Description
These Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting are irresistibly soft, wonderfully chewy, and bursting with the warm, comforting flavors of homemade carrot cake! Made with finely grated fresh carrots, rich brown sugar, fragrant cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, sweet raisins, and crunchy toasted pecans, these delightful spiced cookies deliver all the deliciousness of classic carrot cake in a charming handheld dessert. Each tender cookie is paired with a generous layer of luscious homemade cream cheese frosting, creating an irresistible sandwich with creamy, sweet filling and beautifully spiced cookie layers. Perfect for Easter celebrations, spring baking, holiday cookie trays, birthday parties, afternoon tea, homemade gifts, or sharing with family and friends, these carrot cake sandwich cookies are a delightful bakery-style treat that combines cozy spices, delicate sweetness, and rich cream cheese frosting in every bite!
Ingrédients
Scale
- For the Spiced Carrot Cake Cookies:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 g) packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups (160 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (50 g) carrots, finely grated and packed
- 1/2 cup (75 g) dark raisins
- 1/2 cup (60 g) pecans, lightly toasted and finely chopped
- For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 cup (4 oz / 113 g) full-fat cream cheese, softened
- 2 1/4 cups (270 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1–2 tsp milk, only if needed to adjust the piping consistency
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set the prepared sheets aside while making the soft, warmly spiced carrot cake cookie dough.
- Combine the Dry Ingredients and Spices: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 1 1/3 cups (160 g) of all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg. Whisk thoroughly until the leavening and fragrant spices are evenly distributed throughout the flour. Set aside.
- Cream the Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 1/2 cup (113 g) of softened unsalted butter, 1/2 cup (100 g) of packed brown sugar, and 1/2 cup (100 g) of granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed for 2–3 minutes until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, smooth, and creamy. Properly creaming the butter and sugars helps create wonderfully tender, chewy carrot cake cookies.
- Incorporate the Egg and Vanilla Extract: Add 1 large room-temperature egg and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Beat on medium speed until the egg is fully incorporated and the mixture becomes smooth and homogeneous. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary to ensure all ingredients are evenly combined.
- Form the Soft Carrot Cake Cookie Dough: Gradually add the prepared flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg mixture to the wet butter base. Mix gently on low speed just until the flour disappears and a soft, cohesive cookie dough forms. Avoid overmixing, as excessive mixing can make the cookies tougher rather than maintaining their delicate, tender texture.
- Fold in the Carrots, Raisins, and Toasted Pecans: Add 1/2 cup (50 g) of finely grated and packed fresh carrots, 1/2 cup (75 g) of dark raisins, and 1/2 cup (60 g) of lightly toasted, finely chopped pecans to the cookie dough. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the ingredients into the dough until evenly distributed. Make sure the shredded carrots, sweet raisins, and crunchy pecans are spread throughout so every cookie contains the delicious flavors and textures of classic carrot cake.
- Portion, Bake, and Cool the Cookies: Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, drop rounded 1-tablespoon portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving approximately 2 inches of space between each cookie. Bake in the preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 12–15 minutes, or until the edges become lightly golden and the centers appear set while remaining soft. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the cookies to rest on the warm pans for 10 minutes. Carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack and allow them to cool completely to room temperature before adding the cream cheese frosting.
- Whip the Cream Cheese Frosting: In a clean mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup (113 g) of softened full-fat cream cheese and 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer until completely smooth and creamy. Gradually add 2 1/4 cups (270 g) of sifted powdered sugar, beating until the frosting becomes thick, luscious, and evenly blended. If the mixture is too stiff to pipe or spread smoothly, add milk a few drops at a time, using no more than 1–2 teaspoons as needed, until the frosting reaches a thick but workable consistency. Avoid adding too much milk, as the filling should remain firm enough to hold the sandwich cookies together.
- Assemble the Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies and Chill: Once the cookies are completely cool, match them into pairs of similar size and shape. Turn one cookie from each pair upside down so its flat bottom faces upward. Using a piping bag or small spatula, pipe or spread a generous layer of the prepared cream cheese frosting onto the flat side of each cookie. Place the matching cookie on top, flat side facing the frosting, and press gently until the filling reaches toward the edges without spilling excessively. Arrange the assembled carrot cake sandwich cookies on a tray and refrigerate for 15 minutes to allow the frosting to firm up and the sandwiches to set. Serve and enjoy their soft, warmly spiced carrot cake layers, sweet raisins, toasted pecan crunch, and irresistibly creamy vanilla cream cheese filling!
Notes
- Finely Grate the Fresh Carrots: Use the smallest holes of a box grater or a Microplane to grate the carrots into very fine shreds. Finely grated carrots distribute moisture evenly throughout the cookie dough and create a delicate, tender texture. Coarsely shredded carrots can release larger pockets of moisture, making the cookies soggy rather than wonderfully soft and chewy.
- Toast the Pecans Before Adding Them: For the richest nutty flavor and best crunch, toast the chopped pecans in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Allow them to cool before folding them into the cookie dough. Toasting enhances their natural aroma and helps preserve their crunch inside the moist carrot cake cookies.
- Cool the Cookies Completely Before Frosting: Make sure the baked carrot cake cookies are completely cooled to room temperature before assembling the sandwiches. Warm cookies can soften or melt the cream cheese frosting, causing the filling to become runny and slide out from between the cookies.
- Use Full-Fat Cream Cheese for the Filling: Choose softened, full-fat cream cheese for a rich, smooth, stable frosting. Add the sifted powdered sugar gradually and use milk only if necessary to adjust the consistency, keeping the filling thick enough to hold its shape between the cookies.
- Match Cookies by Size Before Assembly: Pair cooled cookies of similar diameter before adding the frosting. This creates neat, evenly shaped sandwich cookies and helps distribute the cream cheese filling without excessive overflow.
- Refrigerate the Assembled Sandwiches: Chill the filled cookies for at least 15 minutes before serving to help the frosting set. Because the filling contains cream cheese, store leftover sandwich cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator to maintain their freshness and creamy texture.
- Temps de préparation: 25 minutes
- Temps de cuisson: 15 minutes
- Catégorie: Dessert
- Méthode: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Portion: 1 sandwich cookie
- Calories: 255
- Sucre: 27g
- Sodium: 115mg
- Graisse: 12g
- Graisse saturée: 6g
- Graisses insaturées: 5g
- Gras trans: 0g
- Glucides: 35g
- Fibres: 1g
- Protéine: 3g
- Cholestérol: 40mg