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carrot cake cookies frosted with cream cheese frosting and salted caramel sauce

Carrot Cake Cookies

These carrot cake cookies are a cross between cookies and carrot cake. They’re kinda chewy, but kind of cake-y, sort of like a perfect muffin top texture. They’re packed full of shredded carrots, cinnamon and pecans and frosted with cream cheese frosting and salted caramel sauce. 
4.79 from 19 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Course Cookies
Cuisine American
Servings 12 cookies
Calories 527 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Salted Caramel Sauce

  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (60mL) water
  • 6 Tbsp (84g) salted butter room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (120mL) heavy whipping cream room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Carrot Cake Cookies

  • 1 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 3/4 cup (82g) pecan halves ground
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup (113g) salted butter melted
  • 1 1/8 cup (225g) light brown sugar lightly packed
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups (180g/2 medium) carrots shredded

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter room temperature
  • 4 oz (1/2 brick) cream cheese room temperature
  • 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar spooned and leveled
  • tiny pinch fine sea salt
  • 1-2 Tbsp (15-30mL) heavy whipping cream room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Instructions
 

Salted Caramel Sauce

  • Place the sugar and water in a medium size heavy bottom sauce pan. Swirl the pan until the sugar is immersed in water. Place the saucepan over medium heat and allow the sugar to fully dissolve in the water, gently swirling the pan every minute or so.
    1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, 1/4 cup (60mL) water
  • Bring the sugar and water to a simmer and lower the heat to low. Place the lid on the pan and allow the mixture to simmer until the color begins to darken to a light amber color, this should take about 10 minutes. Make sure to remove the lid and check the color at least every minute.
  • You can gently swirl the pan every couple of minutes but DO NOT STIR IT WITH ANYTHING. If there are crystalized pieces of sugar on the sides of the pan, the steam running down from the lid should dissolve them but if it doesn’t, you can use a pastry brush wet with water to brush them away.
  • Once the sugar is an amber color, remove it from the heat and stir in the butter. Pour in the heavy whipping cream while stirring constantly until it comes together.
    6 Tbsp (84g) salted butter, 1/2 cup (120mL) heavy whipping cream
  • Pour the caramel sauce in a heat proof jar and stir in the salt and vanilla extract.
    1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Carrot Cake Cookies

  • Preheat the oven to 350F/177C convection (325F/163C conventional) and line a large cookie sheet.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until they're well combined. Set aside.
    1 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp cinnamon, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • Place the pecans in a food processor with about 1/3 of the flour mixture and grind until the nuts are finely ground (the flour will help it grind more fine and not clump together).
    3/4 cup (82g) pecan halves
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter with the sugar, until they're well combined.
    1/2 cup (113g) salted butter, 1 1/8 cup (225g) light brown sugar
  • Add the egg and vanilla extract and whisk the batter for 1-2 minutes, until it's all smooth and has lightened in color a little.
    1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla
  • Add the dry ingredients, the nut mixture and the shredded carrots and fold the mixture until it's all well combined.
    1 1/2 cups (180g/2 medium) carrots
  • Use a 2 oz cookie scooper to scoop 2.4 ounces of cookie dough onto a cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes.
  • Remove the cookies from the oven and bang the pan on the counter. Use a round biscuit cutter or a spatula to round the edges of the cookies and then return the cookies to the oven for another 6-8 minutes, until the edges are a little browned and they no longer look wet.
  • Bang and scoot again and let the cookies rest for at least 5-10 minutes before removing from the pan. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Place the room temperature butter and cream cheese in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, fit with the whisk attachment. Beat at medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes, until they're well combined.
    1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter, 4 oz (1/2 brick) cream cheese
  • Add the powdered sugar and salt and beat on low speed until the sugar is combined. Then increase the speed to medium-high for another 1-2 minutes.
    2 cups (240g) powdered sugar, tiny pinch fine sea salt
  • Add the vanilla extract and the heavy whipping cream and beat at medium high speed for another minute or so.
    1-2 Tbsp (15-30mL) heavy whipping cream, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • Frost the cookies with the cream cheese frosting and then top with a drizzle of the salted caramel sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 527kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 4gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 427mgPotassium: 158mgFiber: 2gSugar: 50gVitamin A: 3519IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 1mg
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