Ingredients (~12 cookies)
- 1 cup butter (for browning – will be divided between cookies and frosting)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (room temp)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup freshly grated carrots
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3 Tbsp brown butter (from above)
- 3 oz cream cheese (room temp)
- 3/4 tsp vanilla
- Pinch of salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- Toasted coconut for topping
Brown the Butter and Let It Cool
Take 1 cup of butter and melt it in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Keep cooking past the boiling point until the butter foams, then goes quiet, then starts to smell nutty and turn golden brown.
Stir constantly and watch it closely – it goes from perfect to burnt in like 30 seconds.
Once it’s nicely browned, pour it into a bowl and stick it in the fridge to solidify again. You want it to get back to room temperature butter consistency before making the dough.
You’ll use about 3/4 cup for the cookies and 3 Tbsp for the frosting.
Make the Cookie Dough
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat 3/4 cup of the cooled brown butter with both sugars on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and mix on low for ~30 seconds until smooth. Beat in 2 tsp vanilla and the grated carrots.
Add the baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and flour to the bowl. Mix on low just until you still see some flour streaks around the bowl – don’t overmix.
Fold in the oats by hand.
Chill the Dough
Scoop the dough into large balls using a 1/4 cup scoop or just eyeball it – these are meant to be big cookies.
Chill for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours. The dough needs this time to firm up.
Bake the Cookies
Preheat your oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place 6 cookie balls on each sheet – they spread quite a bit.
Bake for 11-14 minutes until you see a nice golden brown rim around the edges. The centers should still look slightly underdone.
Let them cool on the baking sheet for ~5 minutes before moving to a wire rack.
Make the Frosting and Top the Cookies
Mix the remaining 3 Tbsp brown butter with the cream cheese using the paddle attachment for 2-3 minutes until completely smooth.
Add the vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar. Beat until creamy.
Once the cookies are completely cool, frost the tops and sprinkle with toasted coconut.
The frosted cookies keep for ~3 days covered at room temperature.
Chewy Carrot Cake Cookies
Ingredients
Ingredients (~12 cookies)
- 1 cup butter for browning – will be divided between cookies and frosting
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temp
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup freshly grated carrots
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3 Tbsp brown butter from above
- 3 oz cream cheese room temp
- 3/4 tsp vanilla
- Pinch salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- Toasted coconut for topping
Instructions
- Melt 1 cup butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until golden brown and nutty smelling.
- Pour browned butter into a bowl and refrigerate until it returns to room temperature butter consistency.
- Beat 3/4 cup cooled brown butter with 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until fluffy.
- Add 1 large egg and mix on low for 30 seconds, then beat in 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 cup grated carrots.
- Add 3/4 tsp baking soda, 3/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, mixing on low until flour streaks remain.
- Fold in 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats by hand.
- Scoop dough into 12 large balls using a 1/4 cup scoop and chill for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place 6 cookie balls on each sheet and bake for 11-14 minutes until edges are golden brown.
- Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
- Beat 3 Tbsp reserved brown butter with 3 oz cream cheese for 2-3 minutes until smooth.
- Add 3/4 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt, and 2 cups powdered sugar, beating until creamy.
- Frost cooled cookies and top with toasted coconut.
