Description
Soft, cake-like cookies packed with shredded carrot and zucchini, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, and sandwiched with a creamy cream cheese filling. A healthier twist on classic carrot cake, perfect for a snack or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup finely shredded carrot (about 1 medium carrot)
- 1/2 cup finely shredded zucchini (about 1 small zucchini), squeezed dry
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/4 cup raisins (optional)
- For the cream cheese filling:
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Prepare the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add egg and vanilla extract; beat until combined.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in shredded carrot, shredded zucchini, rolled oats, and raisins (if using) until evenly distributed.
- Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 12–14 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and centers are set. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While cookies cool, make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until creamy.
- Once cookies are completely cool, spread about 1 tablespoon of filling onto the flat side of one cookie and top with another cookie to form a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies.
- Store filled cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
You can customize the seasonings to taste. For extra texture, add 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans. Squeeze the shredded zucchini well to remove excess moisture to prevent soggy cookies. The cookies freeze well without the filling.