I love carrot cake in any form, but in cookies is a whole other level of DELICIOUSNESS! The texture of the soft, crisp and chewy carrot cake cookie along with the hidden cream cheese filling and cream cheese swirl is beyond good! These vegan carrot cake cookies are easy to make, vegan and are delicious!
Carrot Cake Cookies
Imagine biting into a delicious slice of carrot cake, with carrot, spices and cream cheese … but in cookie form! These ‘crumbl inspired cookies‘ have a bakery worthy cookie, filled with a dairy-free cream cheese filling, topped with a swirl of cream cheese frosting and a mini carrot on top. They are the cutest little treat for Spring and Easter, and you’ll have so much fun making them!
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Dairy-free butter : Make sure to use a block butter such as Naturli Vegan Block or Flora Plant Butter for best results.
- Caster sugar : You can use a fine white sugar like caster sugar, or granulated sugar.
- Vanilla extract : Vanilla extract or the seeds from a vanilla pod work beautifully in this recipe.
- Dairy-free milk: Use any dairy-free milk, almond, soya, cashew or oat for example.
- Plain flour: Make sure to sift the flour before use to remove any lumps.
- Spices: A mix of ground cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. The classic spices in a carrot cake.
- Raising agents : baking powder and bicarbonate of soda help to give the co
- Carrot : Use fresh and peeled carrots.
- Dairy-free cream cheese : You can use your favourite branded vegan cream cheese. Mine is Violife!
- Icing sugar : Powdered sugar helps to make for a deliciously sweet frosting.
- Food gel : Colour some frosting with green and orange food gel for the carrot decoration. Click here to shop my favourite vegan food gels.
How to make vegan cream cheese frosting?
If you’re yet to try cream cheese frosting, stop everything you’re doing, grab the ingredients and lets get making it! It’s one of my favourite recipes for a tasty, sweet and slightly tangy frosting.
Instead of using simply dairy-free butter, you’ll add in some vegan cream cheese. You don’t want to add too much, or it can actually split your frosting. I like to eyeball it, and add more chunks or butter or icing sugar if needed. You’ll be able to tell when it all comes together. It turns silky smooth and creamy!
How to make Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies
Ready to make the best EVER Vegan carrot cake cookies!? Lets go! Don’t forget, you can find the full written recipe and method in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cream cheese filling
Mix the cream cheese, flour and sugar together until a thick paste. Set aside.
- Cookies
In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add in the rest of the ingredients, fold in the carrots. Scoop into balls, poke a hole in the middle of the cookie dough and add in some of the cream cheese filling mixture. Roll into a ball and place on a baking tray. Bake for 12 minutes.
- Cream swirl
Make sure the cookies are cool. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla. Transfer into a piping bag and pipe a swirl on top of the cookies. Colour some frosting with orange and green, pipe on the carrot. Serve and enjoy!
Carrot cake cookie FAQ:
How does the filling stay firm?
- The trick is to use some flour and sugar. When the filling then bakes, it holds it’s shape! A simple but effective trick for baking hidden cream cheese fillings in cookies.
Are they vegan?
- YES, Of course! This recipe is fully vegan and cruelty-free. There are no animal derrived ingredients used in this recipe. Always remember to double check the ingredients you use, check lables and packaging to make sure what you are using is 100% vegan friendly.
Can they be made gluten-free?
- Unfortunately not, as this recipe does require gluten to help bind the cookie. If you’re after the best gluten-free cookies, check out my amazing Gluten-free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies. I also have lots of gluten-free recipes, click here to check them out.
How to store carrot cake cookies?
- As the cookies contain cream cheese, it’s best to keep them stored in the fridge. Leaving the iced cookies out at room temperature may make them melt. Best eaten within 2-3 days of making.
Looking for more Easter recipes? Check these out:
Best ever Lemon Drizzle Muffins
If you make, and love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. Thank you & happy baking! Make sure to tag me in your photos on Instagram and Facebook! And if you want to pin this recipe for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, above or below this post, or on any of the photos. Happy baking all!
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Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
The BEST Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies, with a hidden cream cheese filling and cream cheese swirl. They’re easy to make and are delicious!
Ingredients
Ingredients for the cookie
- 115g of dairy-free butter (cubed)
- 140g of caster sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 30ml of dairy-free milk
- 210g of plain flour
- 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
- 30g of grated carrots
Ingredients for the cream cheese filling
- 50g of dairy-free cream cheese
- 40g of plain flour
- 1 tablespoon of caster sugar
Ingredients for the cream cheese swirl
- 80g of dairy-free block butter
- 20g of dairy-free cream cheese
- 80g of icing sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- Orange and green food gel
Instructions
Method (cream cheese filling)
- Add the cream cheese into a bowl and whip until smooth and creamy, either in a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment or using a hand held electric whisk.
- Add in the flour and sugar and continue to whip until a thick paste. The texture should be firm enough you can grab balls of it to press inside the cookie dough, but not too hard.
- Set aside while you make the cookie dough.
Method (cookies)
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan and line 2 baking trays with grease proof paper.
- Add the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl or the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Whip with a hand mixer or the stand mixer until light and creamy.
- Add the vanilla and milk. Whip again until combined.
- Sift in the flour, spices, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix until just combined.
- Fold in the grated carrot.
- Scoop the cookie dough into 6 balls using spoons or an ice-cream scoop. Sprinkle over some sugar (optional).
- Make a hole in the middle of each cookie dough ball, and pipe / spoon in some of the cream cheese filling, and fold the cookie dough around to cover it.
- Place the cookies on the lined tray (leave the dough in balls, don’t press them down!), leaving room in between as they will spread when baking.
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 12-14 minutes, or until very lightly golden.
- Once baked, remove the trays from the oven, use a round cookie cutter to help shape the cookies. Use the cookie cutter to scoot the cookies into a circle.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking tray. While they’re cooling, make the frosting.
Method (cream cheese swirl)
- Add the butter and cream cheese into a bowl and whip until smooth and creamy, either in a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment or using a hand held electric whisk.
- Add in the icing sugar and vanilla, whip until creamy. If it’s too thin or if it ever splits, add in some more chunks of butter. Transfer the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip nozzle. Leave a few teaspoons of frosting in the bowl as this will be for the carrot decoration.
- Once the cookies are fully cool, pipe a swirl of the frosting on top of each cookie. Split the left over buttercream into two bowls, colour one green and the other orange. Transfer into a piping bag and snip off the tip. Pipe mini carrots on top of the cookies (watch the video tutorial here). Place into the fridge to chill and set.
- Once set, serve and enjoy. You can even serve them with a sprinkle of some chopped walnuts.
Notes
To store: Store the cookies in a sealed container in the fridge, best enjoyed within 3 days of making.
Un iced cookies can be left at room temperature in a sealed container for 2 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12-14 minutes
- Category: cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
I made these for Easter with my family of vegans and non-vegans and everyone absolutely loved them! They were so cute! And tasted delicious! The dough was so creamy! Thank you so much for sharing! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Author
Hello lovely, i am SOOOO happy you enjoyed! What amazing feedback, thank you so much!!! xxx