Carrot cake cookies are everything you love about classic carrot cake, but in soft, bakery-style cookie form with a creamy cheesecake center hidden inside. They're warmly spiced, perfectly sweet, and have that surprise creamy filling that makes every bite extra special.
Ingredients You Will Need
Cream cheese: Use it cold so the filling whips up thick and stable.
Heavy whipping cream: Helps lighten the cheesecake filling and gives it a smooth texture.
Powdered sugar: Sweetens the filling without making it grainy.
Butter: Make sure it's at room temperature for easy creaming.
White and brown sugar: The combination adds sweetness and moisture.
Eggs: Bring them to room temperature so they mix evenly into the dough.
Carrots: Finely grate them and blot well with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
Flour: Use all-purpose flour to make this Carrot cookie recipe.
Spices: Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg give that classic carrot cake flavor.
Baking powder: Helps the cookies rise.
Salt: Enhances all the flavors.
Tips for Perfect Carrot Cake Cookies
Freeze the filling: Make sure the cheesecake portions are fully frozen before assembling so they stay centered while baking.
Blot the carrots well: Too much moisture can affect the cookie texture.
Chill the dough: Cold dough prevents too much spreading and makes it easier to encase the cream cheese filling.
Looking for more cookie recipes? I've got you covered! Try these Lemon curd cookies, these vibrant Matcha cookies or these Cheesecake cookies.
How to Make Carrot Cake Cookies
Prepare the cheesecake filling: Whip the cream cheese, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to stiff peaks, then portion into 12 small mounds and freeze until firm.
Make the cookie dough: Beat the butter, sugars, and vanilla until fluffy, then add the eggs and grated carrots. Mix in the dry ingredients just until combined.
Chill the dough: Form 12 dough balls and freeze until firm but still pliable.
Fill and shape: Flatten each dough ball into a disk, place a frozen cheesecake portion in the center, wrap the dough around it, and roll into a smooth ball.
Bake: Arrange on lined baking sheets and bake one batch at a time until puffed and golden around the edges.
Cool and serve: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
Storing and Freezing Tips
Store the baked carrot cake cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days because of the cheesecake filling. Let them sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving for the best texture.
You can freeze the unfilled cookie dough balls for up to 2 months. Thaw slightly, flatten, fill with frozen cheesecake portions, and bake as directed.
You can also freeze the fully assembled, unbaked stuffed cookie dough balls for up to 1 month. Bake directly from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the baking time if needed.
Freezing the baked cookies is not recommended, as the cheesecake center may change texture after thawing.
Recipe card
Carrot Cake Cookies
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scale
- Hand mixer
- Rubber spatula
- Rolling Pin
- Plastic wrap
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
Cheesecake Filling
- 200 g cream cheese cold
- 15 ml heavy whipping cream cold
- 35 g powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cookie Dough
- 120 g unsalted butter at room temperature
- 70 g white granulated sugar
- 70 g light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 60 g carrots finely grated and well blotted with a paper towel
- 225 g all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Cheesecake Filling
- Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or use a mixing bowl and a hand mixer. Whip to stiff peaks, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl a couple of times in between. Don't overwhip.
- Spoon or pipe the cheesecake filling into 12 small portions, about 2 tablespoons each, onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze the portions until firm, at least 1 hour, or until solid enough to handle.
The Dough
- In a separate bowl, add the butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer for 1-2 minutes, or until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until well incorporated. Add the carrots and mix again.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low just until no dry streaks remain.
- Form 12 cookie dough balls, about 55g each, and place them on a plate. Freeze for 30-60 minutes, until firm but still pliable. Alternatively, cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Preheat the oven to 180C (355F) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Take one cookie dough ball from the freezer at a time and roll it between two pieces of plastic wrap into a disk using a rolling pin. Remove one frozen filling portion from the freezer and place it in the center of the dough disk.
- Enclose the cheesecake filling by wrapping the dough around it, then roll the filled dough between your palms to form a smooth ball. Place it in the fridge while you assemble the remaining cookies.
- Arrange the filled cookie dough balls on the baking sheets, leaving space between each one.
- Bake one batch at a time, keeping the second batch in the fridge while the first bakes, for 15-17 minutes, or until the cookies have spread, puffed up, and turned golden around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
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