Carrot Cake Cookies

Carrot Cake Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with warm cinnamon and freshly grated carrots, then topped with the most incredible brown butter cream cheese frosting. They’re like having your favorite carrot cake in portable cookie form – and they take less than 40 minutes from start to finish!

Love More Cookies? Try My Strawberry Lemonade Cookies or this Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Soft, chewy, and full of cozy spice, these Carrot Cake Cookies taste just like the classic dessert in cookie form. Packed with shredded carrots, warm cinnamon, and a hint of sweetness, they’re perfectly moist and flavorful. Add a touch of cream cheese frosting for an extra indulgent treat everyone will love.

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Ingredient List

Cookie Ingredients

• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup butter, room temperature (should still be slightly firm)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups finely grated carrots (about 4 medium carrots)

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4-6 tablespoons milk, as needed

Optional Add-ins

• ¼ to ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts for the cookie batter
• Chopped nuts for garnish
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg or ginger for extra spice depth

Why These Ingredients Work

Here’s the thing about carrots in cookies: they need to be fresh and grated by you. Those pre-shredded bags from the store are bone dry and won’t give you the moisture that makes these cookies so soft. When you grate fresh carrots, they release all their natural moisture right into the dough, creating that perfect tender texture we’re after.

The butter situation is also really important. It needs to be at room temperature but still firm enough that when you press it, it doesn’t leave a dent. Too soft and your cookies will spread into thin pancakes. Too cold and they won’t cream properly with the sugar. I usually leave mine out for about 30 minutes before I start baking.

Brown sugar isn’t just for sweetness here. It adds moisture and this subtle molasses flavor that makes the cookies taste more complex. Combined with the cinnamon, it creates that classic carrot cake vibe we all love.

Now, the brown butter in the frosting is honestly the star of the show. Regular melted butter is fine, but when you cook it until it turns golden and nutty, it adds this whole other dimension of flavor. It’s the difference between “these are good” and “I need this recipe immediately.” Block cream cheese is your best friend for frosting because it has the right fat content and consistency. Those tubs of spreadable cream cheese will make your frosting too loose and runny.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Box grater or food processor (for grating carrots)
• Medium mixing bowl
• Large mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Cookie scoop (2-tablespoon size)
• Baking sheet
• Nonstick baking mat or parchment paper
• Small saucepan (for browning butter)
• Wire cooling rack
• Electric mixer or wooden spoon

How To Make Carrot Cake Cookies

Step 1: Prepare for Baking

Get your oven heating to 350°F. While that’s warming up, either lightly grease your baking sheet or line it with a nonstick mat. I prefer the mat because these cookies have a tendency to stick, and I’ve learned this lesson the hard way more times than I care to admit.

Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients

Grab a medium bowl and whisk together your flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Make sure everything’s evenly mixed so you don’t end up with cinnamon pockets in some cookies and none in others. Set this aside while you work on the fun part.

Step 3: Make Cookie Dough

In your large bowl, beat together the butter and both sugars for about 2-3 minutes until everything looks light and fluffy. This step is actually really important because you’re incorporating air that helps create a better texture. Then mix in your vanilla and eggs until they’re fully combined. Stir in those freshly grated carrots.

Now add your dry ingredients to the wet stuff, but here’s where you need to be careful. Mix just until you don’t see any white flour streaks anymore, then stop. If you keep mixing, you’ll develop too much gluten and end up with tough cookies instead of tender ones. Nobody wants that.

Step 4: Shape and Bake

Use a cookie scoop or a big spoon to drop about 2 tablespoons of dough onto your prepared sheet. Give them plenty of space, like 2-3 inches apart, because these spread quite a bit while baking. I learned this the hard way when I tried to fit too many on one sheet and ended up with one giant mega-cookie.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. You’re looking for edges that are just starting to brown and tops that look dry. They’ll seem a little underdone in the middle, but that’s exactly what you want. Let them hang out on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes to set up, then move them to a cooling rack. This is crucial because if you try to move them too soon, they’ll fall apart.

Step 5: Make Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Melt your butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Once it’s completely melted, keep stirring and watch it carefully for the next 2-4 minutes. The color will slowly change from yellow to golden to this gorgeous deep amber brown. You’ll smell it too – it smells like toasted nuts and caramel. The second it hits that perfect color, take it off the heat because it can go from perfect to burnt really fast.

Mix your softened cream cheese with that gorgeous brown butter. Add your powdered sugar gradually, about a cup at a time, mixing well between additions. Stir in the vanilla, then start adding milk one tablespoon at a time until you get a frosting that’s fluffy and spreadable. Too thick and it won’t spread nicely. Too thin and it’ll slide right off the cookies.

Step 6: Frost and Serve

Wait until your cookies are completely cool before frosting them. I know waiting is torture, but warm cookies will melt the frosting right off. Once they’re cool, spread a generous amount of frosting on each one. If you’re adding chopped nuts on top, do it while the frosting is still wet so they actually stick.

You Must Know

The butter temperature will make or break these cookies. It needs to be room temperature but still firm when you touch it. If your finger leaves a dent or if it feels greasy, it’s too warm. Your cookies will spread too much and come out flat. I’ve made this mistake enough times to know.

Never, ever use pre-shredded carrots from a bag. I’m serious about this one. They’re dried out and won’t give you the moisture these cookies need to be soft and tender. Fresh carrots that you grate yourself make all the difference. It takes an extra five minutes, but it’s worth every second.

Don’t frost warm cookies. I know you’re excited and want to eat them right away, but the frosting will melt and slide right off. Let them cool completely on a wire rack first. Go do something else for 20 minutes. I promise the wait is worth it.

Personal Secret: My secret weapon for the absolute best brown butter frosting is taking it right to the edge of almost burning. That deep, dark golden-brown color creates the most intense nutty flavor. I watch it super carefully during those last 30 seconds and pull it off the heat the moment it hits that perfect amber shade. It’s a little risky, but the payoff in flavor is incredible. Just don’t walk away from the stove during this step.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Your baking sheets matter more than you think. Thick, dark pans work way better than thin ones because they distribute heat evenly. If you only have thin pans, stack two together or reduce your baking time by a minute or two. I learned this after burning too many cookie bottoms.

A cookie scoop is honestly a game-changer if you want cookies that all look the same size and bake evenly. Mine cost like five dollars and I use it constantly.

For quick cream cheese softening, cut it into really small cubes and spread them out on a plate. They’ll be soft enough to use in about 15 minutes without any weird microwave hot spots.

Once you add that flour to the wet ingredients, mix as little as possible. Just until you don’t see white streaks anymore. Over-mixing creates tough, dense cookies and nobody wants to eat hockey pucks.

If you’re nervous about how the cookies will spread, bake just one as a test. That way you can adjust by adding a little more flour if needed before you bake the whole batch.

Flavor Variations / Suggestions

Want more spice? Add a quarter teaspoon each of nutmeg and ground ginger to the dry ingredients. It gives them this deeper, more complex flavor that tastes like the fanciest carrot cake you’ve ever had.

Fold in half a cup of chopped pecans or walnuts if you’re a texture person. That little bit of crunch against the soft cookie is really nice.

For a tropical twist, add half a cup of shredded coconut and a quarter cup of crushed pineapple to the batter. Just make sure you squeeze all the liquid out of the pineapple first or your dough will be too wet.

Some people are really passionate about raisins in carrot cake. If that’s you, stir in half a cup of golden raisins. I personally skip them, but you do you.

Try swapping the vanilla in the frosting for maple extract if you want a fall-inspired version. It’s subtle but really good.

If you want to skip the frosting entirely, these are still delicious. Just dust them with powdered sugar or drizzle with a simple glaze made from powdered sugar and milk.

Make-Ahead Options

You can make the cookie dough up to a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Just let it sit out for about 15 minutes before you scoop and bake so it’s not rock hard.

The baked cookies keep really well unfrosted for a couple days in an airtight container. This is perfect if you want to bake them ahead for an event but frost them fresh.

The frosting can hang out in the fridge for up to two days. Just bring it back to room temperature and give it a quick stir before using it.

Want to freeze them? Bake the cookies completely, let them cool, then freeze them in a single layer before transferring to a freezer bag. They’ll keep for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature and frost right before serving.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

These cookies have this texture that’s somewhere between a traditional cookie and a piece of cake. They’re soft and tender and almost cakey. If you like crispier cookies, bake them for an extra minute or two.

The brown butter step really is worth the effort. Regular frosting is fine, but brown butter frosting is the reason people will ask you for this recipe. That nutty, caramelized flavor is unforgettable.

If your cookies spread too much during baking, your butter was probably too warm when you started. Make sure it’s still firm to the touch next time.

The cookies will look slightly underdone when you pull them out. That’s perfect. They’ll continue setting up as they cool on the baking sheet.

Serving Suggestions

These are perfect for Easter brunch tables, spring celebrations, or literally any time you want something special without committing to a whole cake. I like to arrange them on a pretty platter with some fresh flowers nearby for a really nice presentation.

They’re amazing with coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon, or a cold glass of milk anytime. I serve them at baby showers and bridal showers all the time because they’re fancy enough to feel special but casual enough to eat with your hands.

For an extra-special dessert, serve them slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. The temperature contrast is absolutely divine.

I hope these Carrot Cake Cookies become something you make over and over again. They’re so much easier than making an actual carrot cake, but they deliver all that delicious flavor you’re craving. Once you make them, you’ll be finding excuses to bake them all year long.

How to Store Your Carrot Cake Cookies

Keep frosted cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. You can refrigerate them if you prefer firmer frosting, and they’ll stay good for up to a week in the fridge.

For longer storage, freeze the unfrosted cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to three months. Thaw them at room temperature for about 30 minutes, frost, and serve.

If you’re stacking frosted cookies, put parchment paper between the layers so they don’t stick together.

Allergy Information

Contains: Wheat (gluten), dairy (butter, cream cheese, milk), eggs, and potentially tree nuts if you add pecans or walnuts.

Gluten-Free Adaptation: Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend. Make sure your baking soda is certified gluten-free too.

Dairy-Free Option: Use vegan butter in the cookies and make your frosting with vegan cream cheese and plant-based butter. Use non-dairy milk in the frosting.

Egg-Free: Replace each egg with a flax egg (mix 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water and let it sit for 5 minutes). The texture will be a little different but still really good.

Nut-Free: Just skip the optional nuts. The cookies are perfect without them.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

My cookies spread too much and came out flat. What happened?

This almost always means your butter was too warm when you started mixing. Room temperature butter should still be slightly firm when you press it, not soft or greasy. Also, make sure you’re measuring your flour correctly by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off. Too little flour can cause spreading too.

Do I have to brown the butter for the frosting?

Technically no, but I’m begging you to try it at least once. Regular cream cheese frosting is good. Brown butter cream cheese frosting is the reason people will hunt you down for this recipe. That nutty, caramelized flavor is worth the extra three minutes of stirring. It’s what makes this recipe special.

How do I know when the butter is properly browned?

Watch for the color to change from pale yellow to deep golden-brown, almost like amber. You’ll also smell this amazing nutty, almost caramel-like aroma. The whole process takes 2-4 minutes over medium-low heat. Pull it off the heat immediately when it reaches that color because it can go from perfect to burnt really quickly.

My frosting is too thick or too thin. How do I fix it?

Too thick? Add milk one tablespoon at a time until it’s spreadable. Too thin? Add more powdered sugar, a quarter cup at a time. The frosting should be fluffy and spreadable, not runny or stiff like paste.

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! I’d love to hear how your Carrot Cake Cookies turned out.