Carrot Cake Cookies

Carrot cake cookies are like your favorite slice of carrot cake in cookie form! Soft, cakey cookies are topped with cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 11

Total Time 26

Servings cookies

Author Heather

Ingredients

Cookies

1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter room temperature
¾ cup (160 g) brown sugar
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg room temperature
2 ¾ cups (330 g) all-purpose flour *measured properly
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup (100 g) finely grated carrots
½ cup (57 g) chopped pecans

Toasted coconut garnish

½ cup (g) shredded coconut optional

Cream cheese frosting

4 ounces (113 g) block-style cream cheese room temperature
¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cups (200 g) confectioner's sugar

Instructions

Cookies

Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Using a hand mixer, cream together until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract. Beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Gradually stir dry ingredients into butter mixture until just combined.
Add grated carrots and pecans, stirring until just incorporated.
Scoop dough into 1.5 tablespoon balls. Place dough 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
Bake for about 11-13 minutes, or until lightly browned around edges and across the tops. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Leave the oven on for the next step.

Toasted coconut garnish

While your cookies cool, toast the coconut. Spread coconut into a thin layer on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the edges begin to lightly brown. Stir and return to the oven for another 2-3 minutes. Watch carefully because the edges of the coconut can brown quickly.
Set aside and allow to cool.

Frosting

In a large bowl, add room temperature cream cheese and butter and beat with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) until creamy, about 1 minute.
Add vanilla extract and salt and mix until incorporated.
Add confectioner's sugar, half at a time, and mix on low speed until sugar is incorporated. Switch to high speed and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Spread onto cooled cookies and top with toasted coconut garnish.
Refrigerate cookies after sitting out for 2 hours (due to the cream cheese frosting). Allow refrigerated cookies to come to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

* How to measure flour properly: Use a kitchen scale to measure flour for accurate results every time. If you don't have a kitchen scale, use the spoon and level method. Stir the flour (especially if it's been packed down in a bag/container), then gently spoon into the measuring cup, leveling off the top with a knife. Scooping with a measuring cup compacts flour into the cup and adds up to 25% extra to the recipe, resulting in dry, bland cookies that don't spread properly.
Toasted coconut alternatives: Substitute the toasted coconut topping with additional chopped pecans or sprinkles if desired.
Storage: Cookies will keep for up to 5 days in a sealed container. To help keep cookies fresh, place a slice of bread in the container with the cookies. Replace bread slice as needed.
Storing dough: Raw dough will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days. Cookie dough balls (and baked cookies) freeze well, up to 3 months in a sealed plastic container or freezer bag. Allow frozen balls to thaw for up to 10 minutes on the baking sheet before baking, or add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
More tips: Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking cookies, based on reader comments and questions!

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