Food and Recipes Desserts Cookies Carrot Cake Cookies 3.7 (3) 3 Reviews Our Test Kitchen took all of the classic ingredients in carrot cake and used them to make these over-the-top cookies. By Jasmine Smith Jasmine Smith Instagram Jasmine Smith is a recipe developer and tester for Dotdash Meredith. She pursued her culinary passion and graduated with a B.A. in Culinary Nutrition at Johnson & Wales University. Following college, Jasmine worked on the line at multiple farm-to-table restaurants and was selected for the James Beard Foundation: Women in Culinary Leadership Program. In addition to her working in test kitchens, Jasmine is a freelance culinary producer for a variety of food festivals and non-profits. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on March 5, 2021 Print Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Karen Rankin Active Time: 35 mins Bake Time: 25 mins Cool Time: 25 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 25 mins Yield: 2 1/2 dozen Filled with shredded carrots and toasted walnuts, and flavored with cinnamon and vanilla, these Carrot Cake Cookies are tender and thick and will be adored by the carrot cake fan in your life. As the cookie dough comes together in a stand mixer, it will be slightly crumbly, but that's normal. After you fold in the carrots, which add moisture, the dough will become softer. It may help to use a cookie scoop to portion it out onto baking sheets. Instead of the usual cream cheese frosting, these cookies are topped off with a sweet vanilla icing drizzle. Love raisins in carrot cake? Add in up to ½ cup to the batter along with the walnuts. Is coconut your favorite ingredient? Sprinkle a little toasted sweetened coconut flakes on top before the icing sets. Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container up to two days. Ingredients 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar 1 large egg 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots (from 3 medium carrots) 3/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar 3 tablespoons whole milk Directions Preheat oven to 375°F with rack positioned in upper third of oven. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add egg and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla; beat on medium until combined, about 30 seconds. Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating on low speed until just combined after each addition, about 20 seconds (dough will be slightly crumbly). Fold in carrots and walnuts until combined. Scoop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet, placing cookies 2 inches apart. Bake cookies in batches in preheated oven until bottoms of cookies are golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack, and let cool completely, about 20 minutes. Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies, and serve. Print