or a spoon to drop 1 ½ tablespoon sized balls onto the baking sheets. Space them a few inches apart to leave room for the cookies to spread.
Bake at 350℉ for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops are set and it reaches desired doneness.
Allow the cookies to cool in the pan for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
As the cookies bake, you can prepare the frosting. In a medium mixing bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
Add the cornstarch, vanilla extract, and salt and mix until combined.
Then add the powdered sugar a little at a time and mix again until well incorporated and you have a smooth, easily spreadable frosting.
If you want a stiffer frosting without adding more sweetness, add more cornstarch 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches desired consistency.
Once the cookies have cooled, you can use a piping bag or an icing spatula and put the icing on the bottom of a cookie.
Then grab another cookie to place on top and you have a cookie sandwich! Repeat with the rest of the cookies.
Do you enjoy classic carrot cake cookies? Next time you’re craving the perfect combination of spices and the rich carrot flavors, try these tasty and easy to make cookies instead of a slice of carrot cake. You won’t be disappointed! With so many variations of different variations to try, it’s easy to suit anyone’s tastes.
Whether you prefer nuts, coconut, or raisins in your cookies, the sky is really the limit when it comes to this delicious dessert. I just know this delicious carrot cake cookies recipe is going to become your favorite carrot cake recipe!
Carrot Cake Cookies Made with Cake Mix
Carrot cake is a classic dessert that many people love any time of year. Traditionally the delicious cake with homemade cream cheese frosting is made with carrots, spices, and sometimes nuts or raisins. But what if we took the addictive carrot cake flavor and put them into a carrot cake cookies? Genius!
Ingredients
Cookies
- 15 ounce box carrot cake mix (I used Betty Crocker)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup grated carrots
- ¼ cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
Frosting
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 oz (half block) full fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside for later.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the carrot cake mix, baking powder, and spices. Then using a hand mixer, add the melted butter and eggs to the bowl and beat on low until fully incorporated. You can alternatively mix everything with a rubber spatula if you do not have a mixer.
- Fold in the grated carrots, rolled oats, and chopped walnuts.
- Use a small cookie scoop or a spoon to drop 1 ½ tablespoon sized balls onto the baking sheets. Space them a few inches apart to leave room for the cookies to spread.
- Bake at 350℉ for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops are set and it reaches desired doneness.
- Allow the cookies to cool in the pan for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- As the cookies bake, you can prepare the frosting. In a medium mixing bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the cornstarch, vanilla extract, and salt and mix until combined. Then add the powdered sugar a little at a time and mix again until well incorporated and you have a smooth, easily spreadable frosting. If you want a stiffer frosting without adding more sweetness, add more cornstarch 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches desired consistency.
- Once the cookies have cooled, you can use a piping bag or an icing spatula and put the icing on the bottom of a cookie. Then grab another cookie to place on top and you have a cookie sandwich! Repeat with the rest of the cookies.
Notes
You can use any boxed cake mix flavor you like however if you use a bigger box you will have to adjust the amount of butter used.
Want to use your own homemade cookie recipe? Go for it. You can use any cookie base you like and add the cream cheese frosting to the centers.
Instead of making cookie sandwiches, you can pipe frosting on individual cookies.
If you don’t have butter, use equal amounts of vegetable oil.
You can omit the added carrots, rolled oats, walnuts, and spices. The rest of the cake measurements will remain the same however I recommend chilling the dough for 30 minutes to reduce spreading.
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