Description
Delight in soft, flavorful Carrot Cake Cookies that combine the warm spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves with hearty oats and finely grated carrots. These cookies offer a delightful twist on traditional carrot cake, perfect for snacking or special occasions, and can be topped with optional cream cheese frosting for a creamy finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
- 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
Optional Topping
- Cream cheese frosting (optional for sandwich cookies or drizzling)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to ensure your cookies bake evenly and don’t stick.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, creating a smooth base for the dough.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until everything is well combined, adding moisture and flavor to the dough.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to evenly distribute the leavening and spices.
- Mix Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined to avoid overmixing, which can toughen the cookies.
- Fold in Oats and Carrots: Stir in the old-fashioned oats, finely grated carrots, and if using, chopped nuts or raisins, to add texture and flavor.
- Portion the Dough: Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow room for spreading.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 12–14 minutes or until the edges are golden and the centers are set but still soft.
- Cool the Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Optional Frosting: If desired, frost the cooled cookies with cream cheese frosting or create sandwich cookies by piping frosting between two cookies.
Notes
- Finely grate the carrots to ensure the cookies maintain a soft, tender texture.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days to maintain freshness.
- For longer storage, refrigerate the cookies to extend their shelf life.
- To make carrot cake sandwich cookies, pipe cream cheese frosting between two completely cooled cookies for a delightful treat.
