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Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies

These soft, cake-like cookies are already tasty enough to be served as a treat on their own, but the cream cheese filling makes them even better. They look stunning on a holiday dessert table.
Course Dessert
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Servings 18 cookies

Ingredients

Cookies

  • 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg at room temperature
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (150 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 cup (100 g) finely grated carrots
  • 1/2 cup 50 regular rolled oats (not instant
  • 1/2 cup (50 g) flaked sweetened coconut
  • 1/2 cup (75 g) dried currants

Filling

  • 1/2 cup (125 g) cream cheese at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup (60 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (65 g) icing sugar sifted
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
  • For the cookies, beat the butter and brown sugar together by hand until well blended and almost fluffy, about a minute. Beat in the egg, followed by the vanilla.
  • Sift in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and stir until evenly combined. Stir in the carrots, followed by the oats and coconut. Stir in the currants.
  • Use a small ice cream scoop to drop leveled amounts of the batter onto the baking trays, 2 inches (5 cm) apart. It's important to drop level scoops so that the cookies bake with nice domed tops.
  • Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes, until they lift easily from the tray. Cool on the trays on wire racks.
  • For the filling, beat the cream cheese and butter by hand until smooth. Add the icing sugar and vanilla and beat again until fluffy and well blended.
  • To assemble the sandwiches, spoon the filling into a piping bag fitted with a large plain piping tip and pipe a layer of filling over the flat side of a cookie (or use a spatula to spread a generous dollop of the filling instead). Press a second cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling.

Notes

Make Ahead: These cookies are soft, almost like a muffin. Unfilled, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature until soft. Once assembled, they will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container to preserve the cream cheese frosting, for up to 5 days.