Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies
Soft, chewy cookies that marry the warmth of carrots, oats, and classic carrot-cake spices with a bright hint of orange zest. An optional cream-cheese drizzle turns each bite into a portable slice of carrot cake.
Equipment
- 1 mixing bowl large capacity
- 1 Electric mixer hand or stand mixer
- 2 baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- 1 Cooling rack optional
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup finely shredded carrots about 2 medium carrots
- Zest of 1 orange about 2 teaspoons
- 1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Optional Cream-Cheese Drizzle
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In the mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth.
- Beat in egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- Stir in shredded carrots and orange zest.
- Add oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; mix until a soft dough forms.
- Cover and chill dough for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop about 1½ tablespoons of dough per cookie onto prepared sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until edges are set and tops are lightly golden.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
- For the drizzle, whisk powdered sugar, cream cheese, milk, and vanilla together until smooth. Drizzle over completely cooled cookies.
Notes
- To make these dairy-free, swap in plant-based butter and dairy-free cream cheese.
- Stir in ½ cup chopped walnuts or golden raisins for extra texture.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze baked cookies for up to 1 month.