These chewy carrot cake cookies are the cookie form of everyone's favorite carrot cake. They're a soft and chewy spiced cookie loaded with brown butter, carrots and oats, topped with a brown butter cream cheese frosting and some toasted coconut.
Chewy carrot cake cookies are the perfect addition to any dessert table in the spring time. They've got all the same flavors and spice of carrot cake, but so easy to serve as individual cookies.
If you're looking for other Easter or Spring desserts you should also try my Coconut Cake, Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Frosting or my Lemon Bars.
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Why You Will Love These
Chewy & Soft: These cookies have such a wonderful texture from the oats and carrots that pairs so perfectly with the creamy frosting.
Brown Butter: The brown butter gives these cookies such a good flavor with the extra depth.
Easy to Make: When you want the flavors of a carrot cake, but don't actually want to go to all the trouble of making a large cake.
Ingredient Notes
- Brown Butter: To make it easy, I have listed the full amount of brown butter you will need. Once you have browned it, I would suggest splitting it into two different bowls to solidify so that you can pull it out separately for the cookies and the frosting.
- Carrots: I would highly suggest grating your own carrots for these cookies. It makes such a big difference with texture and size than buying pre-shredded ones. I just use the small part of a box grater, or you can also use a food processor.
- Oats: I use old-fashioned oats, you can also use quick oats, but it will change the texture of the cookie slightly.
- Flour: If you do not have a scale to weigh your flour, make sure you lightly spoon it into a measuring cup and don't pack it in.
- Toasted Coconut: I always toast my coconut in a large frying pan with a teaspoon of butter. You can also toast it in the oven, or even top the cookies with sweetened coconut that isn't toasted.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Start by browning the butter. You'll take 1½ cups of butter and melt in a medium saucepan, and then continue to cook past the point of boiling. You will do this over medium heat, past the point of the butter foaming, until it turns a nice golden brown, and has a nutty smell. Make sure you are stirring and watching it, because it will turn from perfectly brown to burnt fairly quickly. Once finished browning, separate so you have 1 cup worth for the cookies and about a ¼ cup for the frosting. Place in the fridge to solidify again. You will want it to become a soft solid to start the cookie dough, the same consistency as room temperature butter you would use to normally bake cookies.
Step 2: Place 1 cup of browned butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mix until smooth on low speed, anout 30 seconds each egg. Beat in the vanilla and carrots.
Step 3: Add baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and flour to bowl and mix on low, being careful not to overmix. I usually like to stop mixing when I still have flour remnants around the bowl. Fold in oats.
Step 4: Scoop the dough into large balls. I like to use a ¼ cup cookie scoop. Chill for 2-24 hours.
Step 5: Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 6 cookie balls on your baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 11-14 minutes. You're looking for a nice golden brown outside rim.
Step 6: Mix the remaining ¼ cup browned butter with cream cheese in a large mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment for 2-3 minutes, or until completely smooth. Mix in vanilla, salt and powdered sugar. Frost the tops of the cookies and sprinkle with toasted coconut.
Expert Baking Tips
Grating your own carrots is highly suggested because pre-shredded carrots are a lot thicker and firmer. You want very finely grated carrots so that they are evenly distributed and easy to bite through.
Make sure your cream cheese is room temperature before starting to make the frosting. You do not want your frosting to be lumpy.
If your cookies don't come out a perfect circle, I like to take a little spatula and circle around the cookie to bring in any spots that have spread a little too far.
FAQ
No, you can use regular salted butter in these cookies. Just follow the amounts called for to make the actual cookies (1 cup) and frosting (¼ cup).
Yes, If doing that I would suggest making the cookies smaller and baking them a few minutes less.
No, although there are carrots in them and cream cheese in the frosting, these cookies can be left out at room temperature.
Storing and Freezing
Chewy carrot cake cookies will remain fresh if stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. You can also prep the cookie dough in advance and store it in the fridge for about a week.
Freezing
You can freeze your cookies in an airtight container for 2-3 months with them remaining fresh. Just allow them to thaw a bit before eating. You can also freeze the cookie dough balls if you would like to bake them one at a time, or as needed.
Other Spring Cookies to Try
For more yummy treats follow me on instagram @thesaltedsweets. And be sure to tag me and comment if you make them and love them as much as I do.
And please make sure to leave a star review below!
Chewy Carrot Cake Cookies
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Cookies
- 1 ½ cups butter browned and separated for cookies and frosting
- ¾ cups brown sugar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temp
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups freshly grated carrots
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¼ cup brown butter
- 4 oz cream cheese room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch of salt
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- toasted coconut for topping
Instructions
- Start by browning the butter. You'll take 1½ cups of butter and melt in a medium saucepan, and then continue to cook past the point of boiling. You will do this over medium heat, past the point of the butter foaming, until it turns a nice golden brown, and has a nutty smell. Make sure you are stirring and watching it, because it will turn from perfectly brown to burnt fairly quickly. Once finished browning, separate so you have 1 cup worth for the cookies and about a ¼ cup for the frosting. Place in the fridge to solidify again. You will want it to become a soft solid again to start the cookie dough, the same consistency as room temperature butter you would use to normally bake cookies.
- Place 1 cup of browned butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, mix until smooth on low speed, anout 30 seconds each egg. Beat in the vanilla and carrots.
- Add baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and flour to bowl and mix on low, being careful not to overmix. I usually like to stop mixing when I still have flour remnants around the bowl. Fold in oats.
- Scoop the dough into large balls. I like to use a ¼ cup cookie scoop. Chill for 2-24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place 6 cookie balls on your baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 11-14 minutes. You're looking for a nice golden brown outside rim.
- Mix the remaining ¼ cup browned butter with cream cheese in a large mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment for 2-3 minutes, or until completely smooth. Mix in vanilla, salt and powdered sugar. Frost the tops of the cookies and sprinkle with toasted coconut.
Melody Holt
My family absolutely loved them.Soft chewy and very moist.
Yummy
brooke
Thank you so much! I'm so happy they were loved!
Sue
Can you make these gluten-free?
brooke
I haven't tried it myself, but I know a lot of my cookies have been made using GF flour with great results, and I think these would turn out great too!! Let me know if you try!
Mayra A.
I made these lovey chewy cookies and my family loved them I omitted the cream cheese topping. But they are just as delicious without it. They were a Big hit in my household. Next up is your coconut cake for Mother's Day. Thank you for your recipes.
brooke
I'm so happy to hear that! I love them without the frosting as well. Enjoy the coconut cake! Can't wait to hear what you think!