Description
Delight in these moist and flavorful Carrot Cake Cookies, packed with the warm spices of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, sweetened naturally with Truvia® and enhanced by crunchy pecans. Topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting, these cookies offer a delicious and healthier twist on traditional carrot cake.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 cup Truvia® Sweet Complete® Brown With a Hint of Molasses
Wet Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter (for batter)
- 1/4 cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (for batter)
- 1/2 cup Carrot, grated or finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Chopped Pecans
For the Cream Cheese Icing
- 2 tablespoons Cream Cheese
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 1/2 cup Truvia Sweet Complete® Confectioners Stevia Leaf Sweetener
- 1 tablespoon Milk
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (for icing)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and allow for even baking.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, salt, and baking soda. This ensures an even distribution of spices and leavening agents.
- Cream Butter and Sweetener: Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the unsalted butter and Truvia® Sweet Complete® Brown sweetener at medium speed for about 2 minutes until well combined and fluffy.
- Add Apple Sauce: Mix in the unsweetened apple sauce until fully incorporated, adding moisture to the batter and reducing the need for additional fats.
- Incorporate Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract for 1 minute to combine all wet ingredients thoroughly.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet mixture at low speed, mixing just until a few flour streaks remain to avoid over mixing and tough cookies.
- Add Carrots and Pecans: Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the grated carrots and chopped pecans using a rubber spatula to preserve texture.
- Shape Cookies: Using a cookie scoop, place dollops of batter onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing cookies about 1 ½ inches apart. Flatten each cookie slightly using a buttered hand to allow even spreading.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set and the tops are lightly golden.
- Cool Cookies: Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting. Repeat the shaping and baking process with remaining dough.
- Prepare Icing: In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until creamy using a hand mixer or whisk.
- Add Sweetener and Flavorings: Stir in the confectioners’ stevia sweetener, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Adjust the milk quantity to achieve a slightly runny but pipeable consistency.
- Remove Lumps: Transfer the icing to a sealable plastic bag and knead to remove any lumps for a smooth finish.
- Prepare for Piping: Just before decorating, cut a small tip off one corner of the bag to pipe the icing onto the cookies.
- Frost Cookies: Pipe the cream cheese frosting over the cooled cookies evenly and decoratively.
- Storage: Store the frosted cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
Notes
- For best texture, do not over mix the batter once dry ingredients are added.
- You can substitute pecans with walnuts or omit nuts if preferred.
- Adjust the milk in the frosting to reach your desired piping consistency.
- Cookies should be completely cool before frosting to prevent melting.
- Store cookies at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: carrot cake cookies, healthy carrot cookies, low sugar cookies, cream cheese frosting, fall desserts, spiced cookies, nutty cookies
