Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies
Soft, spiced carrot cake cookies filled with a light, tangy cream cheese frosting. All the flavor of your favorite carrot cake in every bite.
Equipment
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Cookie Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper optional but recommended
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups finely grated carrots (about 2-3 large carrots), lightly packed
- ½ cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients
- 8 oz full-fat block cream cheese, softened
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat convection oven to 350°F (177°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, kosher salt, and freshly cracked pepper. Set aside.
- Place carrots between two paper towels and gently press to remove a little moisture. Do not fully dry them out, as a small amount of moisture is what keeps the cookies tender.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Mix in the grated carrots just until combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed until no dry streaks remain. Fold in the nuts if using.
- Scoop the dough into rounded tablespoon portions and space them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Gently flatten each mound slightly with your fingers. Bake for 12–14 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the filling, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, and beat just until creamy and spreadable. Avoid overmixing to keep the filling light and not overly sweet.
- Once the cookies are completely cool, pair up cookies of equal size and shape. Then spread or pipe a generous layer of filling onto the flat side of half the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies, pressing gently to create sandwiches.
Notes
For the best texture and structure, use full-sized carrots, not baby carrots. Baby carrots will add too much moisture to the recipe and the carrot flavor will be weaker. You’ll need about 2 to 3 medium whole carrots to get 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrot.
The color of the creamed butter and sugar will appear slightly darker than typical butter/sugar creaming because of the brown sugar. (See process image for reference.) When pressed between 2 fingers, there should be little to no grainy feeling when the mixture is properly creamed.
If you prefer a slightly thicker cookie that’s extra sturdy for sandwiching, scoop and chill the dough for 20–30 minutes before baking. This reduces spread and helps the cookies hold their shape while still baking up soft in the center. If you prefer a wider, flatter cookie, press thinner with fingers before baking. I like to use my finger to round out the edges as well, since the cookies are hard to reshape after baking.
To evenly portion the filling, add filling to ALL 12 cookies before topping with another cookie. That way you can add or remove some from early cookies if needed at the end. When sandwiching, press both the top and bottom cookies with 3 flat fingers and twist a bit while you press them together. This forms a nice seal and evens out any inconsistencies with the filling.
Kosher salt is important here because its larger crystals dissolve evenly, preventing over-salting while keeping the cookies well-seasoned. If using table salt, reduce to a heaping ¼ teaspoon, since it’s more dense.
Freshly cracked black pepper may seem unusual, but it enhances the warm spices without adding heat, giving the cookies a more layered carrot cake flavor.
Avoid overbaking. The cookies should look just set around the edges and slightly soft in the center, since they will firm up as they cool and hold up well once filled.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookieCalories: 350kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 5gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 270mgPotassium: 150mgFiber: 1gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 3273IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 1mg
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