Frosted carrot cookies are a soft cake-like cookie full of shredded carrots, cinnamon, nuts and topped with a sweet cream cheese frosting. If you like carrot cake, you will love these cookies!
Frosted Carrot Cookies
This cookie recipe for frosted carrot cookies was adapted from a vintage 1970’s recipe – a time when recipes were promoted for being healthy because they contained fruits or vegetables. I only wish it worked that way! While these cookies do contain shredded carrots, I would not consider them to have many health benefits since they still contain plenty of sugar and butter. These cookies are a great treat to indulge in, especially in the spring months or around Easter time.
If you are a fan of carrot cake, you will love these cookies since they taste similar. They have a soft texture due to the shredded carrots and buttermilk, but still have a cookie-like texture and are spiced with a lot of ground cinnamon. Lastly, they are topped with the same sweet cream cheese frosting as carrot cake and are finished off with a dusting of cinnamon. Keep reading below for directions to make these flavorful frosted carrot cookies.
How to Make Frosted Carrot Cookies
These frosted carrot cookies have a soft texture full of shredded carrots, cinnamon, nuts and topped with a sweet cream cheese frosting and a dusting of cinnamon. If you like carrot cake, you will love these cookies! See additional tips below for storage and additional ingredients you can add in to these cookies.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Shredded Carrots
- Buttermilk
- Chopped nuts (such as walnuts or pecans)
- Cream Cheese
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
To make these frosted carrot cookies, start by mixing all of the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, cream the unsalted butter and granulated sugar until light. Add in the egg, shredded carrots and buttermilk*. Add in the dry ingredients, in three separate batches, followed by the chopped nuts.
Scoop the cookie dough onto lined cookie sheets using a medium-sized cookie scoop. Bake at 375°F 10-11 minutes, or until the centers are completely set when lightly pressed with your fingertip. Allow cookies to cool on pan 1-2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once the cookies are completely cool, make the cream cheese frosting. Cream together the cream cheese and unsalted butter until fluffy. Then, add in powdered sugar and vanilla extract; mix until smooth. Spread onto the cooled cookies and then dust each cookie with ground cinnamon.
Tips for Frosted Carrot Cookies
- Don’t have buttermilk on hand? Substitute by using white milk and add a splash of vinegar to the milk; allow to sit 1-2 minutes before using.
- You can substitute a small cookie scoop if needed, decrease your baking by 1-2 minutes.
- Store these cookies in an airtight container for up to 72 hours.
- These cookies can freeze up to 45 days.
- You can also add 1/2 cup raisins or 1/2 cup of coconut to the batter.
Made these cookies? Comment or rate below or on Pinterest or Instagram!
Want more cookie recipes? Check out these recipes:
Frosted Carrot Cookies
Equipment
- baking or cookie sheet
- parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- medium-sized cookie scoop
- mixing bowls of various sizes
- electric mixer or stand mixer
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 2 Tablespoons buttermilk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts such as walnuts or pecans
For the frosting
- 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ground cinnamon for dusting
Instructions
For the cookies
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift or whisk the1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon saltand 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon.
- Using a mixer, cream the 1/2 cup unsalted butter, and 1 cup granulated sugar until light, about 2 minutes.
- Add in 1 large egg, followed by the 2 cups shredded carrots. Slowly add in the 2 Tablespoons buttermilk,
- Add in the dry ingredients, in 3 separate batches, making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next. Add in the 1/2 cup chopped nuts
- Use a medium sized cookie scoop to scoop the cookies onto lined baking sheets. Bake at 375°F 10-11 minutes, or until the centers are completely set when lightly pressed with your fingertip.
- Allow cookies to cool on pan 1-2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost when cooled.
For the frosting
- Using a mixer, cream the 3 oz. cream cheese, and 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, until smooth.
- Add in the 1 cup powdered sugar and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Spread frosting on cooled cookies, then dust extra ground cinnamon on top.
Notes
- Don’t have buttermilk on hand? Substitute by using white milk and add a splash of vinegar to the milk; allow to sit 1-2 minutes before using.
- You can substitute a small cookie scoop if needed, decrease your baking by 1-2 minutes.
- Store these cookies in an airtight container for up to 72 hours.
- These cookies can freeze up to 45 days.
- You can also add 1/2 cup raisins or 1/2 cup of coconut to the batter.