Description
Delight in these soft and flavorful Carrot Cake Cookies, combining the warm spices and moist texture of classic carrot cake with the convenience of a cookie. Topped with a luscious browned butter cream cheese frosting, these cookies are perfect for dessert or an indulgent snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Cookie Dough
- 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)
Frosting
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4-6 tablespoons milk (as needed for consistency)
Instructions
- Prepare the oven and baking sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a baking sheet or, preferably, line it with a nonstick baking mat for easy cookie removal.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until well combined.
- Cream butter and sugars: In a large bowl, beat the room-temperature butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla and eggs: Mix in the vanilla extract and then the eggs, one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
- Incorporate grated carrots: Stir in the finely grated carrots evenly into the wet mixture.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring gently just until no streaks of flour remain. Avoid over-mixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Shape and bake cookies: Drop spoonfuls (about 2 tablespoons) of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spaced 2-3 inches apart to allow spreading. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges start to brown and the tops look dry.
- Cool cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make browned butter for frosting: While cookies cool, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. continue stirring as it cooks for 2-4 minutes more until the butter changes from pale yellow to a deep golden-brown color. Remove from heat immediately.
- Prepare cream cheese frosting: In a large bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese and browned butter until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar and flavoring: Gradually mix in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until fully combined. Stir in vanilla extract, then add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the frosting reaches a fluffy, spreadable consistency.
- Frost the cookies: Spread the browned butter cream cheese frosting generously over the completely cooled cookies.
- Store properly: Keep the frosted cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Ensure the butter for the dough is room temperature but still slightly firm for best creaming results.
- Do not over-mix the batter once dry ingredients are added to keep cookies tender and soft.
- Grate carrots finely to integrate smoothly into the batter and ensure moistness.
- Browned butter adds a rich, nutty flavor to the frosting, but be careful not to burn it.
- Adjust frosting milk quantity to achieve desired consistency; less milk for thicker frosting, more for thinner spread.
- Cookies should be completely cool before frosting to prevent melting or running.
- You can store unfrosted cookies in an airtight container for longer freshness if desired.
