Description
Delight in these soft and spiced Carrot Cake Cookies, packed with grated carrots, oats, and warm spices, perfect for a cozy dessert or festive treat. Optionally filled with creamy, smooth cream cheese frosting, these sandwich-style cookies offer a delicious twist on classic carrot cake flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
- 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
Cream Cheese Filling (optional)
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper to prepare for baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy to ensure a tender cookie base.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Incorporate the eggs and vanilla extract into the creamed mixture, beating until smooth and fully combined to build the cookie structure.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to evenly distribute the leavening agents and spices.
- Combine Dry and Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing thoroughly but carefully to avoid overworking the dough, which can make cookies tough.
- Add Oats, Carrots, and Extras: Stir in the old-fashioned oats, finely grated carrots, and if using, the chopped nuts and raisins to add texture and flavor.
- Form Cookies: Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges turn lightly golden and the centers are set, indicating they are perfectly cooked.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, preventing breakage and ensuring the cookies hold their shape.
- Prepare Filling (Optional): For sandwich cookies, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together until smooth and creamy to create the filling.
- Assemble Sandwiches: Spread the cream cheese filling on the bottom of one cookie and top with another to form a delightful sandwich cookie.
Notes
- For an even texture, finely grate the carrots before mixing them into the dough.
- These cookies are delicious on their own or enhanced as sandwich cookies with the optional cream cheese frosting.
- If using the cream cheese filling, store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator to keep them fresh.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
