½cupfinely ground carrot bits75 g (see recipe for instructions)
1 ¾cupsall-purpose flour219 g
2 ½teaspoonsground cinnamon
¼teaspoonground nutmeg
¼teaspoonground ginger
¼teaspoonground allspice
½teaspoonbaking powder
½teaspoonbaking soda
½teaspoonsea salt
¾cupunsalted buttersoftened (168 g)
1cuppacked light brown sugar220 g
2egg yolksat room temperature
1teaspoonvanilla bean paste or extract
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
¼cupunsalted buttersoftened (56 g)
4ozcream cheesecold (113 g)
1 ½ - 2cupspowdered sugar195-260 g
Chopped walnuts for toppingoptional
Instructions
For the Carrot Cake Cookies:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Grate carrots and process them until finely chopped. Measure out ½ cup of carrot bits.
Dry carrot bits thoroughly by pressing them between paper towels.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Add egg yolks and vanilla, mixing until combined.
Mix in dried carrot bits, then add dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets and bake for 11-13 minutes.
After baking, use a circular cookie cutter to shape the cookies if desired.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
Beat butter until pale and fluffy, then add cream cheese and mix until combined.
Gradually add powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.
Decorating the Cookies:
Once cookies are cooled, spread cream cheese frosting on each one.
Sprinkle with chopped walnuts if desired, then serve and enjoy!
Notes
Proper flour measurement is essential for baking success. Avoid scooping flour directly; instead, spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife, or use a kitchen scale.