Carrot cake is a family favorite, and these delicious cookies with shredded carrots, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, cinnamon and cloves taste very similar. They’re even topped with a rich cream cheese frosting. With each cookie it feels as if you’re eating a piece of carrot cake, but no fork is needed! —Susan Bickta, Kutztown, Pennsylvania
Carrot Spice Thumbprint Cookies
Watch How to Make Carrot Spice Thumbprint Cookies
Carrot Spice Thumbprint Cookies
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
10 min
Yield
5 dozen
Ingredients
- 1 cup margarine, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1-1/2 cups shredded carrots
- 2/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- FROSTING:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Additional confectioners' sugar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, cream margarine and sugars until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda and cloves; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in carrots, walnuts and cranberries.
- Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Press a deep indentation in center of each with the back of a 1/2-teaspoon measure.
- Bake until edges begin to brown, 10-12 minutes. Reshape indentations as needed. Cool on pans 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
- For frosting, beat butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until blended. To serve, fill each cookie with about 1-1/2 teaspoons frosting; sprinkle with additional confectioners' sugar. Refrigerate leftover filled cookies.
Nutrition Facts
1 cookie: 167 calories, 9g fat (3g saturated fat), 17mg cholesterol, 146mg sodium, 21g carbohydrate (14g sugars, 1g fiber), 2g protein.
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