These cookies are insane in the best way. Technically, we don’t add any “carrot” to them, but that’s because we can get all those lovely flavors without having to go through the trouble of grating carrots into the dough. I must say, these cookies are a labor of love. In order to make carrot cake cookies stuffed with cream cheese, you will need to freeze that cream cheese filling completely solid, and that takes overnight, which is annoying, BUT worth it. So it goes like this:
Day 1. Freeze the filling for at least 12 hours, ideally 24
Day 2. Make the dough and stuff it with frozen filling, freeze for 1 hour, then bake.
Freezing the filling is non-negotiable
If the cream cheese mixture isn’t fully frozen, it will leak out in the oven. Freezing keeps it intact long enough for the cookie structure to set around it.
Are there carrots in these carrot cake cookies?
No! I tested these with grated carrots, but the flavor really came from the spices, and the texture was actually better without them.
The spices do the heavy lifting here. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cardamom are what give you that classic “carrot cake” flavor. Carrots typically add moisture and texture, but in this case, the spice blend is what defines the cookie.
Looking for more Spring recipes? Check out my pistachio ricotta cake or my lemon meringue pie cookies!
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter 225 grams, browned and cooled to room temperature
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar 235 grams, packed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 150 grams
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3¼ cups all-purpose flour 410 grams
- 3 tablespoons malted milk powder 30 grams
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 cup walnuts 34 grams, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Cream Cheese Filling
- ½ cup cream cheese 115 grams, at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk 90 grams
- 1 large egg yolk
Instructions
Make the Filling (must be 24 hours in advance)
- At least 1 day before baking, line a plate with parchment paper. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and egg yolk until fully combined. Scoop 1-tablespoon portions of the filling onto the prepared tray, wrap with plastic wrap, and freeze for 24 hours.
Make the cookie dough
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (if you have multiple sheets, line two, if not be prepared to use this twice).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the BROWNED AND COOLED butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-low speed until aerated and lighter in color, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- With the mixer running on medium-low speed, add the eggs one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, malted milk powder, Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, baking soda, spices and walnuts. Add these dry ingredients to the mixer bowl and mix on the lowest speed so the mixture doesn’t spill everywhere. Continue mixing until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Remove the frozen filling from the freezer.
- Working quickly, scoop a HEAPING ⅓-cup measuring cup full of dough (about 2 ounces) and place a portion of the frozen filling in the center. Encase the filling, letting it peak through the top of the dough. Place each completed scoop on the prepared parchment, Continue with all of the dough. Pop these complete dough balls back into the freezer for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place dough balls on the a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, at least 3 inches apart. I bake 5 cookies at a time, so this recipe takes me 3 batches. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown and crisp on the outside while still gooey in the center. Remove from oven and let cool.
The cream cheese frosting is amazing. I could have eaten all those little frozen discs!