Soft and chewy carrot cake cookies with cream cheese frosting bake up with a tender, cake-like bite and just the right hit of warm cinnamon. They’re an easy handheld treat that tastes like a bite-sized slice of carrot cake.

Carrot cake cookies with cream cheese frosting on counter.

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Soft and Chewy Carrot Cake Cookies

If you love carrot cake, you’re going to be obsessed with these carrot cake cookies with cream cheese frosting. They have that cozy cinnamon-carrot flavor in a quick, no-fuss cookie that bakes in about 12 minutes.

I love making them for spring parties and Easter weekends because they’re easy to share and even easier to frost. Think of them like carrot cake cupcakes in cookie form, finished with a generous swipe of cream cheese frosting.

Ingredient Notes

Carrot cake cookie ingredients on counter including shredded carrots, butter, sugars, flour, cinnamon, butter and cream cheese frosting.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Baking staples: These carrot cake cookies are made from scratch so you’ll need flour, sugars, vanilla, eggs, butter and leaveners like baking soda.
  • Carrots: Freshly grated carrots patted dry with a paper towel. Do not use pre-shredded as they are too dry and will not provide the right amount of moisture for these cookies.
  • Cream cheese frosting: Remember to soften cream cheese so it mixes properly with the icing ingredients.

How to Make Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I like doing this first so the spices stay evenly mixed and every cookie tastes the same.

Cream the butter and sugars until pale and fluffy, scraping the bowl as you go. Mix in the vanilla and eggs just until combined, then fold in the carrots. (Overmixing here can make the cookies tougher.)

Whisking together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl.
Creamed butter, sugars, eggs, carrots and vanilla in bowl.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet just until no flour streaks remain (don’t overmix). Scoop about 2 Tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart.

Bake at 350°F until the edges are lightly golden. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Baked carrot cake cookies on baking pan.
Frosted carrot cake cookies with cream cheese icing n baking pan.

While the cookies are cooling grab a large bowl and beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar a cup at a time until fully mixed in. Add vanilla and salt and mix until fluffy and easily spreadable.

Once cookies are completely cooled, spread frosting overtop. Adding it to cookies that are still warm will thin out the frosting leaving it runny. Add a garnish of chopped nuts on top if desired. Enjoy!

Carrot cake cookies with cream cheese icing on counter.

Recipe Tips

  • Shredding carrots. Use a box grater or food processor to shred the carrots easily. Don’t use the bagged carrots (your cookies won’t be as moist).
  • Even amounts of dough. A cookie scoop for the dough can help make sure all your cookies are the same size.
  • Freeze: Scoop cookie dough onto a parchment-lined pan and flash freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, no thawing needed.
  • Use a different frosting. Try a brown butter frosting or caramel cream cheese frosting instead.
  • Add-in: 1/2 cup raisins, chopped walnuts or pecans. Coconut flakes also pair well!
  • Garnish: Top with chopped pecans and a drizzle of caramel sauce, the combination is heavenly just like my caramel carrot cake.
Carrot cake cookies stacked with a bite missing to show soft, tender texxture.

Want more Easter dessert recipes? Try layered Easter cake, chocolate egg nest treats or coconut macaroon Egg nests!

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Soft carrot cake cookies with cream cheese frosting on the counter.

Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

5 from 13 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 37 minutes
Servings: 24
Soft carrot cake cookies with cream cheese frosting are perfectly spiced, chewy, and ready in just over 30 minutes. An easy spring dessert!
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Ingredients 

Cookies

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour , spooned and leveled
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt , or 3/4 table salt
  • 1 ½ -2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup unsalted butter , at room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups finely fresh grated carrots , patted dry with a paper towel (*see notes)

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 4-6 ounces cream cheese , softened
  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
  • 2 ½ cups powdered sugar , more as needed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch Kosher salt

Optional: pinch of salt, food coloring

Instructions

Cookies

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with a silicone mat.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Add 1/2 teaspoon more cinnamon for extra flavor.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat 1 cup butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, and 3/4 cup brown sugar on medium 2 to 3 minutes, or until pale and airy. Mix in 2 teaspoons vanilla and 2 eggs until combined. Fold in 1 1/2 cups carrots.
  • Stir flour mixture into the batter until just combined and no streaks remain, being careful not to over-mix.
  • Using a large cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons), drop cookies on baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Let cool 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • In a large bowl, beat 4-6 ounces cream cheese and 4 Tablespoons butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually mix in the 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until completely incorporated. Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon salt until desired consistency is reached (should be fluffy and easily spreadable).
  • Spread frosting over completely cooled cookies.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Carrots: Use only freshly grated carrots. Pre-shredded carrots will not work the same in the cookie batter.
Nuts: You can add a 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts to your batter if you’d like. Or simply sprinkle chopped nuts over the frosting as a garnish.
Storage: Store unfrosted cookies in airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days. Frosted cookies should be stored in the fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 265kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 46mg, Sodium: 77mg, Potassium: 70mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 26g, Vitamin A: 1722IU, Vitamin C: 0.5mg, Calcium: 25mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.