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It’s safe to say I crush hard on cookies. I know you do too. Cookies are just… great: they’re unpretentious, cute, sweet, and easily adaptable to whatever you desire. Now, only to find a man who fits that bill… ahem, I digress.
These cookies are money. They’re cake inspired of the carrot variety and they embrace cookie greatness at it’s best.
Eating 2 before an afternoon nap is what weekend life is all about.
Chewy, thick pillows of raisin studded carrot cookies slathered with a honey spiced cream cheese frosting in the middle.
Grab your glass of milk now – you’re going to need it.
Inside – Out Carrot Cake Cookies – adapted, slightly, from Gourmet | April 2004
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coarsely grated carrots (2 medium)
1 scant cup walnuts (3 ounces), chopped
1/2 cup raisins (2 1/2 ounces)
8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup honey
print a shopping list for this recipe
preparation:
Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 Baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
Beat together butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in carrots, nuts, and raisins at low speed, then add flour mixture and beat until just combined.
Drop 1 1/2 tablespoons batter per cookie 2 inches apart on baking sheets and bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are lightly browned and springy to the touch, 12 to 16 minutes total. Cool cookies on sheets on racks 1 minute, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.
While cookies are baking, blend cream cheese and honey in a food processor until smooth.
Sandwich flat sides of cookies together with a generous tablespoon of cream cheese filling in between.
This has my name written all over it. Carrot cake is my favorite cake flavor, hands down. And cream cheese frosting in between the cookies? Amazing.
Carrot cake is where it’s at! And these cookies really captured the taste and texture of the classic cake – perfecto!
Thirds look delicious if I omit raisins and add pineapple should I add a tad more flour?
eating 4 before my 2nd afternoon nap is MY weekend life… :p These look great!
Glad we’re living the dream 🙂
You marketed this well, I think I would need at least two of these
2 before the nap, and another one with your coffee after – trust me,mmk? xx
It’s way safer than having a big ol’ layer cake hanging around, ya know?! Did I mention how excited I am that I received your cookie book from the giveaway?! We’re making more cookies soon! x
Ashely! These look amazing!! I’m guessing you could also sub in whole wheat flour (if you felt that way inclined) and they would still taste great! I also love the cream cheese and honey frosting option. I think, basically, these are pretty much a health food. Kind of no worse than a bagel and cream cheese… right? right?
In other news, I just had the last of my (your) white choc bars this AM and Im already stoked to do the new version tomorrow! xox
Yay Emmy, promise to let me know how they come out, mmk?! And these cookies are actually probably less in calories than a bagel and cream cheese… but you would know that better than I.
You’re killin’ me Ashley!! These look so fluffy and delicious. I’m a cookie fiend…well, really, I’m just a sweets lover in general. I would gladly eat these cookies for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Wish I could just grab that cookie right out of the screen.
We are on the same page when it comes to loving out sweets! P.S. these make an awesome breakfast 🙂
Now these are my kind of cookies – I love carrot cake and I am a cream cheese frosting addict! 😛
Well then these are made for you, lovey 🙂
Well these are totally healthy with carrots in them and all! 🙂 Fyi, I don’t post many recipes on my blog, but right now I have a super yummy recipe for potato soup posted. Come check it out if you’re in the mood for soup! 🙂
Sounds great, Cheryl! I love soup – definitely heading over to check it out 🙂
These are just so perfect….
Carrot cake is my favorite and the cream cheese dressing is divine in itself…
So make this a super perfect indulgence for me.
Perfect-o! You should give them a go and indulge yourself, love!
Good gracious. They looked great without the icing. Then you go and frost them. Wow. Wonderful recipe.
I’m all nutty with my sugar like that 🙂
Brilliant. It’s the only word that fits these. 🙂
Thanks, Kate 🙂
xx
How fun and creative!
They were really fun to make! And eating them…well, obviously delish! xx
A weekend nap?? When does that happen? Oh, it does sound heavenly, especially with one of these lovelies beforehand. Num.
I have a feeling once I meet prince charming and have a few kids, my weekend nap sessions will slowly be replaced with playdates and toddler chasing… am I right? But yes, cookies + naps are essential – schedule your self one in soon! x
I’m actually not much of a cookie fan… weird? Yes. However, I am a fan of napping. I want to nap now, and then again in the afternoon and then probably maybe kinda at night. I’ve tried to crawl under my small cubicle desk before, but my fellow students are here in the room too, so I’m easy to spot. My legs are too long.
Would cookies make my legs shorter?
Hmmm… can’t make any promises there 🙂
OOOhh..it’s like carrot cake whoopie pies. I love how creative you are!
I was thinking they looked like whoopie pies too! They’re just a lot denser of a cookie – not a bad thing, eh?
These sound amazing, Ashley! I actually have lots of carrots that need to be used, I should give these a try!
Yess!! That’s how I found myself making these, too. I always have an abundance of carrots for some reason, but I love carrot cake – and now these cookies – so it’s no biggie 🙂 xx
I smiled at your “these cookies are money” comment, but what hooked me into making them was your “honey spiced cream cheese” description. Mmmm.
Mmmmm is right! And there was definitely some extra cream cheese spread left… it doubles as a bomb pretzel dip 🙂
Love the idea of delivering a carrot cake in cookie form – inventive and fun. Your pictures are wonderful too.
You had me at honey spiced cream cheese! These sound amazing.
Yum!
Wow, I love the sound of these – especially the honey cream cheese spread in the centre… so decadent! 😀
How do these cookies freeze? Wondering if I can make the cookie part ahead of time, freeze them, and then defrost and add the cream cheese sandwich filling right before I serve them?
Hi Marisa. While I’ve never tried freezing and thawing these cookies, I think it should work just fine.
Do you know how many this makes? I need to make for 100 people..
Hi Nicole. It makes about one dozen cookies 🙂
These cookies are Scrumptious!! I have made them two different times; however, I do not use the frosting recipe. I found a Pumpkin Carrot Cake recipe from Gold Medal Flour which is DELICIOUS!! Every time I make this cake, I always have leftover icing/frosting. So, I combine two recipes for these cookies. This recipe is a WINNER & has found a spot in my recipe box. Do you use a cookie scoop? Both times I was only able to get 10 sandwich cookies. Thanks for sharing!
How many does this recipe yield?
These look yummy! i do not like raisins cooked , can they be optional or should I substitute something in their place?
Mine came out super flat, but the flavor was fantastic. Any idea what I may have done wrong? Gonna keep trying.
Have you tried freezing these? I’m having a party and I would like to make the cookie part ahead of time and freeze. Then put the whole thing together on the day of the party.