Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

My wife thinks this is one of the best things I have ever made, and she may well be right. It is right up there with my Whole Wheat Buttermilk Blueberry Cream Cheese Scones.  An evil treat that I love. Plus all major food groups are included: Grains (flour and oats) Fruits (raisins) Vegetables (carrots) Dairy (cream cheese) and Meat (eggs count).  It must be good for you (NOT).

I had carrot cake for my birthday decided it would make an excellent cookie so off to Google again, and I came up with a Martha Stewart recipe. Not much work and almost no skills are needed to pull this off. Give it a try for an everyday treat or that special occasion.

Rating:

Most of the time I must put some thought into the rating. Not this time. If I only had a 6…

Notes:  I wanted some cinnamon instead of a large dose of ginger. Other than that, I mostly stayed on task. The suggested cream cheese frosting ( which I loved) was about twice as much as needed. The recipe as posted reflects the 50% decrease. I did make them slightly bigger and did not make them into sandwiches like the recipes called for. I just frosted and ate.

Preheat oven on 350 convection. Prep two cookie sheets by covering with parchment paper. Finely shred one large or 2 smaller carrots to make 3/4 cup. Try not to use the “baby carrots”, they have no taste.

Make the frosting first. 4 oz cream cheese and 2 1/2 tablespoons of butter (without salt preferred) in a bowl. Microwave for 10-20 seconds to soften if needed but do not melt.

Cream together with a hand mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Add 1 t vanilla and 1/2 t lemon juice. Continue to mix. Slowly add 1 1/4  cup powdered sugar and continue to beat until smooth. Refrigerator until needed. Don’t forget to lick the beaters.

In a large mixing bowl combine 1 stick (1/2 cup) melted butter (again unsalted preferred) with 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 egg yoke. Whisk or beat together. I’m lazy and used a stand mixer, but a handheld mixer or even a whisk should do.

Next, in a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients. 3/4 cup AP flour, 1/2 t ginger, 1/2 t cinnamon, 1 t salt. Mix well and slowly combine with the butter/egg mixture.

Now add 3/4 cup shredded carrot, 1 cup rolled oats and 1/3 cup raisins. Mix well.

Spoon onto the parchment covered cookie sheets into 1-inch diameter balls. It should make about 16. Flatten the balls slightly with your fingers.

Place in the oven for 8 minutes. Rotate the pans (180 degrees and bottom pan to top). Cook another 7-8 minute until edges are turning brown.

Remove from oven and let set for about 2 minutes until they firm up a bit and then move to a cooling rack.

Let cool and then frost with the cream cheese frosting.

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5 from 1 vote

Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Great Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting. An evil treat that my wife and I love.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time16 mins

Total Time36 mins

Author: Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

Course : Dessert

Cuisine : American

Keyword : Best Recipe, Family, Kids

Servings/Adjust Amount: 16 cookies

16

Ingredients

Frosting

• 4 oz cream cheese
• 2 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 1/4 cup powder sugar

Cookie Dough

• 1 stick butter - 1/2 cup melted
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg yoke
• 3/4 cup AP flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 3/4 cup finely grated carrot
• 1/3 cup raisins

Instructions

• Preheat oven on 350 convection. Prep two cookie sheets by covering with parchment paper. Finely shred one large or 2 smaller carrots to make 3/4 cup. Try not to use the “baby carrots”, they have no taste.
• Make the frosting first. 4 oz cream cheese and 2 1/2 tablespoons of butter (without salt preferred) in a bowl. Microwave for 10-20 seconds to soften if needed but do not melt.
• Cream together with a hand mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add 1 t vanilla and 1/2 t lemon juice. Continue to mix. Slowly add 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar and continue to beat until smooth. Refrigerator until needed. Don’t forget to lick the beaters.
• In a large mixing bowl combine 1 stick (1/2 cup) melted butter (again unsalted preferred) with 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 egg yoke. Whisk or beat together. I’m lazy and used a stand mixer but a handheld mixer, or even a whisk should do.
• Next, in a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients. 3/4 cup AP flour, 1/2 t ginger, 1/2 t cinnamon, 1 t salt. Mix well and slowly combine with the butter/egg mixture.
• Now add 3/4 cup shredded carrot, 1 cup rolled oats and 1/3 cup raisins. Mix well.
• Spoon onto the parchment covered cookie sheets into 1-inch diameter balls. It should make about 16. Flatten the balls slightly with your fingers.
• Place in the oven for 8 minutes. Rotate the pans (180 degrees and bottom pan to top). Cook another 7-8 minute until edges are turning brown.
• Remove from oven and let set for about 2 minutes until they firm up a bit and then move to a cooling rack.
• Let cool and then frost with the cream cheese frosting.

Nutrition Facts

Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Amount Per Serving

Calories 223 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 11g 17%

Saturated Fat 7g 35%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g

Monounsaturated Fat 2g

Cholesterol 37mg 12%

Sodium 98mg 4%

Potassium 57mg 2%

Total Carbohydrates 31g 10%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 22g

Protein 2g 4%

Vitamin A 32%

Vitamin C 1%

Calcium 1%

Iron 5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Have a question or something not clear? Ask in the comments.

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Nutrition is for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.

All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

If you like this recipe or find it useful, the pleasure of a nice 4 or 5 rating would be greatly appreciated.