These easy Carrot Cookies, are a delicious buttery cookie. Simple, easy and made even more special with a cream cheese frosting. Perfect cut out bunny cookies just for Easter!
Have you ever thought about Christmas and how it gets all the good recipes, the cookies, cakes, pastries, candies etc. and what does Easter get? Ok lots of chocolate and a tasty Easter Bread and yes I do love a slice of Colomba. But it sure isn’t a Christmas spread!
So I decided I wanted to make an easy cookie that was similar to my favorite Christmas cookies, Shortbread. These cookies are a mix between a butter cookie and a shortbread cookie. So good, and made even better with a simple cream cheese frosting.
Recipe Ingredients
- Carrots – chopped and cooked
- Flour – all purpose flour with at least 11% protein
- Butter – softened butter
- Salt – if you use unsalted butter then add a bit more salt
- Sugar – granulated sugar
- Egg – large egg room temperature
- Vanilla – vanilla extract
Cream cheese frosting
- Butter – softened butter
- Cream Cheese – whole cream cheese
- Powdered sugar – also known as icing or confectioners’ sugar
- Cream – whole cream or half and half
What is the best flour for cut out Cookies?
Be sure to use a high protein, at least 11.5 – 12%, my flour is about 13%, a low protein flour will cause the cookies to spread, and believe me refrigerating the dough will not help.
How to make a Carrot Cookie Recipe
Clean and chop carrots, cook them in boiling water until tender, then mash with a fork. Set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl (or food processor) add the mashed carrots, softened butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, salt and the flour. Stir with a fork or pulse until almost combined.
Place the mixture onto a lightly floured flat surface, and gently knead until the cookie dough is combined. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes.
Remove the dough from the fridge and on a lightly floured flat surface roll out the dough and cut into desired shapes.
Place the cut out dough the prepared baking sheet and bake until golden. Let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheet then move to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
To make the cream cheese frosting, in a medium bowl beat together all the ingredients until creamy and it has reached the desired thickness.
How to Store the Carrot cookies
The baked unfrosted cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to 5-7 days. If frosted they should be stored in the fridge and they will keep for up to 7 days in the refrigerator.
How to Freeze the Cookies
To freeze the cookies, place parchment paper in between the layers of the completely cooled cookies this prevents them from sticking together when they are in the containers for freezing. It’s best to freeze unfrosted and then frost before serving.
Or you can also place the baked cooled cookies on a cookie sheet and freeze them, then move the frozen cookies to either airtight bags or containers. The carrot cookies will last up to 6 months in the freezer.
I love Easter because it is nice, quiet and relaxing. They have a saying in Italian “Natale con i tuoi e Pasqua con chi vuoi” , translated to “Christmas with your family and Easter with who ever you choose”.
So even if Easter is quiet, why not let it share in some of those cookies too? Nothing cuter than a few bunnies. Happy Easter! Enjoy.
Cut Out Carrot Cookies
Ingredients
FOR THE COOKIES
- 2 medium carrots
- 2½ cups all purpose flour (at least 11% protein)
- 1 cup butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 2 tablespoons butter (softened)
- 1½ ounces cream cheese (regular)
- 1 cup powdered / icing sugar
- 1 – 2 tablespoons cream (whole / heavy)
Instructions
- Clean and chop carrots, cook them in boiling water until tender, then mash with a fork. Set aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl (or food processor) add the mashed carrots, softened butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, salt and the flour. Stir with a fork or pulse until almost combined.
- Place the mixture onto a lightly floured flat surface, and gently knead until the cookie dough is combined. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes.
- Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C). Line 1-2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and on a lightly floured flat surface roll out the dough to ¼ inch (6mm) thick and cut into desired shapes.
- Place the cut out cookies on the prepared baking sheet and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until golden. Let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheet then move to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. Enjoy!
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- In a medium bowl beat together all the ingredients until smooth and creamy and reached the desired thickness, if it is too thin add more icing sugar too thick add more cream.
Hye Yung says
When you combine the ingredients, do you beat, mix, or cream? Should the butter or egg be room temperature?
Rosemary says
Hi Hye Yung, you need to combine the ingredients with your hands and butter at room temperature will combine better, and the egg does not have to be room temperature. Thanks, have a wonderful Sunday.
blogartbykatherine says
thank you for sharing these wonderful cookies at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop. Watch for your feature on Monday xo
Rose says
Hi Katherine, thanks so much Katherine, I will watch for it for sure! Have a wonderful Sunday.
Andrea @ Cooking with Mamma C says
How cute! I never would have thought to put carrots in shortbread cookies, but they must be delicious. Pinning to share this.
Rose says
Hi Andrea, they were really good and went in a flash.