Chewy Brown Butter Carrot Cake Cookies (Printer-friendly)

Soft chewy cookies with brown butter, carrots, walnuts, and warming spices—a portable treat

# What You’ll Need:

→ For the Cookies

01 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter
02 - 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
06 - 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
08 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
10 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
11 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
13 - 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
14 - 1 cup finely grated carrots (about 2 medium carrots, peeled)
15 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
16 - 1/2 cup raisins (optional)

→ For the Cream Cheese Glaze (optional)

17 - 2 oz cream cheese, softened
18 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
19 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
20 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

# How-To Guide:

01 - Place butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until butter foams and begins to brown and smell nutty, about 4–6 minutes. Immediately pour into large mixing bowl and let cool 10 minutes.
02 - Add brown sugar and granulated sugar to cooled brown butter. Whisk thoroughly to combine. Stir in eggs and vanilla extract until mixture is smooth and well incorporated.
03 - In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger until evenly distributed.
04 - Add dry ingredients to wet mixture. Stir until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Fold in oats, grated carrots, walnuts or pecans, and raisins if using.
05 - Cover bowl and refrigerate dough for 30 minutes for chewier cookies. This step is optional but highly recommended for best texture.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - Scoop dough into 2-tablespoon balls, placing them 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
08 - Bake 11–13 minutes, until edges are set and centers look slightly underbaked. Let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Beat softened cream cheese and butter with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Drizzle over cooled cookies.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The brown butter creates an incredible depth of flavor that regular butter just cannot achieve
  • These capture everything you love about carrot cake but in handheld, portable form
  • The texture is seriously perfect—chewy edges with soft, tender centers
02 -
  • The dough might look softer than typical cookie dough but that is exactly right and will bake up perfectly
  • Removing cookies when centers look slightly underbaked is crucial for achieving that chewy texture
  • The glaze can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator, then brought to room temperature before drizzling
03 -
  • Weigh your flour instead of scooping it to avoid dense cookies from too much flour
  • Toast your nuts beforehand in a dry pan for 3 to 4 minutes to bring out their natural oils and flavor

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