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
- 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 degree 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
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.
- 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 (18/8 size)
- 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
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!
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 minutes
- 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 together
- Add vanilla and egg and mix until well combined
- Add carrots and combine
- Mix flour, baking powder and salt together. Add to mixing bowl and combine
- 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.
- 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 (18/8 size)
- 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
Fred G says
A great cookie
Theresa Pearson says
My great-grandmother used to spend summers with us and I would stay home with her while the rest of the family went camping. Gma would cook carrots for dinner the night before and we would make these. I still think of her when I make them. Going to try the butter!
Kathy says
What a wonderful memory! I hope these taste just like the ones you used to make! Make certain you chill the batter before baking! 🙂
Erin @ Miss Scrambled Egg says
I will eat anything carrot...especially this time of year. I love the orange glaze on top. It gives the cookies a little pizazz!
Kathy says
The orange glaze is amazing!
Suzi says
I never knew there were carrots in those cookies!
Kathy says
The secret is out!
David @ Spiced says
I love carrot cake, but I also love a good cookie! So it should go without saying that these Carrot Cookies would disappear quickly in our house. Yum!
Kathy says
They didn't last long around our house either!
Charlotte @ What Charlotte Baked says
I'd never have thought of putting carrot in cookies! They look delicious 🙂
Kathy says
Sometimes it's the surprising ingredients that are amazing!
Cathleen @ A Taste Of Madness says
I love carrot baked goods!! I would be all over these
Kathy says
Thanks Cathleen! They are delicious!
sue|theviewfromgreatisland says
I'd love to try these, and it's so interesting how different the first and last batch are...the little details make all the difference in baking!
Kathy says
You are right! Keeping them chilled certainly made a difference.
Lori from LL Farm says
I love carrot cake, bet these are yummy!
Lori
Kelsey @ Snacking Squirrel says
I'd love to try these out. I love carrot cakes and carrot muffins but never tried carrot cookies yet. Maybe this is the inspiration I need!