Carrot Cake Cookies
These carrot cake cookies are the perfect marriage of classic carrot cake and hearty oatmeal cookies. They really bring together the best of both worlds—spiced carrot cake flavor and the convenience of a hand-held cookie. Inspired by my Mum’s carrot cake recipe, these easy homemade cookies are a fun dessert for Easter or any other springtime celebration.
If you love a bit of extra sweetness, transform the cookies into cute sandwich cookies by piping a layer of whipped cream cheese frosting in the middle.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
✔️ These old-fashioned carrot cookies taste exactly like carrot cake!
✔️ They’re easy to make, so you’ll have a batch ready in no time.
✔️ Enjoy them as-is or make carrot cake sandwich cookies with your favorite frosting.
Ingredients For Carrot Cake Cookies
Ingredient Notes
- Carrots: Finely grated carrots add moisture, sweetness, and a hint of color, embodying the carrot cake inspiration.
- Nutmeg: Adds depth with its warm, nutty flavor, enhancing the overall spice profile.
- Raisins: Introduce chewy textures and bursts of sweetness throughout the cookies.
- Rolled Oats: Give the cookies a hearty texture and slightly nutty flavor, adding to their chewiness. Please note they are not the same as quick oats.
- Walnuts: Offer a crunchy texture and nutty flavor, complementing the soft, chewy texture of the cookies.
It’s important to note that when making substitutions in recipes, the texture and flavor may be slightly different. However, these substitutes are the best options to change the original recipe.
Ingredient Substitutions
- All-Purpose Flour: Cake & pastry flour can be used instead of all-purpose.
- Butter: I haven’t tested this, but you can try solid coconut oil as a dairy-free alternative.
- Cinnamon: Allspice, pumpkin pie spice, or homemade chai spice can offer a similar warm flavor.
- Nutmeg: Mace is a good substitute, offering a similar but slightly more delicate flavor.
- Raisins: Dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots can be used for a different fruity touch.
- Rolled Oats: Quick oats can be used, though they may alter the texture slightly.
- Salt: Sea salt can be used in place of table salt.
- Vanilla: Almond extract can be used in smaller quantities due to its stronger flavor.
- Walnuts: Pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts can be used as substitutes.
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of this post, or scroll to the bottom of the post, to see the PRINTABLE recipe card with ingredient measurements and complete instructions.
How To Make Carrot Cake Cookies
STEP 1: Preheat the oven and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Grate the carrots and set aside. Whisk the dry ingredients together and set aside.
STEP 2: Use a mixer to beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together. Add the egg and vanilla and mix.
STEP 3: The mixture will be quite light and fluffy.
STEP 4: Add the dry ingredients to the butter.
STEP 5: Switch to a spatula or wooden spoon and stir the dough by hand until halfway mixed.
STEP 6: Add the grated carrots, oats, walnuts, and raisins to the bowl.
STEP 7: Fold the dough together until the ingredients are well distributed and the flour is just mixed in.
STEP 8: Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets and bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve as is or fill with your favorite frosting to make sandwich cookies.
Expert Tips
1. The cookie dough will seem very dry, but don’t worry, it will come together!
2. These carrot cake oatmeal cookies will not be perfectly round. They have a more textured, rustic look.
3. If using frosting, cool the cookies completely first, as warm cookies can cause the filling to melt.
Recipe Notes
- Grate the carrots using the small holes of a box grater for a finer texture.
- You can adjust the spices in the recipe to suit your taste preferences.
- Store unfilled carrot cake cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If you make carrot cake sandwich cookies, store them in the refrigerator.
- You can freeze scoops of unbaked cookie dough in an airtight container or a ziplock bag for up to 2 months. To bake, place frozen dough balls on prepared baking sheets and bake as directed, adding an additional 1-2 minutes to the baking time if needed.
Recipe FAQ
The simple answer is that they were overbaked. Try baking the cookies for 2 to 3 minutes less.
If you don’t want to eat your cookies plain like a breakfast cookie, try sandwiching them together with cream cheese frosting or drizzling the tops with cream cheese glaze.
This is a reaction between the baking soda and the carrots. If you whisk the dry ingredients together first to evenly distribute the baking soda it will help reduce the chances of this happening.
More Spring Desserts
Did you make these carrot cake cookies? Please rate the recipe and tell me how it went in the comments below. Also, stay in touch with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to see more delicious food and recipes!
Printable Recipe Card
Carrot Cake Cookies
Special Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons or digital kitchen scale
- Baking sheets and parchment paper
- Box grater
- Medium and large mixing bowl
- Hand or stand mixer
- Spatula or wooden spoon
- Cookie scoop or soup spoon
- Woire cooling racks
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups carrots, about 2 medium carrots
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup salted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¾ cup walnuts, chopped
- ½ cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Wash and dry the carrots. If the carrots are in good shape don’t bother peeling. Grate finely and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together using a hand mixer or stand mixer until well combined, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter. Switch to a spatula or wooden spoon and stir the dough by hand until halfway mixed. The dough will seem dry but don’t worry, it will all come together.
- Add the grated carrots, oats, walnuts, and raisins to the bowl. Fold the dough together until the ingredients are well distributed and the flour is just mixed in.
- Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the dough is not quite set. Be sure not to overbake, as this will result in dry cookies.
- Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve as is, or sandwich together with your favorite frosting.
Recipe Notes
- Grate the carrots using the small holes of a box grater for a finer texture.
- You can adjust the spices in the recipe to suit your taste preferences.
- Store unfilled carrot cake cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If you make carrot cake sandwich cookies, store them in the refrigerator.
- You can freeze scoops of unbaked cookie dough in an airtight container or a ziplock bag for up to 2 months. To bake, place frozen dough balls on prepared baking sheets and bake as directed, adding an additional 1-2 minutes to the baking time if needed.
