These spiced carrot cake oat cookies have all the flavors of richly spiced carrot cake, but in cookie form! Soft, chewy, extremely moist, and not at all cakey.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time10 minutesmins
Chill Time3 hourshrs
Total Time3 hourshrs20 minutesmins
Course: Cookies
Cuisine: American
Keyword: carrot oatmeal cookies
Servings: 22
Calories: 146kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
1large egg
½cupunsalted buttersoftened (1 stick)
½cuplight brown sugarpacked
¼cupgranulated sugar
1tablespoonvanilla extract
1 ½teaspoonscinnamon
1teaspoonallspice
¾teaspoonground nutmeg
½teaspoonground cloves
pinchsaltoptional and to taste
1cupall-purpose flour
1cupold-fashioned whole rolled oats(NOT instant or quick cook)
½teaspoonbaking soda
¾heaping cup grated carrotsloosely packed
½ to ⅔cupbutterscotch chipsor white chocolate chips (optional)
½cupraisins or nuts(optional)
Instructions
To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl with hand mixer), combine the egg, butter, sugars, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, optional salt, and beat momentarily to incorporate.
Add the flour, oats, baking soda, and beat until just combined, less than 1 minute.
Add the carrots and beat to incorporate, about 30 seconds.
Add the optional butterscotch chips, raisins, and beat to incorporate, about 30 seconds.
Using a medium cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons) or your hands, scoop out mounds of dough (I made 22) and place them on a large plate. Flatten mounds just slightly with heel of your hand.
Cover plate with plasticwrap and refrigerate dough for at least 3 hours, up to 5 days, before baking. Dough is far too soft and moist, and is unsuitable for baking until it’s been chilled or cookies will spread dramatically.
Preheat oven to 350F, line 2 baking sheets with Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mats, parchment, or spray with cooking spray; set aside. Space dough 2 inches apart (8 per tray) and bake for 9 to 11 minutes (I recommend the lower end of that range), or until tops have just set, even if slightly underbaked and glossy in the center. Cookies firm up as they cool, and baking too long results in cookies that set up too crisp and hard with overdone undersides (The cookies shown in the photos were baked for just over 9 minutes, with trays rotated at the 5-minute mark, and have chewy edges with pillowy, soft centers).
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
Notes
As written, cookies are pleasantly spiced and robust, without being over-spiced, but dial down the amounts as written and adjust to taste if you’re particularly sensitive.
Store cookies airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.