These Inside Out Carrot Cake Cookies are just like mini carrot cakes. They’re a soft, sweet, and veggie-filled dessert perfect for any day of the week!
I was at Trader Joes last week and spotted a pack of Inside Out Carrot Cake Cookies on the shelf where they sell the baked goods. Apparently these have been around for a while but I’m just now finding out about them! I love the concept. It’s something I didn’t even realize I needed in my life, but I knew right away I wanted to try developing a copycat myself. Also, I’m always a fan of getting some veggies in my dessert! I’m excited to share these fun carrot cake cookie sandwiches with you today.
What are Inside Out Carrot Cake Cookies?
These are similar to, and taste just like a mini carrot cake that you can hold in your hand. You know how some people take the bottoms of cupcakes and put them on top of the frosting to make a sandwich? This is kind of like that, except they wont fall apart in your hands. The cookies are soft, tender, and a little chewy. They sandwich a creamy cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
Credit to Trader Joes for the name and idea!
What’s In Them?
The cookies themselves are made primarily with flour, rolled oats, carrots, and pecans. They’re spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and vanilla. I love that the rolled oats give them a nice, hearty texture. Make sure to use rolled oats, and preferably quick oats if you have them. As for the flour, you can use either white flour or white whole wheat flour.
As for the frosting, I make a pretty classic cream cheese frosting, but add a dash of cinnamon to give it an aromatic flavor that goes perfectly with the carrot cake cookies.
How to Make Them
Step 1: Prep Ingredients
Before making the cookies, you’ll need to peel and grate some carrots. I generally use around 2 medium carrots in here, but you may need more or less depending on size. To grate, you can use a box grater, plane, or even food processor. If using a food processor, cut the carrots into pieces before adding them in. Then, secure the top and pulse a few times until they are shredded.
Step 2: Make the Carrot Cake Cookies
Making the cookies is relatively simple! Start by mixing the dry ingredients in one bowl. Then, in your mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the remaining wet ingredients, followed by the dry, and lastly fold in the carrots and chopped pecans. The dough will be a little thick and sticky but that’s okay!
Bake them for 12-14 minutes. This may seem a little longer than one would expect for cookies, but there is a good bit of moisture in these because of the carrots. As a result, you may find that you need to bake closer to 14 minutes.
Step 3: Frost!
Whip up the frosting in your mixer, then spread or pipe a layer (you pick how thick) onto the bottom of a fully cooled cookie. Then simply take another one, put it on top, and make a little sandwich!
Tips & Tricks
Add-Ins: You can certainly add half a cup of extras into the dough, such as raisins or chopped candied ginger.
Extra frosting: You may have some leftover frosting after making these. So…what do you do? One option is to save it for later. Refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Just make sure to thaw it in the fridge! Another option is to spread it on other foods–graham crackers, bananas, strawberries, or pretzels are some of my favorites.
Measure flour correctly! I will forever and always link this guide from King Arthur Baking.
How to store leftovers: Place the cookie sandwiches into an airtight container or bag, and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Did You Make This Recipe?
If you tried this recipe then I’d love to hear from you! Leave a rating or comment letting me know your thoughts. If you take a picture of the end result, feel free to share it with me on instagram at @toppedwithhoney. Looking forward to seeing your Inside Out Carrot Cake Cookies!
Inside Out Carrot Cake Cookie Sandwiches
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp flour
- 1 cup rolled quick oats
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup butter
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup carrots, peeled and grated
- ½ cup pecans, finely chopped
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1.75 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp milk
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, and salt together until combined.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and two sugars. Beat them together on medium-high speed until it is light and fluffy (1-2 minutes).
- Reduce the speed to medium and add the egg and vanilla, continuing to beat until creamy.
- Add the dry ingredients and continue mixing on low speed until the flour is just combined. Then, fold in the carrots and pecans. The final dough will be a bit sticky.
- Use a cookie dough scoop or a greased spoon to drop 1.5 tbsp at a time of the dough onto the lined cookie sheets. Make sure to spread them 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the tops are set and edges start turning brown.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
- Beat the butter and cream cheese together in a mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds or until they are combined and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon and continue beating until smooth and creamy.
- Once the cookies have fully cooled, spread or pipe the bottom side of one with the cream cheese frosting. Find a similar sized cookie and place it on top to make a sandwich. Repeat with the other cookies. Enjoy!
Delicious! The only change I’d try next time is to use more butter in the frosting to make it more “whipped” and fluffy.
Thanks for the recipe, it’s a keeper!
Yes, they ARE a copycat for the TJoe’s cartot cake cookies.
They. Are. Fantastic.
Thanks for the great recipe!
You really nailed it! I have been missing the trader joes carrot cake cookies for years. Thank you so much for creating this recipe! I love that the serving size can be adjusted too. I made a BUNCH.