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Delicious homemade Carrot Cake Cookies with cream cheese frosting

Carrot Cake Cookies

These Carrot Cake Cookies are warm, spice-scented, soft, and filled with a tangy cream cheese center that captures the essence of carrot cake in a portable format, perfect for lunchboxes and coffee breaks.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Servings: 12 cookies
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 150
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Cookie Dough
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour Use spoon-and-level method or weigh 120–130g for consistency.
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon Balanced spice flavor.
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar Choose light or dark brown for different flavors.
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened Use room-temperature butter.
  • 1 large egg Room-temperature for better mixing.
  • 1 cup grated carrots Use firm, young carrots for best flavor.
  • 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional) Add walnuts for crunch.
  • 1/2 cup raisins (optional) Can be omitted or substituted with chocolate chips.
For the Cream Cheese Filling
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened Use full-fat for best texture.
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
  2. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
  3. Cream butter and sugars until smooth in a separate bowl.
  4. Add the egg and combine with dry mixture.
  5. Fold in grated carrots and mix-ins, if using.
  6. Make the cream cheese filling by beating the softened cream cheese with powdered sugar until smooth.
  7. Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto a prepared baking sheet and create an indent for the filling.
  8. Spoon the cream cheese filling into each well, then top with another spoonful of dough and seal edges.
Baking
  1. Bake for 10–12 minutes or until edges are golden and centers are set.
  2. Cool on a wire rack before serving.

Notes

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freeze for longer storage. For variations, try adding walnuts, pineapples, or chocolate chips.