All the delicious flavors of carrot cake—in a cookie. Yum! This easy recipe uses just 3 ingredients for the cookie dough, plus sweet cream cheese frosting and chopped walnuts.
Get ready to enjoy all the goodness of carrot cake but in cookie form! These cookies are like bites of heaven, filled with warm spices, bits of carrot, and just the right amount of sweetness. Whether you’re planning for Easter or just want a yummy treat, these cookies are perfect and super easy to make.
With only three basic ingredients for the cookie dough, these treats are a breeze to whip up. And if you have kids or grandkids, they can easily get involved. From mixing, frosting, or adding toppings, this kid-friendly recipe can turn baking into a fun family activity for everyone to enjoy.
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Ingredient Notes
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for these easy carrot cake cookies.
Box of cake mix: We love the Betty Crocker carrot cake mix. We have not tried these cookies with another brand, so please note that different brands may have slightly different outcomes.
Cream cheese frosting: We use our 4 ingredient recipe (it’s so good and worth the extra 5 to 10 minutes!), although you can certainly use a can of cream cheese frosting if needed.
Supplies
- Medium mixing bowl and spoon
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Cookie scoop
- Cooling rack
- Angled spatula or spoon
Let’s Make Carrot Cake Cookies
Follow these simple steps to make these yummy cookies that taste just like a slice of carrot cake.
1
Preheat oven.
Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2
Mix Cookie Dough.
Combine the carrot cake mix, eggs, and oil in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Mix until well combined, but be careful not to over mix.
3
drop dough onto baking sheet.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop to drop about a tablespoon of cookie dough onto the cookie sheet. Make sure to leave room for the cookies to spread.
4
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Bake each batch for about 10 minutes. The cookies should start to look golden brown on top. Check with a toothpick if needed, the toothpick should come out clean and not doughy. Allow to cool. (Make the frosting now, if making homemade.)
5
Top with Frosting.
Once the cookies have cooled completely, frost each with cream cheese frosting. We like to use the same cookie scoop (washed, of course!) and add about a tablespoon of frosting. Then spread with an angled spatula or spoon. Top with chopped walnuts.
Note: If we buy chopped walnuts, we still add them to a food processor to chop them a bit more. Plus, you’ll get the ‘dust’ that looks great on the cookies around the larger chunks of walnuts.
6
Yum! Enjoy right away, or store.
The cookies are ready to serve and enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container for later. Because of the cream cheese frosting, we recommend storing them in the fridge.
More About This Recipe
These carrot cake cookies are perfect for busy families because they’re made with just three simple ingredients: carrot cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil. No fuss, no stress—just easy baking, a little bit of time to frost and decorate, and more time to enjoy.
Lately, we love trying new recipes using cake mixes. They’re so easy, delicious, and so repeatable. If you love this recipe, you should try our pumpkin bread using a box of spice cake mix.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to commonly asked questions about making these carrot cake cookies.
Can I use a different brand of cake mix for these carrot cake cookies?
While we recommend using Betty Crocker’s carrot cake mix for the best results, you can experiment with other brands. Just note that different brands might yield slightly different outcomes in terms of taste and texture.
Can I substitute homemade cream cheese frosting with store-bought frosting?
Absolutely! While we highly recommend our easy cream cheese frosting, you can certainly use a can of store-bought frosting if you’re short on time or prefer convenience.
Can I customize the toppings for these cookies?
Yes, definitely! While we suggest topping the cookies with chopped walnuts, feel free to get creative. You can use pecans instead of walnuts, or even pipe a decorative carrot using food coloring and any leftover frosting you have.
More Cookie Recipes
- 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
- Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies
- S’mores Cookies
- Lucky Charms Cookies
- Heart Waffle Cookies
Carrot Cake Cookies With Cake Mix
Delicious carrot cake cookies, made with a cake mix for the cookie dough, topped with sweet cream cheese frosting and chopped walnuts.
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 20 cookies 1x
Ingredients
- Box of carrot cake mix (13.25 ounces)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups cream cheese frosting (16 oz. canned or homemade)
- 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Add cake mix, eggs, and oil to a medium bowl. Mix until combined, but do not over mix.
- Drop by tablespoon (we use a cookie scoop) onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack. (Make the frosting now, if making homemade.)
- Frost with cream cheese frosting. We use the same cookie scoop (washed, of course!) to top the cookie with frosting (about a tablespoon) and then spread it with a spoon or angled spatula.
- Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
Notes
- Cake mix: we use Betty Crocker’s carrot cake mix.
- Frosting: you can make this recipe with canned frosting, but we recommend using our 4-ingredient cream cheese frosting. It takes just 5 minutes, and it’s sooo good!
- Topping: we used walnuts, but you can use pecans or pipe a carrot using any leftover frosting and food coloring.
- Storage: store in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for 2 to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 151
- Sugar: 11.5 g
- Sodium: 53.1 mg
- Fat: 10.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.3 g
- Protein: 1.2 g
- Cholesterol: 18.6 mg
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Have You Tried This Recipe? Please rate it in the comments and let us know your thoughts!