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Carrot Cake Cookies

Soft, sweet cookies that taste like mini carrot cakes, perfect for snacks, parties, or gifts.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 120

Ingredients
  

For the cookie dough
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar (packed)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup grated carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
For the frosting
  • to taste Storebought or homemade cream cheese frosting Optional food coloring and festive sprinkles

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
  3. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth and fully combined. Stir in the grated carrots.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.
Baking
  1. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly with the back of a spoon or your fingers.
  2. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are set. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting
  1. Once cooled, spread or pipe cream cheese frosting onto each cookie. To create the carrot cookie, tint some frosting in a light green and tint some in orange. Place in a piping bag or zip top bag with a tiny corner cut out. Pipe a bead frame around the cookie by piping dots around the outer edge. Next pipe the carrot.
  2. You can also just spread on some icing and dust with cinnamon, they are also delicious left plain.

Notes

These cookies are perfect served at room temperature. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or refrigerate with frosting for up to 1 week. They can be frozen for later enjoyment for up to 3 months.