Carrot Cake Cookies

All the amazing flavors of carrot cake but in a portable cookie form!

Well, it’s Day 1 of the Countdown to Christmas and let’s kick it off in a semi-healthy way.  Carrots are good for you, so are oats and raisins so it can’t be that bad for you… right???  😉  Now for some of you, I’ve made this recipe so you can omit certain items or add them in – for me, I didn’t put nuts in mine but I did ice them.  However, if you’re my sister, right now you’re making the “HOW DARE YOU PUT CUCKA CREAM CHEESE IN ANYTHING” face, you don’t have to ice them. 

Trust me, they taste amazing without it.  But yes, you do need to add the cream cheese to the dough.  It adds a certain creaminess and background flavor that just marries so well with the cookie.  You won’t taste it but you will definitely notice that certain ‘something’ missing if you leave it out.

So for those that scoff at the notion of icing these cookies, they still look beautiful .. and taste incredible 🙂

But who am I to pass judgment… *blush* Hello lunch… come to Mama! 🙂

Carrot Cake Cookies

• Author: The Kitchen Whisperer

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Ingredients

Cookies

• 1/4 cup softened cream cheese
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil or 1/3 cup natural applesauce
• 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large egg, room temp
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup old fashioned oats (not instant!)
• 1 cup shredded or grated carrots
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans (Optional)
• 1/2 cup shredded pineapple, WELL DRAINED (optional) – if using, add 2 tablespoon more flour

Frosting

• 4oz softened cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoon butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon milk

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, whip the 1/4 cup cream cheese until fluffy. Add in the oil, sugars, vanilla and molasses; mix well. Add in the egg and beat for 30 seconds or until well combined. If you’re adding pineapple, add it now.
2. Add the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix until flour is absorbed. Add in oats, carrots, raisins and nuts/pineapple (optional). Mixture will be thick. Using a medium size cookie scoop, place the dough 2” apart on an ungreased, parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until when pressed they feel ‘dense’. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes and using a metal spatula, move to cooking rack to cool. Cool cookies before icing.
3. To make the iciing, using a hand mixer, beat  the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add in the milk and vanilla. Blend well. Add in the sifted powdered sugar and slowly whip to create a smooth creamy frosting.

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