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. If you like this idea, then also try my Chewy Brown Butter Carrot Cake Cookies!
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- 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 filling - carrot cake cookies wouldn't be complete without cream cheese frosting, so each one is literally stuffed with it! They're kind of like carrot cake cheesecake cookies with this creamy and smooth cheesecake filling that is the best surprise!
- Fresh grated carrots - there are freshly grated carrots right in the cookie dough and it works great!
INGREDIENTS FOR CARROT CAKE COOKIES
- All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour works just fine in this recipe to make cookies with a soft and chewy texture. For best results, use a kitchen scale to weigh your flour.
- 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 CHEESECAKE COOKIES
- Blot the grated carrots with paper towel. Do this at least 3 times with 3 dry paper towels. This will 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 cheesecake 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
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.
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.
I've decorated these cookies very simply by pressing a sugar carrot decoration right into the cookie while it is still warm.
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.
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.
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.
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.
You can keep these cookies for up to 5 days in the fridge.
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!
Soft & Tender Lemon Crinkle Cookies THE BEST EVER Chocolate Chip Cookies – Bakery Style! Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies The BEST Chewy Pumpkin Cookies Chewy Brown Butter Snickerdoodles Cookies Brown Butter M&M Cookies Recipe Lemon Blueberry Cookies with White Chocolate Chunks Coffee Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies Double Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies Hazelnut Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies THE BEST Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies – Bakery Style!Video
Cream Cheese-Stuffed Carrot Cake Cookies
Ingredients
Cheesecake Filling
- 5 oz (142g) brick cream cheese, at 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
- First prepare the carrots. Grate 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 place a paper towel on top and apply gentle pressure until the towel as absorbed the moisture. Repeat this 2 more times with clean paper towels. This process of absorbing excess moisture from the carrots will ensure that you don't add too much extra water to the cookie dough.
- Make the cheesecake filling. Combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl and beat using a hand mixer on high speed until smooth, creamy and a bit fluffy. Line a baking sheet or a plate with waxed paper. Spoon about 2 level teaspoons of the filling as individual dollops onto the waxed paper and then place the tray in the freezer for 30 minutes until solid.
- Make the cookie dough. Combine softened 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 blotted 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 evenly combined.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Use a 1.35-oz cookie scoop to portion cookie 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.
Just made these, they are awesome. Thank you!
Thank you Julyflower! 🙂
This recipe was a hit! Directions were easy to follow and everyone who tried them loved them. They taste just like carrot cake, cheesecake, and a cookie all in one delicious package!
Thank you Alyssa! Glad everyone enjoyed the cookies 🙂
These cookies are the most amazing cookies I’ve made in a long time (maybe ever)! They were a tremendous hit with the family, and I was immediately asked to make more. A few people even said these were the best cookies they’ve ever had. The recipe is super clear, easy to follow, and turns out deliciously perfect every time! Thank you so much for another wonderful recipe!
You are welcome Naomi! Thanks for the feedback. I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
are these better served warm (fresh out of the oven after cooling) or cold (refrigerate after cooling) like a real carrot cake?
Hi Monica! I think they are best after cooling, but you can also eat them cold as they will still remain soft out of the fridge.
Can I make this and omit the carrots? If not, what is a good substitute? Possibly coconut?
Hi Kristina! I would recommend a different cookie dough if you want to stuff them. There are many other cookie recipes on my site that do not contain any carrot.
I came across this cookie recipe on Instagram and instantly knew it was the one I had to make for my Easter family get together and I’m so glad I did. They turned out absolutely amazing. The recipe was super easy to follow, which made the whole process stress free, and the end result was even better than expected. The cookies are delicious, perfectly balanced in flavour, and were a huge hit with everyone. I’ll definitely be making these again highly recommend giving them a go.
Thank you for the feedback Michaela! I'm so glad everyone enjoyed the cookies! 🙂
Hi! If I wanted to do this but freeze the dough, would it be okay to freeze them with the cream cheese inside? Or should I freeze the dough, then defrost when ready to bake, and fill them w the cream cheese then? Thank you!
Hi Bridget! The creaminess of the filling may be compromised after freezing, but if you don't mind it, then you can freeze them for up to a couple weeks.
Love love love! I saw the video of these and had to try them. I doubled the recipe, and they turned out perfect. Just in time for Easter 🐣
Thank you Terese! Glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
These are some of the best cookies I’ve ever made. The recipe was easy to follow with great instructions.
Thanks for the feedback Debby! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂
Would this cookies be shelf stable or would they need to be refrigerated to store
Hi Roxana! 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.
I am about to try this recipe, I was wondering if coconut flakes can be added to this recipe maybe even chopped dehydrated pineapple?
Hi Joann! I think you should be able to add those inclusions as long as the total combined is not more than 1/3rd of a cup.
For the cookie part, wouldn't 1.5 cups of all purpose flour be around 187g and not 215?
Hi Marie! If you are using sifted flour the cup weight will be around 120g, whereas unsifted flour will be around 142g. I test everything by weight so for best results, weigh your ingredients according to the measurements in the recipe card using a kitchen scale.
I am looking forward to making these. Can they be frozen unbaked?
Hi Liz! The creaminess of the filling will be compromised slightly after freezing, but if you don't mind it, then you can freeze them for up to 1 month.
Loved it!
Did you end up trying this ? I wanna make for a market so I’m hoping to be able to freeze unbaked and bake the day before the market
These cookies came out absolutely amazing! I weighed my dough to 51g and the cream cheese filling to 15g. I froze the cream cheese dollops, chilled the dough for 1–2 hours, then assembled and baked for 13–14 minutes at 350°F. They baked up perfectly, and I let them cool on the pan for 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack. Next time I might add a little extra carrot and a touch more sugar to the cream cheese filling, just to suit my family’s preferences, but I personally loved the tangy cream cheese as is 🙂
Thanks for the feedback Gabby! I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Would I be able to use Philadelphia Cheesecake filling for these as long as I still make an freeze the balls for filling?
Hi Rachel, I haven't tested that so not sure how well that would work. It might leak out during baking as it is not as thick (higher moisture content).
We loved the cookies a lot! The only thing I’ll do differently for my next bake is to bake them a little longer than the recipe said. Just 3-5 minutes longer so that the edges of the cookies are crispy. Mine were a bit softer than I would like. But that also depends on your oven etc.
Thanks Michele! Yes, baking time can vary greatly depending on the oven. Also, the preheating complete notification can also be very inaccurate.
I added pineapple and walnuts to get a real carrot cake feel (making sure I added a little more flour). My only wish was it was a little more strong of a taste.
Just making these, they smell amazing but I think my batter was too wet and they have puddled up a bit too much. I did blot the carrots 4 times but maybe I should grate them ahead and let them dry more.
I had the same issue with the batter! Had to add more flour
I also ended up adding 50g of extra flour. They were too sticky otherwise.
I made these for the first time for a friend’s MDW cookout and everyone said how delicious they were!
The recipe was easy to follow and didn’t have any hard to find ingredients.
I will definitely make these again!
Delicious cookies that turn out exactly as told in the recipe. I freezed the cream cheese one hour, just to be sure I could handle them easy. I highly recommend making these!
I've never had carrot cake cookies, but I came across this recipe and trusted it. Let's just say they delivered! I had my entire workforce begging for more. Thank you so much.
Wonderful! Thank you Stephanie.
I made these cookies with two changes. I baked the cookies without the cream cheese balls in the middle. Then I created a cream cheese/white chocolate/maple syrup frosting, which was so silky and fluffy. I piped the frosting on top of the cookies. It came out sooo delicious. My niece loved it, Masha’Allah 🌻
Thank you Hafiza! Glad your niece loved them. Your frosting sounds delicious!
I just baked these cookies for my husband’s birthday and he loved them. Easy to make and delicious!! 100% recommended 🧡
Thanks for the feedback Emily! I hope your husband had a great birthday.