Back in December, my sister and I took a cupcake decorating class at Butter Lane Cupcakes in NYC. In a class with about a dozen others, we made Butter Lane’s signature vanilla, chocolate, and cream cheese frostings and were taught the proper techniques to whipping up the perfectly, light and airy frosting they use on all their cupcakes. Their secret? They cream the butter and cream cheese (there’s cream cheese in all their frostings) on medium for 5 minutes. That’s right – 5 minutes on medium. I don’t know about you, but when I make pretty much anything, I’m not standing at my mixer waiting patiently for 5 minutes. I mix until combined and move on. But in order to achieve that super light and creamy frosting, 5 minutes is totally necessary.
So a few days after the class, I opted to make my own cream cheese frosting to top off some chocolate cupcakes. Since the frosting recipe from Butter Lane makes nearly double what I needed to frost my cupcakes, I had to think of another use (we all know that letting perfectly good frosting go to waste is a sin). I thought about it for a while and Googled a few recipes and finally found the perfect way to use up my extra cream cheese frosting: carrot cake cookies filled with cream cheese frosting. Duh, right?
I was a little skeptical when I decided to make these cookies. Carrot cake in cookie form? But I went through with the recipe and I’m glad I did. These were super moist and packed with flavor. I personally think these could stand alone, without the addition of the cream cheese frosting, but the frosting just “put the icing on the cake” – as the expression goes! As a foodie (and proud!) I seldom make the same recipe twice. I like trying new things and baking up new creations, but these cookie will definitely be made again, and again! Trust me on this one, you’re going to want to make these.
Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies
from Picky Cook
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter – room temp
- 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs – room temp
- 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats – not instant
- 1 1/2 cup grated carrots – about 3 large carrots
- 1 cup raisins – optional (i hate raisins so i omitted)
- 1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts
Directions
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, silpats, or simply spray with cooking spray.
In a mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 3 – 4 minutes in a stand mixer). Add eggs and vanilla and beat on medium until well combined.
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger; whisk to combine. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture; mix on low until just combined. Do not overmix!
Mix in oats, carrots, raisins (if using) and walnuts. Chill dough for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Shape tablespoons of dough into balls and place on prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. I flattened mine a bit and sprinkled a bit of sugar on the tops before putting in the oven.
Bake until browned and crisp around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes (mine took 11 minutes so check early) rotating halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
from Butter Lane Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 stick of butter, at room temp
- 16 oz cream cheese, at room temp
- 8 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 splash vanilla extract
Directions
Combine butter and cream cheese in mixing bowl and mix on medium speed for 5 minutes. While mixing at a low speed, add sugar. Once combine, add a splash of vanilla extract and mix on a medium to high speed for 3 minutes, or until smooth and fully combined. Frost and enjoy!
Would this recipe also work with a box of carrot cake mix, do you think? I have one I need to use up.
Hi Stephanie – I wish I had a more direct answer for you, but unfortunately I’ve never made boxed carrot cake so I’m not sure what the consistency of the batter is like. The dough for these cookies is thick and chunky because of the carrot and walnuts. If the box cake mix is thick enough to drop balls of dough onto a cookie sheet, I’d say go for it!
Stephanie, I don’t think the consistency of the mix will be thick enough, but why couldn’t you use muffin tins and make cupcakes out of the carrot cake mix; bake and cut each one in half and put the cream cheese frosting in between the halves? It would be a way of using your mix, and you can even add more carrots and the walnuts to it, and you can make it from scratch after you use your mix.
Samantha, I’ve tried to print this recipe (which contains a picture of the cookie) out; however, have not been able to print it out. Got any suggestions? The recipe sounds delicious!
Ann-I always copy and paste a recipe. My computer won’t let me paste into the word processor so I click on “compose email” and paste the recipe as though I was writing an email. I can add my notes if needed and change the recipe to a larger font (since I have vision loss). Press “Ctrl A” to select all. Then press “Ctrl P” for printer, click on selection and print.
I’m dying over the batter here! Yum yum and have already begun pinning a bunch of your other recipes! But as a novice baker I wondered if you could answer a question for me?
Instead of looking like your cookies mine have spread out and totally flattened! I left them refrigerated all night and then dropped them as big balls on the pan. Any ideas?
Thanks for your help and recipes!
Clara
Hi Clara! Thank you so much for stopping by and pinning my recipes! It’s always such a huge compliment when others are willing to pass my blog along to others. As for your question — I can’t help but think that perhaps your amounts of baking powder and/or soda were slightly off, causing your cookies to rise and then fall. Be sure to stick to 1 teaspoon of each. If you decide to try this recipe again, please let me know if this advise helped any. Thanks again for sharing Quick Feet, Good Eats & Happy Baking!!
Did you microwave your butter? If it gets too melted when adding to your recipe that can cause spreading.
Keri – I always try to leave my butter out for a few hours to let it soften at room temperature. You’re absolutely correct – too melty of butter can cause spreading. If you’ve microwaved your butter to the point of it being too melted, I’d suggestion leaving the batter in the refrigerator for a bit longer than the recipe calls for. Hope this helps!
Check the expiration date on the soda & powder! Even so, I’ve found that about a year[or so] after purchasing, mine are not effective, although it’s nowhere near the expiration date.
Hi there…I was wondering if the nuts were necessary? I’m assuming they’re not, but I just wanted to make sure before I tried them.
Hi Cathy! The nuts are not necessary, but they do add a nice crunch to the cookie. Thanks for stopping by & happy baking!!
These look and sound amazing! I can’t wait to give this recipe a try!
Hi Katie! These were one of my co-workers all-time favorites! I actually made them back to back because they were such a hit
Let me know what you think if you give them a try. Thanks for stopping by & happy baking!
hi ! this sounds so good ! but I have a question . I’m VERY new to baking , this will be the first time I make cookies , what do you mean by rotating ? do I switch their positions in the oven ?
Hi Cristy! I think you’ll quickly learn how wonderful baking is and even more, how wonderful the finished product can be! When a recipe calls for rotating, it simply means rotating the positions of the pans in the oven. Many times, oven racks are positioned in thirds of the oven, causing the pans to receive uneven amount of heat during baking. By rotating them, you’re allowing all the cookies to receive an equal amount of heat. I hope this helps! If you have any more questions, feel free to email me
Happy baking and enjoy the cookies!
@Clara – I had the same problem with my first batch (spreading out). I let the dough sit in the fridge overnight and they came out perfectly on the second day. Delicious cookies in the end!
Thanks for the tip, Cambria! I’m happy you enjoyed these cookies!
Just finished up the batch of cookies and they turned out great! I love that the cookie it self isn’t too sweet making the frosting a beautiful touch. Thank you!
Hi Emily – this cookie alone is perfect for those craving sweet, but not too sweet, isn’t it!? I’m so happy you enjoyed these cookies. Thanks for stopping by, and happy baking!
I found you through a friend on Pinterest..yummy! oh my goodness those look so delicious!
Thank you, Lisa! I’d love to hear back from you if you decide to make these one day! Happy baking
These look wonderful instead of a piece of cake I can have a small cookie . I am a diabetic and I watch my carbohydrates that is the way I regulate my sugar. Could you give me the Nutritional break down . thank you, Shelly
Hi Shelly – Unfortunately, I don’t have the nutritional breakdown of these cookies, I do apologize.
There is MOD Cafe in Galveston, TX that has been making these cookies for years. I fell in love with them while I was living there and studying at MOD Cafe everyday. I am glad to find this recipe since I am now living in Perth, AUS. It is nice finding recipes that remind me of my past.
Hi Stephanie – thank you for sharing! Now you can bake these right in your own home and be reminded of your past every time. Thanks for stopping by, and happy baking!
[...] http://quickfeetgoodeats.com/carrot-cake-sandwich-cookies-with-cream-cheese-frosting-filling-recipe/ [...]
These look soo good! I will def be mking these!!! Is the cream cheese frosting thick? I have been wanting a great CC frosting for my red velvet cake..
Hi Nicole – thanks for stopping by! I’d love to hear how these come out when you make them. This CC frosting recipe is definitely “the one.” It’s thick, sweet, and perfect for piping – especially onto red velvet {cup}cakes!
[...] Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting from Quick Feet, Good Eats [...]
Would love to try a gluten-free version. Will see what I can do to adapt it and will post it in our e-Newsletter.
Hi Besty – Another reader commented requesting a gluten-free version. Unfortunately, I don’t have one, but if you can adapt it to accommodate that request, I’d me more than happy to hear about it! Thank you for stopping by, and happy baking!
This recipe looks amazing! Thanks for sharing it.
Question from an inexperienced baker: How long can cream cheese frosting sit before I have to worry about it going bad? Can these cookies be stored, or must they be eaten at once?
Do you know of a substitute for cream cheese? My daughter has a serious allergy to this. Please help.
Hi Doris – After doing a little bit of searching, I came across a recipe that The Pioneer Woman herself (whom I tend to trust immensely when it comes to all things food) suggests as a cream cheese frosting substitute:
http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/thate28099s-the-best-frosting-ie28099ve-ever-had/
I hope this helps! Thank you for stopping by my blog!
These look terrific. I have two questions as a novice. how big should the cookie balls be? I can’t tell from the recipe or the comments. And could I use fresh ginger instead of powdered? i have lots of fresh ginger always on hand. Thanks.
This sounds great, but I do not like cream cheese. How do you think vanilla frosting would work?
HI there
recipe sounds yummy!. Would you happen to have a gluten free version???? I would definitely love to try this.
Is there a reason you couldn’t just halve the frosting recipe? And if you used only a half recipe for these cookies, wouldn’t that leave me with a bunch left over, too?
How many cookies does this make approx?
I made these cookies and they came out perfectly…very similar to the picture. They are sooooo good and all of the spices make them smell heavenly. I brought them to work for my co-workers and they loved them. This is definitely a keeper and a perfect recipe for the upcoming holidays.
Hi Sammy – These cookies are BEYOND! I made them this weekend for a neighborhood event, and will be making them again soon for the office. So good they should be included in the food pyramid. Love your blog too! French Toast cupcakes are the next thing on the radar.
Do these need to be refrigerated after frosting with the CC frosting? I’m concerned about leaving the cream cheese/butter combo out at room temp for days…
[...] Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies with Cream Cheese Filling! [...]
I would love to make these for thanksgiving! How much in advance can you make them, and do they need to be stored in the refrigerator?
I would love to use this frosting on my cupcakes but I was wondering if it has to be refrigerated and what the shelf life is. There is nothing worse than eating a cold cupcake that has to be in a cooler because of the icing.
Thanks,
Sandra
Howdy would you mind sharing which blog platform you’re working with? I’m going to start my own blog soon but I’m having a hard time deciding between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your layout seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something unique.
P.S My apologies for being off-topic but I had to ask!
I was excited when I found your recipe on Pinterest, as I love carrot cake and never thought it could be made in a cookie form! My sisters and our children have an annual cookie party around the holidays – a tradition we started 12 years ago. We all love carrot cake, so I can only imagine that these cookies will be a big hit. We are getting together tomorrow and I plan to make these ahead of time to allow time for the dough to chill. My two questions are: 1. Can I let the dough chill overnight? 2. Since the cookies have the cream cheese filling in between them, do they need to be stored in an airtight container inside the fridge, rather than on the counter? I can’t wait to make these!
Have made these cookies before and they ARE amazing. With the exception of your frosting, and a few tweaks to non-essential ingredients (ie. spices, vanilla and nuts) This recipe is straight out of “Martha Stewart’s Cookies” cookbook, page 202.
Just wondering..how many cookie sandwiches does this recipe make?
I am far, far, far from being a good cook but ever since I saw the picture of these cookies I’ve been dying to give it my best try. Because of my record of disastrous experiments, I bought double the ingredients so I could learn from the first batch and try again right away…lol I’m proud to say…my first batch turned out perfect. This is an awesome recipe with perfect directions!!! These cookies are absolutely amazing. Thank you soooooo much!!!
I thought this may be a good way to use up the carrot pulp from juicing. Do you know if coconut oil can be substituted for the butter? Thanks for sharing this recipe!
My friend and I just made these…they came out outstanding! Have you tried them with pineapple? We were contemplating on where that would work or not.
I was wondering why you can’t use instant oatmeal. I live in china an it’s the only oatmeal I have access to.
Made these for Christmas and making them for Easter. These are SOO…. good….This recipe is a hit!