A delicious soft cookie made with carrots and topped with an orange glaze. These carrot cookies don't taste like carrots! Instead you'll think you're eating a soft orange cookie!
Carrot cookies with an orange glaze are a delicious soft cookie and are unlike most cookies. They are bursting with orange flavor and have an amazing orange color.
When you think about carrots in a dessert, you probably think about carrot cake. These are nothing like that! You can see the little carrot pieces in the cookies, but unless you know what's in there, you will never be able to say, "Hey, did you put carrots in these cookies?"
Most people actually think it's oranges that make these cookies so orange in color.
Key Ingredients
- Carrots - Use fresh whole carrots. However, to save time you can also use home canned carrots. Just drain and mash. They are fully cooked.
- Flour - All purpose flour
- Butter - I use salted butter, softened at room temperature
- Sugar - You'll need both granulated sugar for the cookie dough and powdered sugar for the glaze
Step by Step Directions
Carrots
- Peel and cut carrots into chunks
- Boil carrots until fork tender, about 20 minutes
- Allow carrots to cool and mash with a fork, a potato masher or in a food processor
Cookie Dough
- Combine butter and sugar together in a bowl with a mixer until soft and fluffy
- Mix in vanilla and egg
- Add cooled, mashed carrots and combine
- Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl
- Add flour mixture to butter mixture in mixing bowl. Mix until combined
- Cover and chill dough for at least one hour
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, a silicone liner or lightly spray with a nonstick spray
- Use a cookie scoop to create balls of dough
- Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 12-15 minutes
- Allow cookies to fully cool on a baking rack
Glaze
- Combine powdered sugar, orange zest and freshly squeezed orange juice in a bowl. Mix until smooth.
- Dip each cookie into glaze
- Allow excess glaze to drip off cookie
- Place cookies on a baking rack and allow glaze to dry
- Cooking the carrots the night before is a time saver
- You'll need about 6-7 large carrots to make one cup of cooked carrots. I often throw in one extra carrot, just to make certain I have enough.
- Use salted butter that has been softened to room temperature, but not melted
- To form a consistent size cookie, use a scoop. I use one that measures one tablespoon
- Be sure to fully preheat your oven before baking the cookies
- Allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheet before removing and placing on a baking rack
Recipe FAQs
The cookies will stay fresh tasting for 3-4 days. Be certain to store in an airtight container in a single layer.
These cookies can be frozen. You can freeze the cookies two ways: with the glaze or without the glaze. Either way, be sure the cookies are fully cooled and place in a single layer in a freezer safe container. If you must layer the cookies, use a piece of waxed paper between each layer.
To use, just pull the cookies from the freezer and allow to thaw.
If you love cookies as much as I do, you'll want to check out these cookies:
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Be sure to check out my entire collection of cookie recipes!
Listen to the podcast episode on making carrot cookies!
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Carrot Cookies with Orange Glaze
Ingredients
- 6 - 7 Carrots (for one cup cooked, mashed carrots)
- ¾ Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cup Butter (softened)
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 Cups Flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Glaze
- 1 ½ Cups powdered sugar
- 3 Tablespoons orange juice
- 1 Tablespoon grated orange rind
Instructions
Carrots
- Peel and chop carrots. Boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes6 - 7 Carrots
- Allow carrots to cool and then mash with a fork, potato masher or in a food processor.
- Measure out one cup of mashed carrots
Cookie Dough
- In a mixer, blend butter and sugar together¾ Cup Granulated Sugar, 1 Cup Butter
- Add vanilla and egg and mix until well combined1 Egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Add carrots and combine
- Mix flour, baking powder and salt together. Add to mixing bowl and combine2 Cups Flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Scrape down sides of bowl to make certain everything is well combined
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour
- Use a scoop and scoop small balls onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or lightly sprayed with a nonstick spray
- Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.
Glaze
- Combine powdered sugar, orange zest and orange juice together. Stir until smooth.1 ½ Cups powdered sugar, 3 Tablespoons orange juice, 1 Tablespoon grated orange rind
- Dipped the top of cooled cookies into the glaze
- Place cookies on baking rack until glaze has set
Notes
- Cooking the carrots the night before is a time saver
- You'll need about 6-7 large carrots to make one cup of cooked carrots. I often throw in one extra carrot, just to make certain I have enough.
- Use salted butter that has been softened to room temperature, but not melted
- To form a consistent size cookie, use a scoop. I use one that measures one tablespoon
- Be sure to fully preheat your oven before baking the cookies
- Allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheet before removing and placing on a baking rack
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Claudine says
These are my favorite!! I had them often as a kid and made them for my kids! I have an old recipe but I was so glad to come across this one!! I stopped making them for myself because I can eat the whole batch!! Lol! Never thought about freezing them. Game changer!! Thanks!!
Kathy says
My mom always made these for us too! Such a tasty cookie. Give freezing the cookies a try! 🙂
betty salomone says
do you have a good carrot cake recipe just as good as your cookies witch is delious and easy to make THANKS
Kathy says
I do have a delicious carrot cake recipe - https://www.beyondthechickencoop.com/carrot-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting/
Thanks!!! And enjoy😍
Sarah Thompson says
My great grandmother made a very similar cookie to fool my great grandfather into eating vegetables. He had gotten to the point that he would eat nothing but junk. I was surprised to find a recipe online. Until now, the only recipe I’ve seen was hers. If you purée the carrots no one will ever know. She would always swear anyone to secrecy about the carrots.
Kathy says
So funny! Most people think it's orange since the glaze is orange flavored and the color is orange. My grandmother used to make these, but you're right, you don't see them very often!
Thanks for your comment!
Kathy 🙂
kristina philipp says
My grandmother made these whenever I visited. I never knew they had carrots in them until I was in my late teens, always thought they were orange cookies. I sometimes use a small can of carrots to save time. The best
Kristina
Kathy says
Many people think they are orange cookies!
Valentina says
What a fantastic unique cookie idea. Orange and carrot in a cookie is such a great idea. And while I'm a coffee girl, I think I'd love these with a cup of tea. 🙂 ~Valentina
Kathy says
It's really quite delicious!
sonia says
The carrot cookies with orange glaze is looking sumptuous! I have tried the cake version but not in cookies. Shall try this recipe for sure. Thanks for sharing. Regards, http://www.mycreativeflavors.com/
Ben | Havocinthekitchen says
A carrot cake in a form of cookie? Yes, please! I've made cookies with grated raw carrots once, but making pure sounds like a great option. This orange glaze sounds wonderful too (Thinking of a cream cheese orange frosting as well). Delicious!
Kathy says
Cream cheese frosting would be scrumptious on these cookies!
David @ Spiced says
What a fun cookie idea! I do love carrot cake, and we're heading into carrot cake season - why not start things off with a batch of carrot cake cookies instead?? And that orange glaze on top? Perfection! This is the perfect cookie for this cold time of the year when I'm craving citrus!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Carrot and orange go so well together so I know these cookies will be a hit! Wish I had a couple right about now to go along with my afternoon coffee!
Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes says
I love carrot cake - so why not carrot cookies? And that glaze sounds delicious! YUM! 🙂