These carrot cake cookies are soft, pillowy and finished with an amazing orange glaze. When you bite into them, you get the texture of toasted coconut and the taste of carrots, all brought together by the bright, sweet icing.

The recipe comes from an old family recipe card, and it is a real treat: mashed carrots, butter and coconut in a cakey cookie that is drizzled with fresh orange glaze once cooled.

The Best Carrot Cake Cookies (Old Fashioned and Cakey)

This recipe was passed on to me by a friend. Her mother in law used to make these when she was alive, and she had been missing them, since she hadn’t had them in years. I couldn’t stand back while a friend was missing the taste of some delicious carrot cookies someone dear to her used to bake. I just couldn’t do it. I had to jump in!

She gave me one of those old recipe cards that her daughter had found, which had belonged to her grandmother. The recipe had somewhat vague instructions and was missing the glaze part. After asking a couple of questions about the texture of the cookie and the glaze consistency and taste, I arrived at what I believed would meet those requirements. And they did (I hope they did!). My friend loved the cookies, and I loved making them for her.

To me, nothing feels as wonderful as sharing my cooking with others. Either by recipes or by actually making them food. I’m known for baking and sharing, having friends over to eat and bringing food places. It’s how I communicate, how I express my love and how I connect with people. They aren’t just cookies, they represent the fond memories of a loved one, and I am so grateful to have been a part of that.

Why You’ll Love These Carrot Cookies

Soft and pillowy. Mashed carrots make a tender, cakey cookie that stays moist.
Toasted coconut. A few minutes in a skillet gives the coconut a nutty flavor and a little chew.
Bright orange glaze. Fresh orange juice and zest make a sweet, citrusy drizzle.
A recipe with a story. It comes from a cherished old family recipe card.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here is what goes into these old fashioned carrot cookies and why each one matters. Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

Carrots: Five medium carrots are boiled until very soft, then mashed. You only need 1 cup of the mashed carrots. Mashed carrots, rather than shredded, melt into the dough and give the cookies their soft, cakey texture and gentle sweetness.
Shortening and butter: Using both gives you the best of each. Butter brings rich flavor, and shortening helps the cookies hold their puffy shape instead of spreading thin.
Sugar: Creamed with the fats until fluffy, it sweetens the cookies and beats air into the dough, which keeps them light.
Eggs: Two eggs bind the dough and add structure to the cakey crumb. Room temperature eggs blend in more smoothly and keep the creamed butter from seizing, so set them out while the carrots cook.
Flour and baking powder: All purpose flour gives the cookies their body, and baking powder makes them rise tall and soft.
Shredded coconut: Toasting it in a dry skillet deepens the flavor and adds a pleasant texture to every bite. Sweetened or unsweetened both work; sweetened coconut browns a little faster, so watch it closely.
Confectioners sugar: The base of the glaze. It dissolves instantly, so the glaze stays smooth.
Orange juice and orange zest: Fresh juice thins the glaze and makes it bright and tangy. The zest carries the most orange flavor, so don’t skip it.
Softened butter: A little butter in the glaze makes it creamy and rich, and it helps the glaze set with a soft sheen instead of drying chalky.

How to Make Carrot Cake Cookies

Cook the carrots. Peel 5 carrots and roughly chop them into big pieces. Bring them to a boil with 2 cups of water in a covered saucepan and cook until very soft and falling apart. Drain, mash and measure out 1 cup.
Toast the coconut. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the coconut and toast for 5 to 8 minutes, swirling the pan, until it is golden and smells nutty.
Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Make the dough. Cream the shortening and butter in a stand mixer for about 2 minutes on medium. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes, then scrape the bowl. Mix in the mashed carrots, then the eggs one at a time. Mix the flour with the baking powder and add it on low, then mix in the coconut.
Scoop and bake. Shape the cookies with a #50 cookie scoop. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the tops look set and spring back when touched.
Glaze. Mix the glaze ingredients, adjusting the sugar or juice until the glaze falls slowly off a spatula in a ribbon. Once the cookies are cool, drizzle it over them.

Tip: Get the glaze consistency right. If it is too thick, add more orange juice by the teaspoon, and if it is too runny, add more sugar. You want it to fall slowly off the spatula in a ribbon.

Ways to Customize These Cookies

Add warm spice. A little ground cinnamon or nutmeg in the flour gives them more of a classic carrot cake flavor.
Add nuts or raisins. Fold in chopped walnuts, pecans or raisins with the coconut.
Try a cream cheese drizzle. Swap the orange glaze for a thin cream cheese icing.
Skip the coconut. Leave it out if you are not a fan of coconut.

Carrot Cake Cookies FAQs

Do I use shredded or mashed carrots? Mashed. The carrots are boiled until very soft, mashed and measured to 1 cup, which gives these cookies their cakey texture.
Why toast the coconut? Toasting brings out a nutty flavor and adds texture. Swirl the pan so it browns evenly and doesn’t burn.
Can I use all butter instead of shortening? You can, but the cookies may spread more and be a bit flatter. Shortening helps them stay puffy.
What size is a #50 cookie scoop? It holds about 1 1/4 tablespoons of dough, which makes small, even cookies that bake at the same rate.
How long do they bake? Anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes at 375°F, depending on your oven. Start checking at 10 minutes and pull them when the tops look set.
Can I cook the carrots ahead? Yes. Boil and mash them a day ahead, cover and refrigerate. Let them come to room temperature before mixing so they don’t chill the creamed butter.
Why are my cookies flat? Usually the butter was too soft or the dough too warm. Make sure the mashed carrots have cooled before you add them.
Why wait to glaze? Warm cookies melt the glaze so it soaks in and runs off. Let them cool completely so the glaze sets in a pretty drizzle.
How do I store them? Once the glaze has set, keep the cookies in an airtight container in a single layer or with parchment between layers so they don’t stick.

Carrot Cake Cookie Recipe - No Diets Allowed #Food #Foodie #Cookies

Soft Carrot Coconut Cookies

Soft carrot coconut cookies made with mashed carrots, butter, shortening and toasted coconut, baked into pillowy, cakey cookies and drizzled with a fresh orange juice and zest glaze.

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Ingredients

¾ cups sugar
2 cups flour
5 medium carrots
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup coconut shredded
½ cup shortening
½ cup butter

Orange glaze

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 1/2 tablespoons butter softened
4 tablespoons orange juice

Instructions

Peel 5 carrots and chop them into big pieces, roughly. Add 2 cups of water to a medium sauce pan with the carrots and bring to a boil, cover with a lid and cook them until they are very soft and falling apart. Drain and mash carrots. You will use 1 cup of the mashed carrots for the recipe.
Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium high heat, add coconut and toast for 5-8 minutes, swirling the pan around to mix the coconut and toast it evenly.
Pre-heat oven to 375F.
Cream the shortening and the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer for about 2 minutes on medium. Add sugar with the mixer on and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl. Add 1 cup of mashed carrots. Mix to combine. Add eggs, one at a time, waiting until the first egg is totally incorporated before adding the next one. Mix flour with baking powder in a bowl and add that to the batter with the mixer on low. Add coconut and mix until incorporated
Use a #50 cookie scoop to shape the cookies. Baking time can vary from 10-15 min.

Orange glaze

Mix all the glaze ingredients together, adjust sugar or juice. If it’s too thick, add some more juice, by the teaspoon and if it’s too runny, add more sugar. You want the glaze to fall slowly off the spatula in a ribbon.
Once cookies are cooled, drizzle the orange glaze over them.

Made these carrot cake cookies? Leave a star rating in the recipe card and share how they turned out in the comments below. Do you have an old family recipe card you treasure?