Easy & Wholesome Carrot Cake Stuffed Cookies
A delightful recipe for soft carrot cake cookies, generously stuffed with a sweet and tangy cream cheese filling, making for a wholesome and satisfying dessert.
Equipment
- Small Bowl
- Parchment-lined tray
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric Mixer
- 2-inch cookie scoop
- Parchment-lined baking sheets
- Wire Rack
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1.5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract for filling
Cookie Dough
- 1.75 cups all-purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.25 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened
- 0.5 cup packed light brown sugar
- 0.25 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract for dough
- 0.5 cup finely shredded carrots moisture squeezed out
Instructions
- Prepare Cream Cheese Filling: In a small bowl, whisk together the softened cream cheese, 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until perfectly smooth.
- Freeze Filling Dollops: Using a small spoon, drop 12 dollops (about 2 teaspoons each) of the cream cheese mixture onto a parchment-lined tray. Cover and freeze for at least 2 hours, or until solid. This is key for easy stuffing!
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In another bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and ground nutmeg. Give it a good whisk and set aside.
- Cream Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with both the light brown sugar and ¼ cup granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy (this usually takes 1-2 minutes with an electric mixer).
- Add Egg & Vanilla: Mix in the large egg and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract until everything is well combined and smooth.
- Incorporate Carrots: Gently stir in the finely shredded carrots. Remember to squeeze out any extra water from the carrots first for the best cookie texture!
- Combine Wet & Dry: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until the dough just comes together and is no longer crumbly. The dough will be nice and thick, and a little sticky.
- Scoop & Stuff Cookies: Using a 2-inch cookie scoop (or about 2 ½ tablespoons of dough), scoop out some dough. While the dough is still in the scoop, use your finger to create a small well in the center. Place one frozen cream cheese dollop into this well, then gently press the dough around it to completely enclose the filling.
- Shape & Bake: Release the stuffed dough ball into your hand and gently roll it into a smooth sphere. Place these onto parchment-lined baking sheets, making sure to leave about 2-3 inches between each cookie.
- Bake to Perfection: Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 13-15 minutes, or until the edges look lightly golden.
- Cool & Enjoy: Let the baked cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This allows the creamy filling to set up perfectly. Get ready to enjoy your delicious, secretly-filled treats!
Notes
Nutrition information per serving (1 cookie):
- Calories: 211
- Total Carbs: 30g
- Net Carbs: 29g
- Fats: 8g
- Protein: 4g
