Soft Carrot Cake Cookies

The recipe Sunday was soft carrot cake cookies — cake-style cookies with grated carrot, raisins, walnuts, cream cheese frosting.

The recipe is below.

Soft Carrot Cake Cookies

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 32 min | Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots (about 3 medium carrots)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
• Cream Cheese Frosting:
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1–2 tablespoons milk, as needed for consistency

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Whisk dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugars. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together with a hand or stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
4. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract until fully combined.
5. Fold in carrots. Stir the grated carrots (and nuts, if using) into the butter mixture until evenly distributed.
6. Combine wet and dry. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined — do not overmix.
7. Scoop and bake. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake for 11–13 minutes, until the edges are just set and the tops look barely done. They will continue to firm up as they cool.
8. Cool completely. Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
9. Make the frosting. Beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar and mix until fluffy. Add milk one tablespoon at a time until the frosting is spreadable but not runny.
10. Frost and serve. Spread or pipe a generous dollop of cream cheese frosting onto each cooled cookie. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 185 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 25g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 85mg