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Rack with baked carrot cake cookies and icing on it.

Carrot Cake Cookies from a Cake Mix (with frosting)

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cake mix cookies, carrot cake cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 26 cookies
Calories: 87kcal
Author: Kara @ Quick and Easy Baking
These easy carrot cake cookies are made from a cake mix, are super moist and soft then covered in cinnamon cream cheese frosting and sprinkled with crushed walnuts.
Print Recipe
US Customary - Metric

Ingredients

For the cookies:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (1 stick)
  • 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature (1/2 block)
  • 1 15 oz box carrot cake mix (I used Betty Crocker Carrot Cake Mix) (dry mix only...do not add the ingredients listed on the box)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup mix-ins optional: nuts, raisins, mini chocolate chips etc.

For the frosting:

  • 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature (1/2 block)
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (1/2 stick)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 tablespoon corn syrup (optional, but will allow the glaze to firm up)
  • crushed walnuts for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

For the cookies:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set them aside.
  • In a large bowl add the room temperature butter and cream cheese. Mix with an electric mixer on medium until smooth.
  • Add the dry carrot cake mix, eggs and vanilla extract and mix on medium until well combined.
  • Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again to make sure all ingredients are well combined.
  • Add any additional ingredients you want, like raisins, chocolate chips, nuts etc. Use a large spoon to stir them in. Dough will be sticky.
  • Drop by rounded tablespoonful onto baking sheets. Make sure there are a couple inches between each cookie.
  • Bake in a preheated oven for 15-18 minutes. Cool the pan on a wire rack for five minutes, then transfer the cookies to the cooling rack to cool completely before adding the frosting.

For the frosting:

  • Add the room temperature cream cheese and the room temperature butter to a mixing bowl and mix with an electric mixer on medium-high.
  • Add the vanilla, cinnamon, confectioner's sugar, milk and corn syrup and mix until smooth. The corn syrup is optional, but will help the frosting set up (firm up) on the cookies a bit better.
  • Use a spoon to swirl frosting onto each completely cooled cookie.
  • Optional: Sprinkle the tops of cookies with crushed walnuts.
  • Let the cookies sit out for about 20 minutes for the frosting to firm up a bit.

Notes

These cookies are best served at room temperature. However, since the frosting contains cream cheese, these will need to be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator. They will last for about a week.
To eat, set cookies out ahead of time to come closer to room temperature.
Nutritional values are an estimate.
Make sure to check out the TIPS & FAQs for this recipe in the blog post, which may answer questions you may have.
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Nutrition

Calories: 87kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 37mg | Potassium: 19mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 300IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg