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Round Carrot Cake Shortbread Cookies with white icing drizzle arranged on a white plate, showing visible carrot and nut pieces.
Linda

Carrot Cake Shortbread Cookies

Buttery, crumbly shortbread meets warm carrot cake spices in these elegant slice-and-bake cookies that taste like spring in every bite.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 8 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 142
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Dough
  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature, 2 sticks
  • 0.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp ground ginger
  • 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg freshly grated if possible
  • 0.25 tsp fine sea salt
  • 0.5 cup carrot finely grated, packed, about 1 medium
  • 0.25 cup walnuts finely chopped, optional
For the Glaze
  • 0.75 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp cream cheese softened
  • 1 tbsp milk plus more as needed

Equipment

  • Stand mixer or hand mixer
  • Fine grater or microplane
  • Parchment Paper
  • Baking Sheet

Method
 

Make the Dough
  1. In a large bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beat in the vanilla until just combined.
  2. Add the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together in clumps. It will look sandy at first; keep mixing until it holds together when squeezed.
  3. Add the grated carrot and walnuts (if using). Mix on low just until evenly distributed. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
  4. Transfer dough to a sheet of parchment paper. Shape into a log about 2 inches in diameter, rolling and smoothing with the paper. Twist the ends to seal. Chill for at least 1.5 hours until firm, or up to 3 days.
Bake
  1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Unwrap the dough log and slice into 1/4-inch rounds. Place 1 inch apart on the sheet. Bake 16-18 minutes until the edges are set and just beginning to turn golden. The centers will still look pale. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Glaze
  1. Whisk together powdered sugar, cream cheese, and milk until smooth. Add more milk 1 teaspoon at a time if needed for drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled cookies and let set for 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

Grate the carrot on the finest side of your grater so it incorporates smoothly without adding too much moisture. The dough log can be frozen for up to 2 months; slice from frozen and add 2-3 minutes to baking time. For a cleaner slice, rotate the log a quarter turn between each cut to prevent flattening.