Soft Carrot Cake Cookies

5 from 7 votes

These soft and tender carrot cake cookies are perfect with just a dusting of powdered sugar, or a decadent drizzle of cream cheese frosting!

Prep Time25

Cook Time12

Total Time37

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: holiday cookie recipe, soft cookie recipe

Servings: servings

Calories: 307kcal

Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt, then set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) add 1 cup of the softened butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar, then beat together on MED speed with a mixer (stand or hand-held) until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.

To the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients, add half of the flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture.

Add the shredded carrots and beat on LOW until fully combined. If you want to add nuts, add them with the carrots.

Using a medium-sized cookie scoop (1.5 - 2 Tbsp), scoop and drop balls of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
If desired, sprinkle a few pieces of chopped pecans or walnuts on top of the balls of dough.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. When done, the tops of the cookies should spring back when touched lightly.

Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for a minute or two, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To a mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup butter and the cream cheese. Beat with a mixer on MED speed until combined.
Adjust the mixer speed down to LOW or MED LOW, then add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until combined.
Add vanilla and milk, mixing until smooth.

These cookies can be frosted (I like to use a butter knife or offset spatula) entirely, or drizzled with the frosting (this consistency should be thinner and I like to use a piping bag or a spoon).

This recipe makes approximately 24 cookies, which you're free to divide into as many servings as you'd like.
The consistency of this frosting is up to you. For a thinner frosting, add more milk. For a thicker frosting, add less.
Please do not use the pre-shredded/julienned carrots from the produce department; they won't work well. For these cookies you need to shred/grate carrots on a box grater.
If you're only going to lightly drizzle the frosting, you can halve the frosting ingredients.