Carrot cake stuffed inside a cookie! With shredded carrots, oats, raisins, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and ginger topped with a cream cheese frosting because you can’t have one without the other.
They absolutely, positively belong together.
The cookies are soft, cakey and a little chewy from the oats. You can taste the sweetened carrots in every bite and they smell heaven sent.
Like warm spices and all that is good and right in the world.
The batter is a little sticky and soft to work with so I like to chill it for 20 – 30 minutes before baking. It’s easier to handle that way.
I also bake off just a couple of test cookies before I do an entire baking sheet full to get the timing down right. I use aluminum baking sheets lined with silpats for all my cookies. If you’re using something different then test cookies are definitely a good idea. I want you to have delicious cookie success.
If you’re craving carrot cake these are almost as good with less work and a lot less wait time. One (or three) of these can be in your face in a little over an hour. Quicker, if you have help.
But I wouldn’t want you to think you need a carrot cake craving to make them!
These are for everyone.
Carrot cake and cookie lovers alike.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- a pinch of nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup oats (5-minute or long cooking)
- 3/4 cup (packed) finely grated carrots
- 1/3 cup raisins, optional
- Frosting:
- 4 ounces bar cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 - 2 teaspoons heavy cream or milk
Instructions
Make the Cookies:
In a large bowl whisk together the butter, both sugars and the egg yolk until well combined. Whisk in the vanilla.
In a separate medium bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Add it to the butter mixture and stir until combined.
Mix in the oats, carrots and raisins. Refrigerate the batter 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with siplats or parchment paper.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake until the edges start to brown 15 - 18 minutes (depending on your baking sheet).
Cool on pan 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks and cool completely.
Make the Filling:
Beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until creamy and fluffy 2 minutes. Beat in 1 cup of confectioners' then 1 teaspoon of heavy cream, beat 1 minute.
Beat in the second cup of confectioners' until light and fluffy, adding more heavy cream if needed to get the right spreading consistency. Keep beating on low 2 - 3 more minutes to make if fluffy.
Gently frost the tops of the cookies. Store tightly covered in a cool, dry place up to 3 days. To store longer (up to 5 days) refrigerate and bring to room temperature before serving.
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