Carrot Cake Cookies made from scratch with butter, sugar, egg, shredded carrots & cinnamon, then topped with cream cheese frosting and walnuts! Perfect for Easter!
Carrot Cake Cookies for Easter
- The Best Parts of Carrot Cake – In Cookie Form: These cookies deliver warm cinnamon flavor and tender, buttery texture with real shredded carrots, giving you classic carrot cake vibes without the need for slicing or layering.
- A frosting That Steals the Show: A thick, creamy frosting made with a full block of cream cheese adds rich tanginess that perfectly balances the sweet cookie base.
- Finished with a Perfect Crunch: Chopped walnuts on top add texture and a nutty finish that complements the soft cookies and smooth frosting, making every bite feel bakery-worthy.
Ingredients for Carrot Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Butter: ½ cup salted butter adds rich flavor and creates a soft, tender cookie texture.
Sugars: Granulated sugar provides structure and sweetness, while brown sugar adds moisture and a subtle caramel-like depth.
Egg: 1 large egg binds the ingredients together and helps create a chewy, cohesive cookie.
Leavening agents: Baking powder and baking soda work together to give the cookies a light lift and soft, cake-like texture.
Flour: Using 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour provides structure, giving the cookies enough stability to hold the carrots and frosting.
Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon adds warm, classic carrot cake flavor throughout each bite.
Carrot: ¾ cup finely shredded carrots add natural sweetness and moisture, keeping the cookies soft and flavorful.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream cheese: One 8-ounce block cream cheese, room temperature, creates a rich, tangy base that complements the sweetness of the cookies.
Sugar: Powdered sugar sweetens the frosting while giving it a smooth, spreadable consistency.
Walnuts: 1 cup chopped walnuts add a crunchy texture that finishes the cookies perfectly. We love how the earthy flavor of the chopped walnuts pairs with the sweetness of the frosting and carrots. Adding chopped walnuts is completely optional; you can swap them out for pecans if you prefer.
Tips for making this Carrot Cake Cookie Recipe
Full instructions in the recipe card below, but here are a few tips to help the baking process go smoothly!
- Shred the carrots very finely: I recommend using a fine grater to shred your carrots. This helps better distribute the carrot flavor and helps prevent you from having crunchy pieces of carrot in your cookies.
- Soften the cream cheese first: Room-temperature cream cheese blends smoothly with powdered sugar, while cold cream cheese can cause lumpy frosting.
- Use the right size scoop: A #40 cookie scoop creates evenly sized cookies for consistent baking, but a large spoon works just as well if you don’t have one.
- Cool completely before frosting: I recommend letting your cookies cool before frosting them so the frosting doesn’t start sliding off the cookies. This is mostly a risk right after the cookies come out of the oven, but they don’t take long to cool.
How long are these cookies good for?
Store your cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. We prefer these cookies chilled, but they are also great at room temperature. Try to avoid stacking the cookies if you can.
Can I freeze these frosted carrot cake cookies?
The cookies freeze best unfrosted; add the cream cheese frosting and walnuts after thawing for the freshest taste.
Can I use pre-shredded carrots?
It’s best to shred fresh carrots yourself, as pre-shredded carrots are thicker and drier and won’t blend into the dough as well.
What alternate topping can I make instead of cream cheese frosting?
If you don’t like cream cheese you can make buttercream frosting instead. Replace the cream cheese with 1 cup of softened butter and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Enjoy more of our favorite Spring inspired cookies here:
- These Spring Spritz Cookies are soft, buttery shortbread cookies made with just five simple ingredients, plus colorful M&Ms for a fun floral touch. They’re a cheerful treat that’s perfect for spring baking!
- Sprinkle Cookies are soft, chewy sugar cookies loaded with colorful sprinkles, making them a fun and festive treat. Perfect for celebrating any holiday, they’re as delightful to look at as they are to eat.
- Crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside, these Lemon Crinkle Cookies are an ideal treat for spring baking.
- Cheesecake Cookies bring all the rich, creamy flavor of classic cheesecake into an easy, handheld cookie. Soft graham cracker cookies bake with a cheesecake filling and finished with your favorite fruit or pie topping for a simple but impressive treat.
- Our Lemon Blueberry Muffin Cookies are made from scratch with fresh blueberries and bright lemon flavor in every bite. A bakery-style treat you’ll love!
Carrot Cake Cookies are soft, flavorful cookies made from scratch with shredded carrots, warm cinnamon, and buttery sweetness. Topped with creamy cream cheese frosting and crunchy walnuts, they’re a handheld version of classic carrot cake that’s perfect for any occasion.
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