Frosting on cookies is one of my absolute favorite things, ever. So today I’m sharing this recipe for Frosted Carrot Cookies! There's nothing better than soft carrot cookies with frosting.
I am constantly wanting to bake new cookies with frosting all over them. Check out my Frosted Snickerdoodles and my Old Fashioned Frosted Oatmeal Cookies too! I love a soft and cakey cookie that is covered in icing, frosting, or glaze. There is absolutely nothing more perfect in my mind!
These cakey carrot cookies are easy to make, and I top the with my signature cookie glaze that is just powdered sugar and milk, so this recipe couldn’t be easier! These soft carrot cookie with frosting are ones that everyone in your family will love!
Carrot Cake was the very first cake recipe I developed on my own. It was the only cake recipe I had for years before I even opened my bake shop! So, naturally, I decided I would make a carrot cookie of some kind to resemble my favorite cake. You can find the Carrot Cake recipe that inspired these cookies in my book, The Mountain Baker.
These Frosted Carrot Cookies are soft, chewy, puffy, and taste of sweet cinnamon, carrots, and frosting. I’m sure that you are going to love them as much as I do! Be sure to also check out my Frosted Carrot Loaf Cake.
How to make Frosted Carrot Cookies
Step 1
First, you’ll mix the grated carrots, butter, cane sugar, and cinnamon together until you don’t have any chunks of butter. After that, the eggs will be mixed in as well.
Step 2
Adding the dry ingredients is next, which includes the flour, coconut, baking powder, and sea salt. Mix this together until a stiff dough forms.
Step 3
Using your hands, or a cookie scoop, whichever you prefer. I always use my hands as I am terrible at using cookie scoops, but so long as you get the right number of cookies, you can use whatever you prefer. You’ll ball the cookies and place them onto the prepared baking sheets and flatten them to the right size. You want to flatten these to the size noted because these cookies will shrink a little and puff up, so you don’t want to leave them as balls.
Step 4
Once the cookies are baked and cooled, it’s time to frost them – the best part! To make the frosting, you can mix the powdered sugar and milk together in a mixing bowl with a whisk, with a hand mixer, or in your stand mixer, whichever you prefer!
Then, time to top the cookies with frosting. I use a butter knife for this as I find it easiest. You could use a spatula if you prefer or you could put into a piping bag and pipe the frosting. But, I feel this frosting is a little too runny to pipe and a little too thick to dip the cookies into as well, which is why I think a butter knife works best!
Step 5
Store your cookies properly! For the cookies you don’t eat right away, it’s time to store them properly so the frosting can set. You can do this a couple different ways. First, you can place all the cookies on one baking sheet and put that baking sheet in the freezer overnight. This sets the frosting while keeping the cookies fresh, and the following day you can remove and place into a Tupperware.
Or you can cover the baking sheet very well with plastic wrap and leave out on the counter. If you do this, just be sure to cover it very well so that the plastic wrap is tightly wrapped and there’s no holes. I do the freezer method when I make these, as this way I’m not wasting plastic wrap, and the freezer method seals them from air as well as the freezer acts like giant Tupperware!
Main thing, after they have set for 24 hours, you do need to store them in an airtight container. Soft and chewy cookies always need to be stored in an airtight container to retain their soft and chewy texture! This is why these cookies take an extra step, as the glaze has to set for 24 hours, but they also need to be covered. That’s why the freezer method or using plastic wrap tightly is your best option.
FAQ's
Can I make these Frosted Carrot Cookies gluten free?
Yes, I have a note to sub for gluten free at the bottom of the recipe! If you are gluten free, these cookies are an amazing recipe to bake. Always be sure to flatten gluten free cookies a bit more than the recipe says, as gluten free flour does not rise and expand like traditional flour. Go about ½-inch larger to have the same end result for the cookie size!
Can I add nuts or raisins?
Yes, if you like walnuts or raisins in your carrot cake, you'll probably want to add them to these cookies too! You can add either or both. I would recommend only adding about 1/2 cup of each.
Tips for Making the Best Frosted Carrot Cookies
- Use a fine grater to grate the carrots. This makes the carrots blend into the cookie dough seamlessly and you don’t have big chunks of carrots. But, if you prefer big chunks, then you can use a larger grater.
- Use very soft butter. I like to leave butter out on the counter overnight for best results. But, if you need to microwave, only do 10 second intervals for ½ cup.
- Make these Frosted Carrot Cookies at least one day before you plan to serve them, as the glaze is best when it sets for 24 hours. Because these cookies are soft and chewy, you'll need to glaze them and then cover the cookie sheets with plastic wrap to seal them completely so the glaze can set. If you don't cover them, the cookies will dry out before you get the chance to enjoy them! And if you stack them all after frosting, they will become one giant cookie – so if you're into that, then go right ahead.
Ingredients I used to make this recipe for Frosted Carrot Cookies
Costco Kirkland Organic Cane Sugar
Organic Carrots
Frontier Co-Op Organic Korintje Cinnamon
Cairnspring Mills Organic All Purpose Flour
Food to Live Organic Unsweetened Fine Shredded Coconut
Why Organic
Why use organic ingredients in this recipe? You all know I’m a huge organic advocate, and I bet you may be thinking sometimes, Why would I even bother to use organic ingredients in something that is so sweet and indulgent? But, that is the exact reason why you should use organic ingredients! Sweet things need to have flavor in order to be good, otherwise they are just sweet and they don’t taste like much else. Organic ingredients are more pure than conventional ones, therefore they actually have more flavor than the non organic options. Say it with me, organic means more flavor! And not just more flavor but a more true and pure flavor. And organic ingredients are much healthier for you to eat in general as they do not contain GMOs or anything artificial. Plus, you are being environmentally friendly when you choose organic ingredients!
So, I highly recommend that you buy the best organic ingredients for this recipe! You can also shop my Amazon Storefront for all my favorite organic ingredients here. Tip – hover over each ingredient to see the name. And if you want to learn more about organic foods and the difference, read my post here on Food Labels and What They Mean.
Soft, pillowy, and cakey carrot cookies are topped with a sweet frosting. This cookie is bursting with cinnamon, carrots, and sweet frosting.
Ingredients
- Dough
1/2 cup (113 grams) organic salted butter, softened
170 grams (3/4 cup) organic cane sugar
113 grams (about 1 large) organic carrots, grated
1 teaspoon organic cinnamon
2 organic large eggs
350 grams (2 3/4 cups) organic all purpose flour
85 grams (1 cup) organic fine shred coconut
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Frosting
340 grams (heaping 2 1/3 cups) organic powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup organic milk
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- To make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add butter, sugar, carrots, and cinnamon. Mix on low until all ingredients are combined. Add the eggs, mix on low until combined, scrape the sides of bowl and mix again until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder & sea salt. Then add to butter mixture and mix on low until combined. Add coconut, mix on low until combined.
- Using your hands, form the cookie dough into 24 balls and flatten them into disks that are 2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Space them at least 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets, they will spread a little when baking.
- Bake for 11 minutes or until they look set and puffy. Allow to cool completely on the cookie sheets.
- To make the frosting: In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment add the powdered sugar and milk. Mix on low until the frosting is smooth. Frost cookies using a butter knife or spatula.
- Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
Notes
- Gluten Free – Replace the organic flour with 284 grams (1 3/4 cups plus 1 1/2 tablespoons) organic gluten free flour blend.
- High Altitude – Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes or until they look set and puffy.
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