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These Carrot Cake Cookies are soft, tender, loaded with shredded carrots, and topped with a fantastic cream cheese frosting. They taste just like carrot cake but better because they’re individual cookies that are easy to make and share!

Carrot cake cookies with white frosting swirl and chopped nuts are displayed on a wooden board. A green bowl with more nuts is in the background. The cookies have visible carrot pieces and a soft, rustic appearance.

We love carrot cake all year round: it’s Mel’s favorite dessert. So, I had to make a carrot cake cookie recipe!

The recipe mixes soft carrot cake cookies with spiced cinnamon, fresh shredded carrots, and chopped nuts. A creamy cream cheese frosting on top is the best part! This is a soft and chewy cookie recipe with tons of flavor and cream cheese frosting!

Ingredients in carrot cake cookies

Ingredient Notes

  • Unsalted Butter: make sure it’s softened
  • Brown sugar: I love the flavor light brown sugar adds to these cookies – I skip the granulated sugar in this recipe. Brown sugar also adds moisture to the cookies, keeping them soft.
  • Shredded carrots: shred your own carrots using a box grater for best results. Pre-shredded carrots are too thick and stiff and won’t soften in your cookies.
  • Chopped pecans or walnuts: optional for some crunch – we love either one in this recipe.
  • Cream Cheese Frosting is a must; it’s easy to make and pairs so well with the carrot spice cake cookies.

Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

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Carrot cake cookies topped with cream cheese frosting and chopped pecans sit on a wooden board. One cookie is broken in half, showing its moist interior. A green bowl is blurred in the background.

How to Store Cookies

Room temperature: Keep them in an airtight container or well wrapped with plastic wrap, and they will keep for three days. Store any unused frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Freezer: They will keep in the freezer for up to two months in a freezer bag or airtight container. You can freeze them plain and add the frosting later or freeze them frosted.

Expert Tips

  • Use a cookie scoop to scoop the cookies so they’re uniform in size. Use any size cookie scoop you want.
  • Don’t forget to press the cookie ball lightly with the palm of your hand before baking. Don’t flatten too much but they need a little help to get started.
  • Swap out walnuts for pecans or omit the nuts entirely! Or add chocolate chips!
  • Don’t use pre-shredded carrots. Be sure to shred your own so they soften in the oven.
  • You can frost these cookies with a knife your piping bag – your choice. I also love sprinkling some chopped nuts or cinnamon onto the top of each cookie for decoration. You don’t have to frost the cookies if you don’t want too – they’re good even plain.
  • To make carrot cake sandwich cookies, make them 1-tablespoon size instead of 2-tablespoon size and frost the bottom with cream cheese frosting, then sandwich the cookies.
Carrot cake cookies on metal cooling rack, some with frosting on top

Carrot Cake Cookies Recipe

4.98 from 71 votes
These Carrot Cake Cookies are soft, tender, loaded with shredded carrots, and topped with a fantastic cream cheese frosting. They taste just like carrot cake!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Yield 20 cookies
Serving Size 1 cookie
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Ingredients
 

Cookies

  • 1 ¾ cups (217g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (90g) shredded carrots (see note)
  • ½ cup (56g) chopped pecans or walnuts

Frosting

  • 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 ounces (112g) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1½ cups (170g) powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ⅙ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  • In a small bowl, whisk flour with baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
  • Cream butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer 1-2 minutes. Mix in egg and vanilla until smooth.
  • Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until smooth. Stir in carrots and nuts.
  • Scoop 2 tablespoon size balls onto cookie sheets 2-inches apart. Lightly flatten with the palms of your hand.
  • Bake for 13-16 minutes or until no longer glossy. Cool before frosting.
  • To make frosting: beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Slowly mix in powdered sugar then add vanilla and salt. Beat on medium high speed until smooth.
  • Frost cookies as desired, top with a dusting of cinnamon or finely chopped nuts.
  • Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze (frosted or unfrosted) for up to 2 months.
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Recipe Notes

  • Be sure to shred your own carrots – don’t use the pre-shredded kind. Also – don’t pack them in the measuring cup.
  • You can use walnuts or pecans in this recipe or omit them. Substitute/add raisins if you want!

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 212kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 145mg | Potassium: 68mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 1371IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Dorothy Kern

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dry ingredients in bowl.
butter and sugar creamed in bowl.
cookie dough on cookie sheet with parchment paper.
cream cheese frosting in bowl.

How to Make Carrot Cake Cookies from Scratch

  1. Whisk the flour, baking soda and cinnamon in a small bowl.
  2. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar on medium speed. Mix in the egg and pure vanilla extract until smooth Add the dry ingredients and mix. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl while mixing. Stir in freshly grated carrots and chopped nuts.
  3. Scoop two tablespoons of cookie dough to form each ball. Place them two inches apart on a prepared baking sheet. Gently press each ball to flatten them.
  4. Bake the cookies for 13 to 16 minutes at 350 degrees f. The cookies are done when they are no longer glossy on top. Allow them to cool on a wire rack before frosting.
  5. Make the cream cheese frosting by mixing all the ingredients in the large bowl of a stand mixer. Frost cooled cookies as desired.

Other Carrot Cake Recipes

Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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4.98 from 71 votes (58 ratings without comment)

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27 Comments

  2. I’m going to try this recipe with a few changes – add well-drained crushed pineapple and coconut. That’s how I make my signature Tropical Carrot Cake for area restaurant and resort dessert carts, wedding cake tiers, private clients, & events at the local army base (Change of Commands and other receptions, i.e. when President Clinton was here). When it’s one tier of a wedding cake, I make a Mock Whip Frosting – Pina Colada, Rum, or Orange Rum – to match the Mock Whip Frostings, in different flavors, on the other tiers. For dessert carts and private clients I make Rose’s Cream Cheese Buttercream.

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