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These rich and perfectly sweet Carrot Sandwich Cookies with Orange Cream Cheese Filling are super soft and beyond delicious. You will love them.
Why this recipe is so good:
If you want to make something different than your traditional carrot cake, these cookies are like two bite carrot cakes, but better.
Want an ultra soft sandwich cookie with a delectable cream filling?
These cookies are full of sweetened shredded carrots. This makes the cookies extremely moist and almost cake like.
The filling is similar to a cream cheese frosting but isn’t as sweet and it’s infused with orange zest.
How to make them:
Step 1: Combine shredded carrots with some brown sugar in a strainer. The sugar will sweeten and soften the carrots as well as remove some of the liquid.
Step 2: Melt butter and combine with orange zest and vanilla. Once it cools a bit, mix in an egg.
Step 3: Whisk together all the dry ingredients including flour, more brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.
Step 4: Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients as well as the softened shredded carrots. The mixture will be extremely sticky.
Step 5: Divide the cookie dough in half. Form 14 balls. Flatten each ball onto a parchment lined baking sheet. 
Step 6: The cookies will bake for 12-14 minutes. They will need to sit on the hot baking sheet a few more minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. 
Step 7: The filling is made by creaming together softened cream cheese and butter with confectioners sugar, orange zest, and vanilla extract. The filling can be spread on with a butter knife, but I prefer to pipe it on using a plastic bag. 
Step 8: Match cookies up into pairs by similar size. Add filling to half of the cookies and then press together to make a sandwich cookie. 
Cooking tips for perfect results:
- I prefer to use peeled whole carrots instead of baby carrots. They have much better flavor and are less watery.
- You can shred the carrots using a cheese grater or a food processor with the grater blade attachment (my preference).
- The cookies will look under done when you take them out of the oven. You will need to trust your nose to determine if they’ve cooked long enough. Allowing them to sit on the hot baking sheet for a few minutes will ensure they get fully cooked.
- Make sure the cookies have cooled completely before adding the filling.
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave me a comment to let me know what you think!
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Ingredients
Cookies:
- 2 cups shredded carrots packed
- 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar divided
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Filling
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup powder sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare baking sheet by lining with parchment paper.
- Place shredded carrots in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of brown sugar over carrots and stir to coat. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes to make the carrots tender. You should get at least 1/4 cup of brown liquid that drains out. Discard liquid and set carrots aside.
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter in medium sized bowl. Add 1 teaspoon orange zest and 1 teaspoon vanilla. When butter cools, but is still liquid, add egg. Stir well to combine.
- In large separate bowl, combine flour, remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda. Stir to combine. Add sweetened carrots and egg mixture. Stir to combine (you may need to use your hands). Dough will be very sticky.
- Divide dough into two equal portions. Using half the dough, make 14 balls of equal size on cookie sheet in three rows of 5-4-5. Use fingers to flatten each ball into circles that are about 1/4 inch thick.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 12-14 minutes or until set. Allow cookies to rest on hot baking sheet for an additional 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Repeat with second half of dough.
- To make the filling, add 4 tablespoons cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of butter to bowl of stand mixture and beat with paddle on medium high speed for about a minute until light and fluffy. Add powder sugar, orange zest and vanilla. Scrape down sides and mix on low for about 30 seconds until well combined.
- Match cooled cookies into pairs of like sizes. Either spread filling with a knife or add filling to a plastic bag and cut the corner off to squeeze it out. Distribute filling evenly onto 14 cookies, placing filling on flat side of cookie. Top with second cookie, flat side against cookie.
Notes
Cooking tips for perfect results:
- I prefer to use peeled whole carrots instead of baby carrots. They have much better flavor and are less watery.
- You can shred the carrots using a cheese grater or a food processor with the grater blade attachment (my preference).
- The cookies will look under done when you take them out of the oven. You will need to trust your nose to determine if they've cooked long enough. Allowing them to sit on the hot baking sheet for a few minutes will ensure they get fully cooked.
- Make sure the cookies have cooled completely before adding the filling.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was originally published in September 2014 and has been updated with more helpful information and cooking tips. Don’t worry – I didn’t change the recipe.
Will these freeze??
you bet! -Krissy
Made this in lieu of carrot cake for my husband’s birthday and it was a big hit! He’s not into overly-sweet desserts so this was right up his alley! The orange zest left a nice zing of flavor in the frosting. Thanks for the recipe!
Awesome! Thank you so much for letting me know!!! -Krissy
Do I have to use the orange zest in the cream cheese filling? I’m not a huge fan. Will it also be noticed in the cookie?
If you don’t like it, you can definitely leave it out! The orange zest is completely up to personal preference and won’t impact how the cookie or the filling turn out. -Krissy
What a delicious and healthy dessert. I just wanted to let you know that I have a website (Simply Creative Recipes) where I showcase recipes that I find and I am linking to this post if you don’t mind. Please feel free to submit any recipes to my site if you’d like.
Is the flour AllP or SR?
Hi Alicia. I used all purpose. I’ll edit the recipe to include that. Thanks! Krissy
Can you please tell me what pumpkin pie spice is or what I can use instead I am from Perth Australia Thankyou love your recipes
Hi Kerry, Pumpkin pie spice is something I like to buy when I’m too lazy to throw several different spices in. Its mostly cinnamon with a bit of allspice and nutmeg. That’s all. 🙂 -Krissy
I will fly you to So. Cal if you will make these for me!
Just you wait until I get all crazytown with Christmas Cookies!
Sooo yummy! Wow!!
Do they need to be refrigerated if serving later?
Leftovers (if there are any?)
I like to keep these refrigerated because they are so soft and because of the filling. Just keep them in an airtight container.
Thank you kindly. None left to freeze this time.
Glad to hear it!