Soft Carrot Cake Cookie Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting

I’ve got a ton of great recipes that are not necessarily healthy. I mean, dessert isn’t typically low calorie, high nutrient or anything good like that. So, I started thinking about one of my favorite recipes of all times: my Awesome Carrot Cake recipe. And, I thought it would be fun to try to change it up to something more healthy. Or, at least a little less unhealthy.

To make Carrot Cake Cookies, I started with my famous cake recipe but changed it up a bit. From that somewhat-unhealthy dessert, I created this much healthier, lower-calorie cookie recipe which is pretty darned awesome.

But, don’t take my word for it! I asked my son to sample them as I anxiously awaited his critique. Instead of saying it was “okay” or  “kind of bland” or, his infamous funny answer, “tastes like chicken” (no matter what he’s eating), to my surprise he said one word. “DELICIOUS!!”  I was so shocked I asked, “ARE YOU SURE???!”  Ha!

I’ve seen several recipes for Carrot Cake Cookies that call for oatmeal. Of course, this recipe is NOT an oatmeal carrotcake cookie. Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure they’re good – I love a good oatmeal cookie. But, this cookie tastes more like real carrot cake in a soft cookie form.

Substitutions

To make this a healthy recipe compared to my Awesome Carrot Cake, I replaced a few things.

For example, instead of white flour, I used whole wheat flour. You can substitute all or part of what the recipe calls for.

Next, instead of white sugar, I substituted unsweetened applesauce and agave nectar.

Finally, I used slightly less eggs and less oil than the traditional recipe.

Normally, I love crushed pineapple in carrot cake, but didn’t have any so I skipped it. It might be good in the cookies though, so I’ll have to try that some day.

Fewer Calories in this Carrot Cake Cookie Recipe

The calories in this Carrot Cake Cookies Recipe are almost half that of the regular carrot cake recipe. In other words, cake has 156 calories vs. cookies have 85 calories. Yay!

Cream Cheese Frosting

The frosting is so good that I practically drool just thinking about it. You can add it to the top of your cookies after they’ve cooled (or just before serving). Or, try adding them to the bottom and put two cookies together to make a cookie sandwich.

And, if you’re making them as sandwiches, you can make them half the size so they’re bite-size and not too big! Of course, you can even mix in some fun colors to make them match a party theme. How fun is that?!

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Soft Carrot Cake Cookie Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting

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• Author: gimmie
• Total Time: 2 hours
• Yield: 42 cookies 1x

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Description

Carrot Cake is a favorite because of its delicious spices and oh-so moist yumminess. Now, imagine that in a portable cookie! Complete with melt-in-your-mouth cream cheese frosting, this is one the whole family will love!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 C butter, softened
• ³/₄ C sugar (healthy option: substitute 1/3 C agave and 1/2 C sugar, or try Stevia instead!)
• ³/₄ C firmly packed brown sugar
• Two large eggs (healthy option: replace one egg with 1/4 C unsweetened applesauce)
• 2 t. vanilla
• 2 1/2  cups all-purpose flour (healthy option: substitute all or some with Wheat flour)
• 1 t. baking soda
• 2 t. ground cinnamon
• ¹/₂ t. salt
• 2 C carrots, grated (about 4 medium carrots)
• 1 C finely chopped pecans (optional)

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine butter, sugar and brown sugar in bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. You’ll need to scrape the sides of the bowl to mix all ingredients.
3. Add eggs and vanilla; beat again until well mixed.
4. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add creamed ingredients from Steps 2 and 3. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.
5. Stir in carrots and pecans.
6. Grease cookie sheets. Form a rounded tablespoon of dough for each cookie, spaced evenly 2″ – 3″ apart on the sheet.
7. Bake 11-13 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Cool completely and frost.

Notes

Frosting Recipe: 

INGREDIENTS

• 4 C powdered sugar
• ½ C butter, softened
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• ½ t vanilla
• Green and Orange food coloring (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine powdered sugar, butter, cream cheese and vanilla in bowl; beat at medium speed until smooth and creamy. If using food coloring, then reserve 1/2 C frosting and see step 3.
2. Frost each cooled cookie with approx. 2 t. frosting.
3. If using food coloring: divide the reserved frosting in half. Tint one half green and one half orange. Next, spoon each tinted frosting into its own resealable plastic food bags. Snip off a corner of each bag and decorate the tops of cookies. For example, you can make a carrot design on top of each cookie.

• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: Dessert

Keywords: vegetable, carrot, cookies, cake

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