Carrot Cake Mix Cookies (Soft, Easy & Frosted)

Ingredient Notes

• Boxed Cake Mix: These are the only dry ingredients you need!
• Eggs: We use large eggs.
• Applesauce: I buy unsweetened applesauce in individual servings so I always have some on hand. The shelf life of the single serving container is longer than the large jar.
• Grated Carrot: We shred our own carrots, but you could buy them already shredded if you like.
• Walnuts: We buy them already chopped and cut any large pieces in half.
• Butter: I like unsalted butter. It needs to be room temperature, that is very important!
• Cream Cheese: You can use regular or low fat. It needs to be room temperature, very important here, too!
• Powdered Sugar: Sifted works best so there are no lumps in the frosting.
• Vanilla Extract: Use your favorite brand.

How To Make

1. Mix: Combine the dry cake mix, eggs applesauce, shredded carrots, and walnuts in a large bowl. 
2. Refrigerate (optional but recommended): Chill the dough for 30 minutes to help prevent spreading and improve texture. You can skip this step if you’re short on time.
3. Scoop: Drop by rounded tablespoons of dough, or use a cookie scoop, onto prepared baking sheets at least 2″ – 3″ apart.
4. Bake Cookies: Bake 8 – 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven until cookies begin to set and brown around the edges.
5. Cool: Allow cookies to cool on the pan for 2 minutes then move to a wire rack to cool completely while you make the frosting.
6. Make the frosting: Combine butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl, mix with an electric hand mixer until creamy and smooth.
7. Frost Cookies: I like to put my frosting in a zip top bag, snip the corner off and pipe the frosting onto the top of the cookies. You can also just use a butter knife to spread it on.

Substitutions

• You can use a spice cake mix if you can’t find a box of carrot cake mix. Our store only had one brand of carrot cake mix. 
• Instead of applesauce you could use canola oil, vegetable oil, or melted butter.
• You could use chopped pecans instead of walnuts. If you don’t like nuts, or have an allergy, you could use chocolate chips, white chocolate chips or raisins.
• A great tangy sour cream frosting or butter cream frosting could replace the cream cheese frosting. Heck, these cookies are so yummy you could even leave the frosting off. 
• You could also swap out the homemade cream cheese frosting for store bought to make these even easier to make.

Recipe Tips

• Prepare the cookie sheet by using a silicone mat, spray with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. I like parchment paper the best for easy clean up.
• I use a #60 cookie scoop, which is small. It holds one tablespoon of cookie dough. We try to make our cookie balls about the same size but don’t fuss over it too much.
• Place the cookie dough balls about 2-3 inches apart so they have plenty of room to spread. I hate it when they run together. They taste the same but don’t look as pretty.
• Keep cookies in an airtight container. 

More Cookie Recipes

• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
• Jiffy Cornbread Cookies
• Perfect Chocolate Chip
• Double White Chocolate Chip
• White Chocolate Chip Craisin
• BIG Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

More Carrot Inspiration

• Carrot & Pineapple Salad – a light, refreshing side dish with crisp carrots, juicy pineapple, coconut, and raisins in a creamy, tangy dressing.
• Carrot Cake – using yellow cake mix it’s a simple, semi-homemade dessert that’s moist, flavorful, and tastes completely homemade.
• Honey Glazed Baby Carrots – a delicious, kid-friendly side dish made with just carrots, butter, and honey.