Carrot Cake Cookies: Two Treats Made Better Together: A Recipe by Isha Bhandari ’30

This recipe combines two of the best desserts of all time: carrot cake and chocolate chip cookies. I dreamed up this dessert on a rainy Saturday in March, when I was stuck in my house and unable to purchase carrot cake or chocolate chip cookies from my local bakery. Rather than mourn my inability to procure my beloved treats, I donned my apron, determined to bake something scrumptious myself. Initially, I had only opted to bake chocolate chip cookies, which was simple enough. However, upon seeing a bag of carrots uncomfortably close to rotting in a musty corner of my refrigerator, I took a creative risk and tossed the vegetable confetti into my chocolatey cookie batter. I may have accidentally created the greatest dessert ever on this fateful day. The carrots’ robust flavor and hardy texture brings variety to an otherwise overly-decadent, sickeningly sugary sweet treat. The richness and warmth of the spiced batter, bitterness of the chocolate, and savory quality of the carrots balance each other masterfully, making for a divine culinary creation sure to leave you perfectly satisfied.

Ingredients (makes about 12 cookies):

• 115 grams unsalted butter
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3–4 cloves
• 100 grams white granulated sugar
• 100 grams dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 150 grams all-purpose flour
• 65 grams bread flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teapoon cinnamon
• 110 grams carrots (shredded)
• 30 grams dark chocolate chips
• 30 grams chopped nuts of choice (optional)

Instructions:

1. Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Once fully melted, add in the cinnamon stick and cloves. Simmer on low heat until butter is browned, stirring continuously. 
2. Remove whole spices and transfer browned butter to a heat-safe bowl. Stir in one ice cube or one teaspoon of cool water.
3. Once cool and semisolid, beat together the butter, white sugar, and dark brown sugar using a whisk, stand mixer, or handheld beater. Once fully combined and fluffy, add in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract. Continue beating the mixture until fully incorporated.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, bread flour, baking soda, salt, and ground spices. Use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Set aside.
5. Shred carrots with a cheese grater or food processor. Wrap the carrot shreds in cheesecloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. (Optionally, you can lightly toast the carrots in a saucepan with 1 tablespoon of butter and a pinch of dry cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice.)
6. Using a spatula, fold the shredded carrots and chocolate chips into the batter. If including chopped nuts, add them now.
7. Spoon golf ball-sized scoops of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave about an inch of space between each cookie. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
8. In the preheated oven, bake the cookies for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Once fully baked, remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. 
10. Enjoy!

Isha Bhandari can be reached at ibhandari@wesleyan.edu.