Sourdough Carrot Cake Cookies
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Sourdough carrot cake cookies are not your average sourdough cookie! With a soft, chewy centre, crispy edges and a drizzle of the most amazing vanilla cream cheese frosting, these sourdough carrot cake cookies are a mouthwatering adventure!
If you're looking for all the flavor of sourdough carrot cake, but in a simpler, snackier form - these sourdough carrot cake cookies are for you!
If cookies are your thing, then check out this collection of sourdough cookie recipes, including these popular sourdough gingerbread crinkle cookies and chewy sourdough chocolate chip cookies.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Distinctive Flavor Fusion: Sourdough carrot cake cookies offer a unique and delightful blend of flavors. The tanginess from the sourdough starter complements the sweetness of the traditional carrot cake, creating a well-balanced and distinctive taste that sets these cookies apart.
Soft and Chewy Texture: The incorporation of sourdough starter in the cookie dough contributes to a soft and chewy texture. This, combined with the classic carrot cake elements like grated carrots and warm spices, results in a cookie that is not only flavorful but also irresistibly tender.
Creative Twist on a Classic: For those who appreciate innovative takes on familiar favorites, sourdough carrot cake cookies provide a creative twist on the traditional carrot cake. The addition of sourdough adds depth and complexity to the flavor profile, turning a beloved cake into a portable and shareable treat (and if portable treats and snacks are your bag, check out all of these sourdough based snacks).
How To Make Sourdough Carrot Cake Cookies
Sourdough carrot cake cookies use very similar ingredients to a sourdough carrot cake, just with less liquid and the addition of coconut for a chewier texture.
In a large mixing bowl, add the butter, sugar, vanilla extract and eggs and whisk together until well combined.
Now add the sourdough starter and whisk until the batter is light and marshmallowy.
Now, add all the dry ingredients to the bowl and stir together using a spatula until you have a thick, sticky cookie dough.
Cover the bowl with a plastic cover and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours. It's fine to leave the dough up to 24 hours (in fact leaving it longer allows your sourdough starter to ferment the dough and increases the flavor profile of your cookies).
When you're ready to bake the sourdough carrot cake cookies, preheat your oven to 190C (375F) and line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Use a cookie scoop to scoop out balls of dough and place them on the cookie sheets leaving 2" between each dough ball.
Take a flat bottomed glass or measuring cup and run it under water. Use the glass or cup to flatten each of the dough balls. This will give your sourdough carrot cake cookies a nicer shape.
Bake the cookies for 20 minutes at 190C (375F) or until just golden. You want the edges to be crispy and the middles to be just set.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking tray and then after 10 minutes transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
To glaze the cookies, mix all the glaze ingredients together in a food processor or stand mixer and then pipe onto cool cookies. They are delicious without the glaze, so you don't have to glaze them if you'd prefer.
How To Freeze + Store
These sourdough carrot cake cookies will last around a week stored in an airtight container. I find I get better results storing them in a glass jar, rather than plastic - as that tends to make them lose their crispy edges.
I advise you to only frost the cookies when you are going to be eating them. If you store the cookies with the glaze, they will go soft and quite cake like (still delicious, but a definite change in texture).
The cookie dough freezes really well - form into balls and snap freeze on a baking tray before transferring to a sealed ziploc bag. You can bake the cookies from frozen when you want to. And the best thing is, you can just bake a few at a time if you want to, rather than baking a whole batch.
Sourdough Carrot Cake Cookies
Ingredients
- 160 g Butter (softened at room temperature)
- 175 g Brown Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 5 g Vanilla Extract
- 100 g Sourdough Discard (or active sourdough starter)
- 200 g All Purpose Flour
- 8 g Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Ground Ginger
- 3 g Salt
- 250 g Shredded Carrot
- 50 g Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
- 90 g Raisins
- 180 g Rolled Oats
Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze (Optional)
- 120 g Cream Cheese (softened at room temperature)
- 5 g Vanilla Extract
- 100 g Powdered Sugar
- 20 g Milk
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the butter, sugar, vanilla extract and eggs and whisk together until well combined.
- Now add the sourdough starter and whisk until the batter is light and marshmallowy.
- Now, add all the dry ingredients to the bowl and stir together using a spatula until you have a thick, sticky cookie dough.
- Cover the bowl with a plastic cover and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours. It's fine to leave the dough up to 24 hours.
- When you're ready to bake the sourdough carrot cake cookies, preheat your oven to 190C (375F) and line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out balls of dough and place them on the cookie sheets leaving 2" between each dough ball.
- Take a flat bottomed glass or measuring cup and run it under water. Use the glass or cup to flatten each of the dough balls.
- Bake the cookies for 20 minutes at 190C (375F) or until just golden. You want the edges to be crispy and the middles to be just set.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking tray and then after 10 minutes transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
To Make The Glaze
- To make the glaze, add all of the glaze ingredients to a stand mixer or food processor and blend until it's smooth and creamy. Add to a piping bag and drizzle over the cookies.You can mix the glaze by hand, but it's so much easier in a food processor or stand mixer.
Nutrition
