Buttery, light and sweet cookies laced with carrots, orange zest and plenty of spices. This is a very unique cookie, barely crisp on the bottom with a slightly chewy cake-crumb center.
The orange flavor comes through right along with all of the spices. The carrots are not overwhelmed with the different flavors, they are very well-matched.
These cookies taste even better the second day. With a glass of milk or a cup of coffee, they are perfect for an afternoon snack or even for breakfast.
When I saw the Carrot Pie recipe for this month’s Vintage Recipe Swap, I could hardly wait to play with ideas for a carrot dessert. I knew I’d be making something different, because pies just aren’t my favorite thing.
I had an idea for a carrot cake cookie, but it proved much harder to actually accomplish. I’m not a fan of cakey cookies most of the time; crisp and chewy is more my style.
My first two attempts at carrot cake cookies resulted in heavy, chewy, dense and very carrot-y cookies. However, the third time was the charm and these cookies were hailed as a success by all of my boys.
Check out all of the Gluten Free Dessert Recipes on this website!
Ginger Spice Carrot Cake Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup grated carrots packed
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon orange zest about 1 orange
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour*
- ½ cup old fashioned oats
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon cardamom
*Gluten-Free Alternative
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
- 2 tablespoons potato starch
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrots and simmer over medium low heat for 2-3 minutes, until the carrots soften. Remove from the heat and add the brown sugar. Stir well to combine thoroughly. Add the egg, orange zest and the vanilla and stir to combine.
- Whisk the remaining dry ingredients together and then add to the mixture in the pan. Stir to combine and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat or parchment and then use a medium scoop to place large (2) tablespoon scoops on the tray. The cookies will spread considerably, 6 cookies should fit on a large baking sheet.
- Bake for 12 minutes, until the edges are just barely browned. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 8-10 minutes, before removing them to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Sue/the view from great island says
I'm the same way about cakey cookies, so yay for you figuring out a way to avoid that with a carrot cookie. Can you do the same for pumpkin? I'm dying for a good pumpkin cookie!
Michele says
I have heard of pumpkin carrot cookies… Seek n you shall find..😋
The Café Sucré Farine says
I think the carrots would be excuse enough to eat a pile of these! They sound wonderful, what a great idea.
Shari says
Yummo – these look delicious. Great recipe swap. Shari from http://www.goodfoodweek.blogspot.com
Shumaila says
They look really delicious! Great recipe swap!
Words Of Deliciousness says
I love these cookie. Who would have ever thought that carrots in a cookie would look so heavenly.
Camilla ~ Caffay Way says
3rd time is a charm! As recipe creators that's what it takes sometimes. Looks like it was well worth the effort, your cookies are very cute and sound/look divine.
Rachel says
Such dedication – tweaking your cookie recipe until it was perfect. One of these days I'll have to get enough of a head start on my post to do that…Carrot cake cookies are an automatic win in my book and your description makes these sound over-the-top good. I cannot wait to start baking all the great Fall dessert recipes from this swap!
Alli Shircliff says
Chewy cake crumb center?! Yes please! Your take on the recipe sounds so tasty…and I love bitten-into cookie 🙂
Geni says
Yum!!!! I would adore these cookies and my mom is growing carrots right now so I can't wait to pinch some off of her and then share the cookies.
Pola M says
Wow! Ginger and carrot cookies!! Love them!!
Anonymous says
I have been making these for my 3 year old who won't eat veggies and loves sugar! Our whole family loves them!