The Bite-sized, Cookie Version Of Carrot Cake

Carrot cake cookies are chewy, oatmeal-based cookies topped with a swirl of cream cheese frosting. They taste like a slice of carrot cake, but are so much easier to make!

Recipe: https://sugarspunrun.com/carrot-cake-cookies/

Ingredients
Cookies
1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened
1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar packed
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs room temperature preferred
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 ¾ cup (215 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups (295 g) old-fashioned oats
1 cup (120 g) grated/shredded carrots
¾ cup (120 g) chopped walnuts or pecans
½-1 cup (80-160 g) raisins optional depending on preference
Frosting
¾ cup (170 g) salted butter softened
2 oz (340 g) cream cheese softened
4 ½ cups (565 g) powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tablespoons corn starch (this helps the frosting to maintain its shape - it's less likely to make a mess in your hands this way!)

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Instructions
00:00 Introduction
00:20 Preheat oven to 350F (175C).
01:33 In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugars and use an electric mixer (or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) and beat until creamy, light, and fluffy (about 1-2 minutes).
02:40 Add eggs and vanilla extract and stir well. Pause occasionally to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
03:33 In a separate, medium-sized mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.
04:09 Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet, pausing periodically to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
04:23 Stir in oats until completely combined.
04:57 Add carrots and walnuts/pecans (and raisins, if using).
05:47 Drop cookies by 2-Tablespoon-sized scoops (43g) onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, spacing cookies at least 2" (5cm) apart. For more uniform cookies, roll the dough into a smooth ball between your palms (dough is sticky!). Bake 11-12 minutes on 350F (177C). Cookies may appear slightly underbaked at their centers still.
06:58 Allow cookies to cool completely on baking tray before decorating with icing.
For Frosting
07:14 Combine butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl (or bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment) and beat until smooth and creamy,.
08:00 Gradually add powdered sugar, about half a cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
08:30 Add corn starch and stir.
08:47 Stir in vanilla extract.
09:03 Spread frosting onto cookies or transfer frosting into a piping bag fitted with a Ateco 846 tip and pipe on top of cooled cookies.

Notes
Carrots
I recommend peeling carrots before grating, it will make the carrots look nicer. To grate your carrots you may just use a box grater. My preferred method is to use the "shred" blade on my food processor to shred the carrots, then use the standard blade and pulse several seconds until the carrots are a fine consistency (don't go too far or you'll have carrot puree!).
Storing
Store frosted cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours or in the refrigerator (tightly sealed) for up to 5 days. I personally do enjoy the taste of these cold, but if you prefer them at room temperature just let them sit out of the fridge for about 15-20 minutes before enjoying.

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