I gather that the name Carrot Cake Cookies with Maple Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting is a mouthful but I needed you to feel the full weight of this recipe! Carrot Cake Cookies sandwiched together with a Maple Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting - Holy Moly my friends - this is one for the record books.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
As most of you know, I don't do nuts in my cookies. But I have made an exception here because these Carrot Cake Cookies with Maple Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting are next level extraordinary. It's a brainchild of Adam and I've never put cookies in my face faster. It's everything you love about carrot cake plus the most insane Maple Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting. It's flavor. It's happiness. It's the best thing you're going to make this holiday season and you need it in your life. Say hello to these beautiful Carrot Cake Cookies!
Ingredients & Substitutions
For the Carrot Cake Cookies
- Butter
- Flour
- Ground Cinnamon
- Ground Ginger
- Baking soda
- Kosher salt
- Brown and White sugar
- Milk
- Eggs
- Vanilla bean paste
- Shredded carrots
- Chopped pecans
- Chopped candied ginger (optional but encouraged)
For the Maple Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese
- Butter
- Maple syrup
- Bourbon
- Vanilla bean paste
- Powdered sugar
How to Make
Preheat the oven to 325 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Brown the butter in a medium stainless or other light colored skillet over medium heat, It will melt then foam. Continue to stir until you see little brown bits on the bottom of the skillet. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl. Place the bowl in the fridge and let it cool for about 20-30 minutes until it’s like soft butter.
Sift together the flour, cinnamon, ginger baking soda, and salt into a medium mixing bowl.
In a mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the brown butter and sugars on medium high speed for 2-3 minutes.
Reduce the speed to low and mix in the milk, eggs and vanilla bean paste. Add in the carrots, and slowly add the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the pecans and diced candied ginger by hand. Try not to over mix. Scoop the dough with a 2 oz scoop (or ¼ cup) onto the prepared baking sheet
Place about 6 cookies per tray and bake in the oven for 18-22 minutes, they will puff and brown slightly. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for about 8-10 min, then move to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough. Let cookies cool completely before frosting.
Place the cream cheese, butter, maple syrup, bourbon and vanilla bean paste in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle and mix until well combined. Add the powdered sugar and continue to mix, scraping down the sides, as needed. Add more or less powdered sugar to achieve desired consistency. Sandwich two cookies together with frosting for a total of 15 Carrot Cake Cookies sandwiches.
Tips & Tricks
These Carrot Cake Cookies can be made ahead of time and you can either chill the dough for 2-3 nights before baking, or you can bake the cookies and freeze them before assembling. They are soft so they freeze really nicely.
The Cream Cheese frosting can also be prepped ahead of time. And you're welcome to omit the bourbon if you're making these for kids. Either way, make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature before turning it into frosting.
FAQ's
What mix-ins can you add to these carrot cake cookies?
You can add raisins, candied ginger, chopped walnuts, and shredded coconut to these carrot cake cookies. We always opt for chopped pecans as the recipe below states.
How do you make Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream Cheese Frosting ingredients are: Cream cheese, Butter, Maple syrup, Bourbon, Vanilla bean paste and Powdered sugar
Place the cream cheese, butter, maple syrup, bourbon and vanilla bean paste in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle and mix until well combined. Add the powdered sugar and continue to mix, scraping down the sides, as needed. Add more powdered sugar to achieve desired consistency and sweetness.
Similar Recipes
Carrot Cake Cookies with Maple Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 2 cups shredded carrots finely shredded, and all moisture removed with a towel
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- ⅓ cup chopped candied ginger
For the Maple Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1-2 tablespoons bourbon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1.5 cups powdered sugar plus more as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
- Brown the butter in a medium stainless or other light colored skillet over medium heat, It will melt then foam. Continue to stir until you see little brown bits on the bottom of the skillet. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl. Place the bowl in the fridge and let it cool for about 20-30 minutes until it’s like soft butter
- Sift together the flour, cinnamon, ginger baking soda, and salt into a medium mixing bowl. In a mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the brown butter and sugars on medium high speed for 2-3 minutes
- Reduce the speed to low and mix in the milk, eggs and vanilla bean paste. Add in the carrots, and slowly add the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the pecans and diced candied ginger by hand. Try not to over mix. Scoop the dough with a 2 oz scoop (or ¼ cup) onto the prepared baking sheet
- Place about 6 cookies per tray and bake in the oven for 18-22 minutes, they will puff and brown slightly. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for about 8-10 min, then move to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough. Let cookies cool completely before frosting
- Place the cream cheese, butter, maple syrup, bourbon and vanilla bean paste in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle and mix until well combined. Add the powdered sugar and continue to mix, scraping down the sides, as needed. Add more or less powdered sugar to achieve desired consistency. Sandwich two cookies together with frosting for a total of 15 cookie sandwiches
what is a nonalcoholic option for the frosting?
Delicious, soft and chewy cookies. Subbed in shredded coconut due to pecan allergy.
Hi Gaby, 'Loved this recipe!
We are not Bourbon fanciers but thought Rum or Cognac would be good alternatives for us - will try them on Saturday - thanks so much for your writing, thoughts and recipes; you are very special, bring humor and fun along with great thoughts!
Cheers for a special holiday,
Suzy