Description
Indulge in these delicious Crumbl-style carrot cake cookies topped with creamy homemade cream cheese frosting and crunchy pecans. This recipe combines moist, spiced carrot cake flavors in a soft cookie form, perfect for a delightful treat any time of day.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cookie Base
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup carrots, shredded
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream, at room temperature
- 1 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- Pinch of cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
Topping
- Pecans, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in the shredded carrots, vanilla extract, egg yolk, and heavy cream until fully combined and smooth.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cloves, and salt.
- Mix Dry into Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until the flour disappears and the dough comes together. Avoid overmixing.
- Form and Bake Cookies: Scoop out 8 equal-sized dough balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Gently flatten each cookie ball to about ¾ to 1 inch thick. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes.
- Cool Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes to firm up before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Frosting: Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat together the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth and combined.
- Add Flavor and Sugar: Mix in the vanilla extract and powdered sugar, then whisk for 4-5 minutes until the frosting is light, fluffy, and creamy.
- Frost and Garnish: Using a piping bag fitted with a round tip, frost each cooled cookie generously with the cream cheese frosting. Top with chopped pecans for added crunch and flavor.
- Serve and Enjoy: Enjoy these delicious carrot cake cookies fresh or store in an airtight container for later indulgence.
Notes
- Ensure the butter and heavy cream are at room temperature for easier mixing and better texture.
- Do not overmix the dough after adding flour to keep cookies tender.
- Let the cookies cool completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
- You can substitute pecans with walnuts or omit nuts if preferred.
- Store frosted cookies in the refrigerator if not eaten the same day to keep the frosting fresh.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
