Carrot Cake Cookies

4.6
(105)
83 Reviews
20 Photos

These carrot cake cookies are light and moist. They have a delicious cream cheese frosting for all the goodness of a carrot cake in the convenience of a cookie! Perfect for potlucks and picnics.

Submitted by Melissa
Updated on February 15, 2024
carrot cake cookies on a plate.
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20
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Prep Time:
10 mins
Cook Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
30 mins
Servings:
30
Yield:
30 cookies
Jump to Nutrition Facts

These carrot cake cookies topped with cream cheese frosting are a fun twist on a classic dessert. 

Carrot Cake Cookie Ingredients

These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this easy carrot cake cookie recipe: 

  • For the cookies: butter, brown and white sugars, eggs, crushed pineapple, raisins, shredded carrots, flour, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda, salt, and (optional) walnuts.
  • For the frosting: cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar.

How to Make Carrot Cake Cookies

You’ll find the full, step-by-step recipe below – but here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make carrot cake cookies at home: 

  1. Beat the butter and sugars together, then beat in the eggs. 
  2. Stir in the pineapple, carrots, and raisins. 
  3. Combine the dry ingredients, then stir it into the wet mixture. Add walnuts, if using. 
  4. Drop the dough onto a prepared baking sheet and bake.
  5. Make the cream cheese frosting, then frost the cooled cookies. 

How to Store Carrot Cake Cookies

Store frosted cookies in a single layer in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days or freeze for up to three months. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

“We made these last night and they are delicious,” raves Be10der. “Cakey, soft cookies with plenty of flavor and texture.”

“I made the Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting from this website and made sandwiches with these cookies with the frosting in the middle,” according to Abby. “DELICIOUS!”

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 30 servings

Cookies:

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened

  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

  • 1/2 cup white sugar

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

  • 1 cup raisins

  • 3/4 cup shredded carrots

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted, divided (Optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 4 ounces cream cheese

  • 1/4 cup butter

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

  • 2 ½ to 3 cups powdered sugar

Directions

  1. To make the cookies: Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

    all ingredients to make carrot cake cookies gathered in small bowls on a kitchen counter.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  2. Beat butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.

    butter and sugar creamed together in the bowl of a stand mixer.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  3. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Stir in the crushed pineapple, carrots, and raisins.

    Eggs, carrots, crushed pineapple, and raisins mixed in to creamed butter

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  4. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; stir into carrot mixture. Fold in 3/4 cup walnuts if using.

    flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; stirred into carrot mixture.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  5. Drop spoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

    carrot cake cookie batter, dropped by the spoonful 2in a part on a parchment lined baking sheet.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  6. Bake in the preheated oven until tops are set, about 14 to 16 minutes. Allow cookies to cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

    carrot cake cookies baked until golden-brown cooling on baking sheet.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  7. Make the cream cheese frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar gradually to reach spreading consistency.

    cream cheese frosting coming together in a mixing bowl.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  8. Frost cooled cookies with cream cheese frosting; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup walnuts, if desired.

    carrot cake cookies topped with cream cheese frosting and topped with walnuts.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

From the Editor

This recipe was tested in our test kitchen in June 2023 and was updated to reduce the amount of cinnamon from 2 tablespoons to 2 teaspoons and include a cream cheese frosting recipe which makes about 1 ½ cups.

122 home cooks made it!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

171 Calories
6g Fat
28g Carbs
2g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 30
Calories 171
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6g 8%
Saturated Fat 4g 19%
Cholesterol 28mg 9%
Sodium 129mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 28g 10%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 20g
Protein 2g 4%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 26mg 2%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 82mg 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.