Cream Cheese-Stuffed Carrot Cake Cookies

These delicious Carrot Cake Cookies are absolutely irresistible! They are soft, chewy and moist, full of fresh grated carrots and stuffed with cream cheese frosting filling. You won't believe how easy it is to convert your favorite cake into a portable cookie! I took my best Carrot Cake recipe and my Carrot Cake Cupcakes recipe and turned them into cookies. You will love this fun and festive creation that is perfect for Easter time.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

• Soft and chewy cookies - these cookies have the best texture! They are soft and chewy and not cakey at all.
• Cookies taste just like carrot cake - this recipe is so fun because these cookies taste just like carrot cake all in one handheld bundle! There are fresh grated carrots right in the cookie dough, and a blend of sweet spices just like traditional carrot cake.
• Cream cheese frosting filling - carrot cake cookies wouldn't be complete without cream cheese frosting, so each one is literally stuffed with cream cheese frosting! It is so creamy and smooth and it is the best surprise! You can't have carrot cake without cream cheese frosting, am I right?!
• Fresh grated carrots - there are freshly grated carrots right in the cookie dough and it works great!

INGREDIENTS FOR CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES

• All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour works just fine in this recipe to make cookies with a soft and chewy texture.
• Spices - a fragrant blend of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger is just right here! Carrot cake has a mild spice taste, and this blend suits these cookies perfectly.
• Granulated sugar - granulated sugar helps to give the cookies a golden brown top and caramelized edges.
• Brown sugar - brown sugar adds rich molasses undertones to complement the sweet spices and also helps to create chewy cookies. You can use light or dark brown, but I prefer light brown in this recipe.

• Butter - it's rare that I don't use butter to make cookies. Butter is just the best and is essential for this recipe. You will need soft butter, so take it out of the fridge 2 hours before making this recipe.
• Eggs - one large egg will bind this cookie dough.
• Pure vanilla extract - vanilla will enhance the spices. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
• Grated carrots - you will need ½ cup of shredded carrots which is about 2 oz or 56g from about 1 medium carrot. Make sure you weight the carrots because if you use too much, it will add too much moisture to the dough and the cookies won't bake properly. Also, it is important that you blot the moisture out of the carrots after you weigh them with a paper towel to remove as much moisture as you can. Do this 3 times for best results.
• Cream Cheese - the filling for these cookies is made with just 2 ingredients! All you need is cream cheese and regular sugar.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• STEP 1). Make the cheesecake filling. Combine soft cream cheese with butter and sugar and beat until smooth, creamy and fluffy. Spoon teaspoons of the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper.
• STEP 2). Freeze the filling. Spoon teaspoons of the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper and then place in the freezer for 30 minutes until frozen solid.
• STEP 3). Shred the carrots. Use the fine or medium size on your box grater - do not the largest size. If the carrot shreds are too large then they won't bake into the cookie dough as nicely.
• STEP 4). Cream butter and sugar. Beat together the soft butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth and a bit fluffy. It will look more like wet sand than a pale and aerated mixture. You can use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until slightly fluffy and lightened in colour by a shade, or you can also use an electric hand mixer. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times during mixing.

• STEP 5). Mix in egg. Add the egg mix until well combined. Mix in vanilla.
• STEP 6). Mix in carrots. Add the grated, blotted carrots and mix until well combined.
• STEP 7). Add dry ingredients. Combine flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly. Add the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and fold them in gently. Do not over-mix.
• STEP 8). Stuff the cookie dough. Scoop up portions of cookie dough, press a ball of frozen cream cheese frosting into the middle, wrap the cookie dough around it to enclose it and roll it into a smooth ball with your hands. Place dough balls onto lined baking sheets and bake until evenly golden. Let them cool on the trays for 3 minutes before transferring to a rack to finish cooling.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR CARROT CAKE COOKIES

• Blot the grated carrots with paper towel. Do this at least 3 times with 3 different paper towels. This sill absorb excess moisture from the carrots so that you don't add too much extra water to the cookie dough. Moisture is the nemesis of chewy cookies!
• Measure flour accurately. Too much flour can make these cookies more dry and crumbly instead of soft and chewy. For the best results, weigh your flour.
• Do no over-mix on the last step. Just fold the dry ingredients in until they are combined. Over-mixing the dough will make it a bit gluggy as the moisture from the carrots reacts with the gluten proteins in the flour.
• Freeze the cream cheese filling solid. Make sure that the balls of cream cheese are frozen solid. This will make it easier for you to stuff the cookies, and it will also ensure that it stays creamy and gooey in the middle even after the cookies are fully baked.
• Let the baked cookies cool on the baking sheet. The cream cheese filling makes these cookies delicate while warm, so let them cool on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

RECIPE FAQ

What is the best filling for carrot cake cookies?

I really love the classic combination of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. It's slightly tangy flavor and rich dairy notes pairs well with the warm spices.

How to decorate carrot cake cookies?

I've decorated these cookies very simply by pressing a sugar carrot decoration right into the cookie while it is still warm.

Can you make carrot cake cookies with pecans?

Yes! You can add nuts if you prefer. I would recommend a soft nut such as walnuts or pecans. I chose not to add nuts because I like the smooth appearance of these cookies. Nuts will make them have a lumpy top and they will absorb some of the moisture in the cookie dough.

How do you make carrot cake cookies?

The ingredients for carrot cake cookies are similar to Carrot Cake! Instead of oil, this recipe uses butter to make thick, soft and chewy cookies. The proportions of wet ingredients are less than a cake batter.

What makes carrot cake cookies soft and chewy?

It's the carrots! Carrots contain a lot of water so it keeps these cookies soft and chewy, but make sure you only use ½ cup and blot the moisture away since too much moisture will make the cookies too soft.

What spices are in carrot cake cookies?

My favorite spices for carrot cake are cinnamon (in the highest quantity), allspice, nutmeg and ginger. It's such a wonderful fragrance and will make your house smell amazing! You can use clove if you like, but I find it is too overpowering for carrot cake. Clove belongs in gingerbread.

How do I store carrot cake cookies?

Due to the cream cheese in the filling which has a high moisture content, these cookies should be refrigerated if you intend to keep them longer than 2 days. The good news is that since the cookies stay soft and chewy even when cold.

How long can I keep carrot cake cookies?

You can keep these cookies for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Can you freeze carrot cake cookies?

Yes! You can freeze these cookies, but note that they will be a bit softer once defrosted. To freeze them, first place them on a tray lined with parchment and freeze them individually for 2 hours before transferring to a freezer bag for storage.

If you love cookies, check out these recipes!

Cream Cheese-Stuffed Carrot Cake Cookies

Christina Marsigliese

Soft, moist and chewy carrot cake cookies stuffed with cream cheese frosting! These are absolutely delicious and everything you want from carrot cake in a cookie form!

5 from 9 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Freeze Time 29 minutes mins

Servings 12 cookies

Ingredients

  

Cheesecake Filling

• 150 g cream cheese room temperature
• 2 ½ tablespoon 32g granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Carrot Cookies

• 1 ½ cups 215g all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ cup 113g unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup 110g packed light brown sugar
• ⅓ cup 65g granulated sugar
• ½ cup 56g grated carrots, blotted to remove moisture
• 1 teaspoon 5ml pure vanilla extract
• 1 Large egg at room temperature

Instructions

 

• For the cheesecake filling, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl and beat using a hand mixer on high speed until creamy. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Spoon teapsoons of the mixture as individual dollops onto the waxed paper and then place the tray in the freezer for 30 minutes until solid.
• For the cookie dough, first grated the carrots using the finer size of your box grater. Measure out 2oz (56g) which is about ½ cup lightly packed. Spread the shredded carrots onto a plate in an even layer and then use a paper towel to blot it to soak up the excess moisture. Repeat this 2 more times.
• Combine butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Beat on medium-high speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until well incorporated, then mix in grated carrots.
• Combine flour, spices and baking soda in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly. Add it to the butter mixture and fold it in until just combined.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Use a cookie scoop and scoop up about 2 tablespoon portions of dough. Place the dough ball in your hand and press a frozen cream cheese ball into the center of the cookie dough. Wrap the dough around the cream cheese ball to cover it and roll it between your hands to smooth it out. Place the balls onto the prepared baking sheets spacing them 2-3 inches apart and bake for 12-14 minutes until evenly golden and puffed.
• Let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container in the fridge if keeping for longer than 2 days.

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