Ingredients:

  • 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
  • 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups (about 150 g) finely grated carrots (use the fine side of a box grater)
  • 1/2 cup (60 g) chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
  • 1/3 cup (55 g) raisins or dried pineapple (optional)
  • 8 oz (226 g) full-fat cream cheese, cold or slightly chilled (for filling)
  • 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened (for filling)
  • 2 cups (240 g) powdered (icing) sugar, sifted (for filling)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for filling)
  • Pinch of fine sea salt (for filling)
  • 1–2 tablespoons milk or cream (if needed to thin filling)
  • A few extra chopped nuts or a small sprinkling of finely grated carrot for garnish (optional)
  • Orange zest (1 tsp) folded into the filling for a citrus note (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Prep: Preheat oven when ready to bake and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  2. Mix dry ingredients: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in a bowl.
  3. Cream butter and sugars: Beat softened butter with brown and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (2–3 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating to combine, then stir in vanilla.
  4. Combine wet and dry: Fold the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
  5. Fold in carrot and add-ins: Stir in finely grated carrot and fold in nuts and raisins or dried pineapple if using until evenly distributed.
  6. Chill dough: If the dough is soft, chill for 30–45 minutes (or about 15 minutes if already fairly firm) to make scooping easier and to prevent excessive spreading.
  7. Shape and bake: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Scoop uniform portions (~1.5 tbsp / 20–25 g per cookie) onto prepared sheets, spacing 1–1.5 inches apart. Bake 12–15 minutes until edges are set and tops are lightly golden; cookies will firm as they cool.
  8. Cool completely: Transfer baked cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely before filling to prevent melting the cream cheese.
  9. Make the cream cheese filling: Beat cream cheese and softened butter until smooth. Add vanilla and salt, then gradually beat in powdered sugar until desired sweetness and stiffness. If too thick, add milk 1 teaspoon at a time. Chill briefly if needed to firm for piping.
  10. Assemble sandwiches: Pair cookies by size. Pipe or spread about 2 tablespoons (30 g) of filling onto the flat side of one cookie, top with a matching cookie, and press gently to the edge. For best presentation, chill assembled sandwiches 15–30 minutes to set the filling.
  11. Store: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4–5 days; bring to room temperature 15–30 minutes before serving. For longer storage, freeze assembled sandwiches or freeze cookies and filling separately and thaw in the fridge overnight.