Delicious Carrot Cake Cookies with Fresh Milled Flour
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These Delicious Carrot Cake Cookies with Fresh Milled Flour bring all the cozy flavors of classic carrot cake—warm spices, sweet carrots, and a hint of maple—into a soft, chewy cookie made with wholesome, nutrient-rich ingredients.
This version is naturally sweetened with maple sugar and made with freshly milled flour for extra flavor and nourishment. Perfect for a healthier treat, an afternoon snack, or a lunchbox favorite, these cookies are a simple and delicious way to enjoy the comfort of carrot cake in a bite-sized form.
These cookies are perfect for Easter gatherings! For more Easter recipes, check out our Easter Bunny Dinner Rolls and Hot Cross Buns!
Why You Will Love These Carrot Cake Cookies with Freshly Milled Flour
Carrot cake has always been a favorite in our family, and I can’t think of it without remembering how my Grandma would make the most delicious, moist carrot cake every holiday. Her recipe has now been handed down to my cousin and myself and we have taken over that tradition for her. These carrot cake cookies are a little twist on that tradition—same cozy spices, same sweetness from the carrots, but in bite-sized cookie form. Made with freshly milled flour and naturally sweetened with maple sugar, these carrot cookies are perfect for when you’re craving a sweet snack that’s a little healthier.
Why Use Freshly Milled Flour?
If you’ve ever tried baking with freshly milled flour, you already know it adds a whole new level of flavor and texture to your cookies. When you mill your own whole wheat flour, you’re keeping all the natural nutrients and flavors intact, which store-bought flour just can’t match. Plus, it brings a tasty, slightly nutty flavor that perfectly complements the sweetness of these carrot cake cookies. Ditching the all-purpose flour and using freshly milled soft white wheat makes all the difference.
How To Make These Cookies
I’m going to walk you through how to make these cookies, step-by-step. This recipe make 16 large cookies.
Ingredients
Cookies:
¾ cup softened butter 175 grams
2 egg yolks
⅔ cup shredded & chopped carrots 55 grams (about 2 large carrots)
¾ cup maple sugar or sugar 57 grams
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups fresh milled soft white wheat, finely milled 260 grams
2 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
Icing:
2.5 ounces softened cream cheese 55 grams
2.5 tablespoons softened butter 32 grams
½ cup powdered sugar 64 grams
½ tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chopped walnuts for topping, optional
Shred your carrots using a box grater or food processor. Once shredded, chop them up into even smaller pieces or run them through your food processor using the “S” attachment. You want them to be little pieces.
Spread the carrots onto a surface and press with a paper towel to remove the excess moisture. Continue the process with a new paper towel until there is almost no remaining moisture.
Cream together butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Add in egg yolks and vanilla extract and mix until light and fluffy.
Add in the carrots and mix well.
In a separate small bowl whisk all of the dry ingredients together: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.
Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until fully combined.
Scoop cookie dough out onto prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Freeze the dough for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake cookies for 13-15 minutes until golden brown.
For the icing, combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until smooth.
Spread icing onto cooled cookies and top with chopped walnuts or cinnamon.
Troubleshooting Tips for the Best Cookies
Baking can be a bit tricky sometimes, but with the right tips, you can make sure your homemade cookies come out perfectly every time. If your dough feels a little too soft, pop it in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes before you start scooping. For chewy cookies, make sure your dough is on the thicker side, and don’t forget to chill your cookie dough before baking! This little trick helps the cookies keep their shape and results in a soft, chewy moist inner crumb.
A Little History of Carrot Cake
Carrot cake has an interesting past! It dates all the way back to medieval times when carrots were used to sweeten desserts in place of sugar. Because sugar was expensive and hard to come by, people would use what they had, like grated carrots, to add that natural sweetness. Fast forward to today, and carrot cake is a beloved treat, especially around holidays and birthdays. The best part of carrot cake recipes—whether it’s for carrot cake cupcakes, cookies, or a full cake—is the balance of warm spices like ground cinnamon and ground ginger, plus the rich, moist crumb from the fresh carrots. This version is a little healthier, with freshly milled flour and maple sugar instead of refined sugar.
How to Store and Keep Your Carrot Cake Cookies Fresh
Once your carrot cake cookie dough has baked to perfection and cooled down, the next step is making sure they stay soft and fresh. Let them cool on a cooling rack, ice them and then store them in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. For longer storage, you can keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. They’ll last even longer that way, and you can enjoy a chewy cookie whenever the craving strikes.
How to Ice Your Carrot Cake Cookies
The frosting on these chewy carrot cake cookies is the perfect finishing touch! For the best results, use room temperature cream cheese and butter when making the frosting. It ensures the mixture is smooth and creamy, with no lumps. I use powdered sugar for the icing to give it that classic, velvety texture. To spread it evenly, use an offset spatula for easy application. And if you’re feeling extra festive, you can top the icing with chopped walnuts or even a sprinkle of cinnamon. These cookies are such a great way to indulge in a sweet treat while keeping it a bit healthier with fewer refined sugars.
Delicious Carrot Cake Cookies with Fresh Milled Flour
Ingredients
- Cookies:
- ¾ cup softened butter 175 grams
- 2 egg yolks
- ⅔ cup shredded & chopped carrots 55 grams about 2 large carrots
- ¾ cup maple sugar or sugar 57 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups fresh milled soft white wheat finely milled 260 grams
- 2 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Icing:
- 2.5 ounces softened cream cheese 55 grams
- 2.5 tablespoons softened butter 32 grams
- ½ cup powdered sugar 64 grams
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Chopped walnuts for topping optional
Instructions
- Shred your carrots using a box grater or food processor. Once shredded, chop them up into even smaller pieces or run them through your food processor using the “S” attachment. You want them to be little pieces.
- Spread the carrots onto a surface and press with a paper towel to remove the excess moisture. Continue the process with a new paper towel until there is almost no remaining moisture.
- Cream together butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add in egg yolks and vanilla extract and mix until light and fluffy.
- Add in the carrots and mix well.
- In a separate small bowl whisk all of the dry ingredients together: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.
- Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until fully combined. Don't over-mix
- Scoop cookie dough out onto prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Freeze the dough for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake cookies for 13-15 minutes until golden brown.
- For the icing, combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until smooth.
- Spread icing onto cooled cookies and top with chopped walnuts or cinnamon.
