These Carrot Cake Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting & Salted Carmel Swirl have all the great flavors of a traditional Carrot Cake brought together in a soft but chewy cookie. Loaded with shedded carrots, spices and nutty brown butter, then topped with a silky smooth cream cheese frosting, that swirl of salted caramel and those maple glazed walnuts, they will sure be enough to satisfy anyone’s cravings.
My family loves Carrot Cake and I will say that I have made quite a few in my life time, but sometimes I don’t want to go through all the trouble of making a whole cake. Making a cookie with the same flavors is a great substitute. You get the same great flavors with so much less fuss.
Why You Will Love This Cookie
- Ease: These cookies may look difficult to make but they’re not. With some simple ingredients and basic equipment, you can have them ready in no time flat.
- Flavor: If you love Carrot Cake, then these cookies are going to be your new favorite. They have all the great flavors of a traditional Carrot Cake, brought together in a delicious cookie.
- Texture: The cookie itself is soft but chewy. Then topped with a smooth and silky cream cheese frosting and a sweet salted caramel swirl and lets not forget those maple glazed walnuts for that little bit of crunch.
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Tips For Making These Cookies
- These cookies can be made in advance and stored in the freezer not frosted. Just bake the cookies and allow them to cool completely. Once completely cooled, place them in a large ziplock bag, layered between sheets of parchment paper. Place in the freezer for up to three months. Once you’re ready to use them, defrost them completely then frost them. They can also be baked a day or two ahead of time. Once again after baking them, cool completely. Then place them un frosted in an air tight container or ziplock bag. When ready to use them, just frost and serve.
- It is important to have your ingredients at room temperature ( everything but milk or cream, those can stay in the fridge until you need them). I like to take out my ingredients two hours before I start baking and leave them on the counter so that when it’s time to bake they are at room temperature.
- When shredding your carrots it is best to use a Box Grater on the smallest setting. This will allow for the carrot flavor without bitting on big chunks of carrot.
- If you don’t want to make your own salted caramel for topping these cookies, you can buy a store bought Salted Caramel
What You Will Need To Make These Cookies
Equipment:
- Mixing Bowls: Having mixing bowls in a variety of sizes helps in preparing this recipe. I prefer a glass mixing bowls because they are easy to clean and do not react with any ingredients.
- Small Saucepan: A small saucepan is perfect for browning the butter for this recipe.
- Frying Pan: If you are making your own salted caramel, I suggest a non stick frying pan. I like using one that is PFOA free.
- Medium Cookie Scoop: A cookie scoop or ice cream scoop is the perfect way to guarantee uniform cookies every time.
- Hand Mixer: Having a good hand mixer, makes the job of mixing your ingredients much easier.
- Baking Sheet: I like to use a sturdy baking sheet made from aluminum because they are light weight, very durable and are great heat conductors, which will allow your cookies to bake evenly.
- Parchment Paper: I always line my baking sheets with parchment paper. Not only does it prevent sticking but is also allows for an easy clean up.
Ingredients:
- Flour:All Purpose Flour is perfect for this recipe.
- Baking Soda: Used as a leavening agent. This will give your cookies a light fluffy texture.
- Spices: A mixture of spices like Ground Cinnamon, Ground Nutmeg, Ground Ginger and Ground Cloves will add a bit of warmth to this recipe.
- Salt: A pinch of salt in sweet recipes is used to enhance the flavors in that recipe.
- Sugar: This recipe will use three sugars, Granulated Sugar, Brown Sugar and Powdered Sugar.
- Egg: This is your binder, giving these cookies structure and holding them together.
- Vanilla Extract: I always opt for a Pure Vanilla Extract due to its intense vanilla flavor.
- Carrots: You will want to use fresh carrots that are peeled and shedded on the smallest setting on a box grater. This will allow them to blend in seamlessly with the cookie, giving you the intense carrot flavor without bitting into big chunks of carrot.
- Butter: In this recipe you will be using a browned butter in the cookie which will add a rich nuttiness and a plain butter to blend in with the cream cheese to create that smooth silky frosting.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Used for making that salted caramel swirl.
- Walnuts: Raw, shelled and broken into small pieces.
- Maple Syrup: Perfect for coating the walnuts, giving them a little extra sweetness.
Carrot Cake Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting & Salted Caramel Swirl
Course: DessertCuisine: American15
servings40
minutes15
minutesThese Carrot Cake Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting & Salted Caramel Swirl are a great treat for when you’re craving Carrot Cake but don’t want to go through the fuss of making a whole cake. With a soft but chewy cookie that is loaded with carrot flavor, then topped with a smooth and silky cream cheese topping and that salted caramel swirl. It’s all the great flavors of a traditional Carrot Cake brought together in one delicious cookie.
Ingredients
- For The Salted Caramel
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Tablespoons water
1/2 Cup heavy whipping cream
3 Tablespoons butter cut into small pieces
1 Teaspoon salt
- For The Cookie
1 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/8 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
1/2 Teaspoon salt
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup granulated sugar
1/2 Cup unsalted butter, browned
1 Egg
1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cups finely shredded carrots
- For The Cream Cheese Frosting
8oz. Cream cheese, softened
1/2 Cup unsalted butter, softened
4 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- For The Maple Glazed Walnuts
1/2 Cup raw walnuts, broken into small pieces
1/4 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
Directions
- For The Salted Caramel
- Place the granulated sugar and water in a medium size saucepan over medium heat. Stir and cook until sugar starts to dissolve and comes to a boil. Allow sugar to boil without stirring for 8 to 10 minutes or until it turns golden.
- Once the sugar become slightly golden in color, remove it from the heat and immediately pour in the heavy cream. It will start to bubble, but just use a wooden spoon to stir it together. Once it is all combined, stir in the butter until completely melted and mixed through. Add salt and stir to combine.
- Let caramel completely cool before using. Any remaining caramel can be stored in a glass jar with a lid for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
- For The Cookie
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line of baking sheet with parchment paper and set to the side.
- Place butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat, starring occasionally. Cook for five minutes or until golden in color and brown bits form at the bottom of the pan. Cool slightly.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and salt until combined. Set to the side.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the brown butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until combined. Pour in the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in the carrots until incorporated.
- Scoop out the dough using a medium size ice cream, scoop and place the rounded balls of dough on the prepared cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake at 350º for 15 minutes or until edges are golden and centers are set. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
- For The Cream Cheese Frosting
- While your cookies are cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the soften cream cheese and butter, and beat until smooth. Turn off the mixer and add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Starting on low speed, turn on the mixer and beat until combined. Raise the speed to medium high and beat for an additional minute or until smooth and creamy. Scoop out frosting and place in a large piping bag fitted with a round tip. Set to the side.
- For The Maple Glazed Walnuts:
- Place the maple syrup and walnuts in a large frying pan. Stir to coat. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until all of the maple syrup has been absorbed by the walnuts. Pour out the glazed nuts onto a sheet of parchment paper and allow to cool completely.
- To Assemble
- Starting in the center of the cookie, pipe the cream cheese frosting in a spiral until the cookie is covered.
- Add a teaspoon of the prepared salted caramel on top of the frosting. Using the back of a spoon, swirl the salted caramel into the frosting. Top each cookie with some maple glazed walnuts and serve.
- Enjoy.
