Carrot Cake Stuffed Cookies: A Fun Twist on a Classic

Carrot cake stuffed cookies are the perfect treat to make for Easter, or any spring celebration. These soft and spicy cookies are loaded with flavor and with a cream cheese filling inside, there’s a surprise in every bite.

About Carrot Cake Stuffed Cookies

If you love carrot cake, then these carrot cake stuffed cookies are for you! They have the carrots and spices that you expect from a carrot cake, but in a cookie form. For added flavor and crunch, each cookie is topped with a pecan half.

Tips for Success

I have a couple of quick tips to get the most flavor, and the best texture with these stuffed carrot cookies.

• You can use either light or dark brown sugar for this recipe. Dark brown sugar has a deeper flavor, especially when mixed with browned butter. But if you only have light brown sugar on hand, that’s fine too.
• Let the cream cheese rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before starting. The filling will be easier to cream if you use cream cheese that has softened.
• Make sure you remove any excess moisture from the shredded carrots. If you use a grater to make freshly grated carrots, water will be released from the carrots. You don’t want that water in the cookie batter, so let the carrots dry on paper towels before using. You can also squeeze them out with a cheesecloth, or towel.
• Toast the pecans before using. I know that it’s only one pecan half per cookie, but I still like to toast any nuts that I use when baking. Shortcut: Place the pecans on a parchment lined baking sheet and put in the oven at the same time you preheat the oven. Let them heat for about 5-8 minutes and then pull them out of the oven to cool. By the time you’re ready to top the cookies, the pecans will be the right temperature.

Step by Step With Photos

These carrot cake cookies are really easy to make. It’s as simple as making the cookie dough, making the 3-ingredient filling, and putting them both together. Here are the ingredients you need.

Making the Cookie Dough

I start by toasting the pecans. Place 1/2 cup pecan halves on a parchment lined baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place the sheet of pecans in the oven to toast while the oven heats-up. Remove the baking sheet when the oven gets to temperature (about 5-8 minutes) and set aside.

I said that these cookies are loaded with flavor, and that starts with browning the butter. Browning butter adds a caramel-like flavor. It is such an easy way to boost the flavor of a cookie, but if you aren’t a fan of the butterscotch/caramel flavor it adds then simply melt the butter without browning.

To brown the butter, place 1 cup unsalted butter in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until the butter turns golden brown. Pour the browned butter in a bowl and let it cool. When cool, add 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Stir to combine. Add 1 egg and 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract and mix again until smooth.

Add all of the spices to the bowl. That includes 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix to combine and then add the 1 3/4 cups flour.

You can just add all of the dry ingredients at once if you want, but I like to mix-in the spices first so that they are well incorporated. That way when I add the flour I can mix just until combined, and I don’t have to worry about overmixing. Add 1 cup shredded carrots and gently fold-in to combine.

Make the Filling

The filling for these carrot cake stuffed cookies is so easy. It’s a simple, 3-ingredient blend. In a separate bowl, mix together 4 ounces cream cheese, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon milk. Use an electric mixer to cream the mixture together until smooth.

Assembling and Finishing

Now that you have the cookie dough and fillings, you’re ready to move onto assembly and baking. Take a cookie scoop of dough. I like to scoop all of the cookie dough balls and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Use the palm of your hand to flatten the ball of dough and then use your thumb to create an indent in the middle. Place a small amount of cream cheese filling in the middle. Wrap the cookie dough around the filling, adding extra cookie dough if needed.

Bake the cookies for about 12-14 minutes. The amount of time will depend upon your oven, and how big you make the cookies. Pull them out of the oven when the edges are lightly colored. Immediately press one of the toasted pecan halves in the middle of each cookie. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

I like to serve these cookies on the day that I make them so that the cookies and filling are soft. You can also store them in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, but I recommend pulling them out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you want to serve them so that the cookies aren’t served cold. Although if you’re looking for a refreshing summer treat, serving these cookies cold hits the spot.

I hope you enjoy making these carrot cake stuffed cookies. Stuffed cookies are so much fun to make, and just as fun to eat. You get a burst of cream cheese filling when you bite into the cookies. A real treat to enjoy anytime, but especially nice for an Easter dessert table. A pretty and tasty cookie that’s a great alternative to carrot cake.

While these carrot cake cookies are great year round, I think that they are a great cookie to make during the spring, or for Easter. If you need another good Easter cookie idea, these White Chocolate MM Cookies are always a hit. And, you can’t go wrong with Rice Krispie treats for Easter.

If you tried this Carrot Cake Stuffed Cookies recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and tell me how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting and happy baking!

Carrot Cake Cookies

A moist and spicy carrot cookie stuffed with a cream cheese filling.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 32 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 18 cookies

Equipment

• Baking Sheet
• Hand Mixer
• Parchment Paper
• Saucepan

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Cookie Batter

• 1 stick unsalted butter browned and cooled
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 ¾ cups flour

Filling

• 4 ounces cream cheese softened
• ⅓ cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon milk

Topping

• ½ cup pecan halves toasted

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the butter in a saucepan and heat on medium-low until the butter has turned golden brown. Pour the butter in a large bowl and let it cool.
• In the large bowl with the browned butter, add the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat until well combined.
• Add egg and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth.
• Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.
• Gradually add the flour and mix until a thick batter forms. If needed, add an extra tablespoon or two of flour.
• Fold in the shredded carrots.
• The dough may be slightly crumbly at first, but use your hands if needed to knead the ingredients into a dough.
• In a separate bowl, mix softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk until smooth and creamy.
• Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
• Use your thumb or the back of a spoon to create a small indentation in the center of each dough ball.
• Fill each indentation with a small amount of the cream cheese filling, then top with more cookie dough.
• Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Press a pecan on top of the cookies as soon as they are removed from the once.
• Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

• If you use fresh shredded carrots, squeeze the shredded carrots in a clean cloth to remove any excess moisture. Store-bought shredded carrots usually don’t have much moisture, but you can still squeeze out the excess just in case. Alternatively, place the shredded carrots on paper towels to soak-up the excess moisture.
• Toasting the pecans accentuates their flavor. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven for 5-8 minutes. 
• Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. 

Keyword A spicy carrot cake cookie with a cream cheese filling stuffed inside

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