Get ready to whip up the most delicious carrot cookies! They are wonderfully moist and flavorful , and topped with a mouthwatering orange frosting that everyone will love.
Follow my helpful tips, and you’ll have the perfect batch of frosted carrot cookies to share with family and friends!
I made these soft cookies often when I was a teenager, but the recipe got lost in an old cookbook binder. When I discovered it a couple months ago, I was thrilled!
I promptly whipped up a batch, and I had forgotten just how yummy they are. The carrots make them so soft, and that frosting. Oh my. It is so good you’ll want to eat it by the spoonful!
They are perfect for using leftover cooked carrots, but they’re so good that it’s worth cooking up a batch just so you can enjoy the cookies.
HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT CARROT COOKIE
- CARROTS – Peel and slice carrots. Boil for about 15 minutes, or until very tender. Cool and mash. I like to use a food processor, but you can use a fork.
- PREP – Let your butter soften to room temperature. Line baking sheets with silicone liners, parchment or spray with cooking spray. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- WET INGREDIENTS – Cream together butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add eggs, orange zest, and mashed carrots and beat until smooth.
- DRY INGREDIENTS – Add flour, baking powder, and salt; stir lightly just until flour is moistened.
- BAKE – Drop dough by tablespoons onto prepared pans. Bake at 375° for about 12 minutes, or until set in the middle and barely golden brown on the edges.
- COOL – Let cookies sit on the pan for 3-5 minutes, then remove to wire cooling racks and let cool completely.
- FROST – Beat all frosting ingredients together until smooth, spread over cooled cookies.
PRO TIPS:
- As with most cookie recipes, it’s best to let your butter soften to room temperature on the counter. Using the microwave can lead to uneven softening, with some melted and some lumps of butter.
- To save time, you can cook the carrots a day ahead.
- Depending on the size of the carrots, you may need 4 to make a cup of mashed, cooked carrots.
- Make sure you don’t pack the flour into the measuring cup. If it seems compacted, sift it first.
- Make sure the cookies are completely cool before frosting. If they are warm, the frosting will melt.
- Fresh orange zest is what gives the cookies and frosting fabulous fresh flavor, so don’t be tempted to substitute orange flavoring!
Leftover Carrot Cookies?
You can store the cookies at room temperature for 4-5 days in an airtight container.
I recommend storing in a single layer, or placing waxed paper between layers. Just make sure the frosting is set before you try to stack them.
You can freeze the cookies for up to 3 months. I like freezing the cookies and frosting separately, then thawing and frosting them.
To freeze frosted cookies, make place on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Freeze for 3-4 hours, or until solid. Then transfer to freezer safe containers, using wax paper between layers. Thaw at room temperature.
VARIATIONS:
- In a pinch, you can use canned cooked carrots instead of cooking them yourself.
- You can stir in 1/2 cup of shredded coconut or chopped nuts before adding the dry ingredients.
- After frosting, you can add sprinkles, orange zest, finely chopped nuts, or coconut.
- Instead of frosting, you can make a thin glaze by omitting the butter and using 1/3 cup of orange juice or more.
MORE FROSTED COOKIES TO TRY:
- Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Italian Christmas Cookies
- Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- Zucchini Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Almond Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
- Valentine Sugar Cookies
Carrot Cookies with Orange Icing
Carrot Cookies Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 3 large carrots to make 1 cup mashed
- ¾ cup salted butter softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp fresh orange zest
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
Orange Frosting:
- 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup salted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 Tbsp fresh orange zest
- 1 ½ Tbsp fresh orange juice more or less
Instructions
- Peel and slice carrots. Boil until tender, about 15 minutes. Let cool, then mash with a food processor or fork.
- Line cookie sheets with silicone liner or spray with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375°.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Add the eggs, orange zest, and mashed carrots and beat until smooth.
- Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Use a light touch and only stir until the flour is moistened. Overmixing leads to tough cookies!
- Drop by tablespoonfuls onto prepared pans. (I like to use a cookie scoop.)
- Bake at 375 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. or until barely golden brown on the edges and set in the middle.
- Let cool on pans for 3-5 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.
- For frosting, beat all of the ingredients together until smooth, adding enough orange juice as needed.
- After cookies are cool, spread with frosting.
Notes
Nutrition
If you make a batch of these orange frosted cookies, I’d love to hear how you liked them!
Baked the carrot cookies today and your instructions were spot on. Very yummy!
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Quick question: salted or unsalted butter (cookie dough and icing)
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I always use salted butter. I’ve updated the recipe card so there’s no confusion. 🙂
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These are the best classic carrot orange cookies you can bake! There just isn’t anything you can add to make them better when the combination of mashed carrots dough and the cream cheese orange frosting are combined it’s a old fashioned hit Everytime! I made these as a teenager as well.
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I’m so happy to hear that you love them Jules! Every time I make them, it takes me back to my childhood. 🙂
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Kids can’t get enough of these carrot cookies. They love the orange frosting, I tried adding sprinkles on top of the frosting (on some) and they turned out so delicious and festive.
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I love the idea of adding sprinkles, so fun!
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Thank you for sharing this carrot cookie recipe! They turned out so fluffy and delicious!
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So glad you loved them Olivia!
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