Chewy Brown Butter Carrot Cake Cookies (Print)
Soft, chewy cookies with nutty brown butter, grated carrots, walnuts, and warming spices. A delightful handheld twist on classic carrot cake flavors.
# What You Need:
→ For the Cookies
01 -
02 -
03 -
04 -
05 -
06 -
07 -
08 -
09 -
10 -
11 -
12 -
13 -
14 -
15 -
16 -
→ For the Cream Cheese Glaze
17 -
18 -
19 -
20 -
# How To Make It:
01 - Place butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until butter foams and develops golden-brown specks with a nutty aroma, approximately 4–6 minutes. Immediately transfer to a large mixing bowl and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
02 - Add brown sugar and granulated sugar to the cooled brown butter. Whisk vigorously until thoroughly combined. Stir in eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla extract, mixing until smooth and glossy.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger until evenly distributed.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to prevent tough cookies.
05 - Fold in oats, grated carrots, walnuts or pecans, and raisins if using, until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
06 - Cover bowl and refrigerate dough for 30 minutes. This step is recommended for chewier texture and prevents excessive spreading during baking.
07 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
08 - Scoop dough into 2-tablespoon portions, rolling into balls. Arrange on prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
09 - Bake for 11–13 minutes, until edges appear set and centers look slightly underbaked. This ensures a soft, chewy texture.
10 - Let cookies rest on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. For glazed cookies, beat softened cream cheese and butter with powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth, then drizzle over cooled cookies.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The brown butter creates these irresistible nutty, caramel notes that make people ask what your secret ingredient is
- These capture everything wonderful about carrot cake but in a handheld form you can grab on your way out the door
02 -
- The brown butter can go from perfectly golden to burnt in seconds, so watch closely during those final minutes and have your bowl ready
- Grating carrots on the small holes makes them practically disappear into the cookies while still adding moisture and sweetness
03 -
- Use a light colored saucepan to brown the butter so you can clearly see when those golden flecks appear
- Weighing your ingredients, especially the butter and flour, will give you the most consistent results every time