This easy Carrot Cake Cookies recipe turns classic carrot cake into soft, cake-like cookies full of finely grated carrots and warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Each cookie is finished with a silky brown-butter cinnamon cream cheese frosting for a decadent bite that’s perfect for spring, fall, or anytime you want a cozy treat.
This Carrot Cake Cookie recipe post is sponsored by Ankarsrum. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make Beyond the Butter® possible!
Carrot cake is one of my favorite desserts in spring and fall, so I wanted a cookie version to enjoy anytime. These cookies borrow everything you love about carrot cake—moist grated carrots, warm spices, and a rich cream cheese frosting—with the convenience of a handheld treat. The brown butter in the frosting adds a toasty, nutty depth that pairs beautifully with the spices.
These cookies are straightforward to make. I often use an Ankarsrum Assistent Original stand mixer with the vegetable cutter attachment and the medium-coarse grating drum to grate carrots quickly and cleanly, but you can grate by hand if you prefer. The recipe scales well and the frosting can be halved if you want less topping.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients
- Instructions
- Storage
- Freezing
- FAQ
- More Cookie Recipes to Enjoy!
- Easy Carrot Cake Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Cookies
Key ingredients and notes for the cookies:
- Unsalted butter. You can substitute browned butter for more depth of flavor.
- Carrots. Use fresh, peeled, and finely grated carrots. Avoid thicker “shredded” or matchstick-style bags—aim for finely grated. If using small baby carrots, pat them dry first.
- Cinnamon. Any ground cinnamon will work; Indonesian cinnamon is milder and slightly sweeter, but use what you have.
- Pecans. Optional—chopped walnuts or no nuts at all are fine alternatives.
Brown Butter Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Notes on the frosting ingredients:
- Cream cheese. Use full-fat cream cheese in brick form and bring it to room temperature for a smooth frosting.
- Brown butter. Adds a nutty, caramel-like flavor. If you prefer, use regular unsalted butter.
- Cinnamon. Enhances the brown-butter flavor; optional but recommended.
- Powdered sugar. Sift before using for lump-free frosting.
- Vanilla extract. Rounds out the flavors.
See the recipe card below for exact quantities and printable instructions.
Instructions
Overview of the method; use the recipe card below for full details and exact measurements.
Quick Tip: Rinse, peel, and pat carrots dry before grating. You’ll need about 6–7 medium carrots to yield the grated amount called for in the recipe.
Step 1 — Whisk dry ingredients. Sift the all-purpose flour, then whisk in baking soda, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until evenly combined.
Step 2 — Cream wet ingredients. Beat the butter with granulated and light brown sugar until light and fluffy, then add eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.
Step 3 — Combine and add carrots. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet on low until almost combined, then fold in the grated carrots and chopped pecans. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky.
Quick Note: Chilling the dough isn’t required but can help if the butter became too soft during mixing. Do a test bake of one cookie—if it spreads a lot, chill the dough for at least one hour.
Step 4 — Scoop and bake. Scoop the dough using a 1-ounce (2-tablespoon) scoop, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes until the edges are lightly golden and the tops are slightly domed. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before frosting.
Quick Note: These cookies are intentionally soft and cakey with golden edges—they’re meant to be more like small cakes than crisp cookies.
Storage
Unfrosted cookies: store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Frosted cookies: store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Allow chilled cookies to sit about 15 minutes at room temperature before serving if you prefer them softer.
Freezing
You can freeze scooped cookie dough before baking. Arrange dough balls on a parchment-lined sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 1 month. Bake from frozen, adding 2–3 minutes to the bake time, then cool and frost as usual.
FAQ
No—chilling is optional. If the butter softened too much during creaming and the dough seems very loose, chilling for an hour helps prevent excessive spreading. A single test cookie is a good way to check.
Yes. Brown the butter ahead of time, cool it, and refrigerate until solid. Bring it to room temperature before using in the frosting for best texture.
Yes. Pecans are optional—leave them out or substitute walnuts if preferred.
More Cookie Recipes to Enjoy!
Looking for other cookie ideas? Try lemon shortbread cookies, double chocolate chunk M&M cookies, fluffernutter cookies, or zucchini chocolate chip oatmeal cookies for a variety of flavors and textures.
Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Double Chocolate Chunk M&M Cookies
Fluffernutter Cookies
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
If you try this Carrot Cake Cookies recipe, please leave a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments. Enjoy!
Easy Carrot Cake Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- Ankarsrum Assistent Original Mixer (optional)
- Ankarsrum Vegetable Cutter Attachment with medium grater drum (optional)
- #30 1-ounce (2 tbsp) cookie scoop
- Mixing bowls, spatulas, whisks, parchment paper, baking sheets
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Cookies
- 2 cups finely grated carrots (about 6–7 medium carrots)
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Brown Butter Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, browned and cooled to solid
- 8 oz full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 cups sifted powdered sugar
Instructions
Carrot Cake Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Rinse, peel, and pat carrots dry. Grate finely and set aside.
- Sift flour into a bowl and whisk in baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until evenly combined.
- Beat butter with granulated and brown sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.
- Mix dry ingredients into the wet on low until partially combined. Fold in grated carrots and pecans, mixing just until the flour streaks disappear. The dough will be thick.
- Scoop dough with a 1-ounce (2-tablespoon) scoop, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Bake 10–12 minutes until lightly golden on the edges and slightly domed on top. Cool 5 minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before frosting.
Brown Butter Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Melt butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, stirring until it foams and then turns a light brown with a nutty aroma (about 7–8 minutes). Remove from heat and cool in a heatproof bowl until solid.
- Beat the cooled/browned butter until smooth. Add cream cheese, vanilla, and cinnamon, mixing until combined. Reduce speed to low and gradually add sifted powdered sugar until smooth. Mix 1–2 minutes more.
- Frost cooled cookies and, if desired, top with extra chopped pecans.
Notes
- If grating by hand, wear a kitchen glove to avoid staining from carrot juices.
- Prep time does not include time to brown and chill the butter for the frosting.
- If using brown butter, make it a few hours or the day before so it has time to cool and solidify.
Nutrition
Calories: 347 kcal | Carbohydrates: 47 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 17 g | Sugar: 36 g (per cookie; estimate)