These Double Crumb Carrot Cookies are soft, fluffy, and loaded with cozy spice. Each bakery-style carrot cake cookie is piled high with a buttery crumble topping and finished with a light sweet glaze. If you love carrot cake and crumb topping, these cookies combine the best of both worlds.
Perfect for spring baking, Easter desserts, or everyday treats, these carrot crumble cookies are guaranteed to disappear fast.
Why You’ll Love These Carrot Cake Cookies
- Ultra-soft, cake-like texture
- Double crumb for extra buttery crunch
- Made with simple pantry ingredients
- Hidden veggies in dessert form
- Perfect for parties, holidays, and gifting
Tips for the Best Double Crumb Carrot Cookies
- Chill the dough – deeper flavor and thicker cookies
- Don’t skip the cornstarch – it keeps cookies tall and tender
- Bake slightly underdone – for soft, chewy centers
- Refrigerate the crumb topping – cold butter = better crumble
- Use finely grated carrots – for best texture and moisture
Ingredients for Double Crumb Carrot Cookies
Carrot Cookies
- 1¼ cups finely grated carrots
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Crumb Topping
- ½ cup cold butter, cubed
- ⅔ cup flour (gluten-free works too)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1–2 teaspoons milk or maple syrup
Optional: Chopped walnuts
How to Make Double Crumb Carrot Cookies
Make the Crumb Topping
- Mix flour, sugars, and cinnamon.
- Cut in cold butter until crumbly.
- Freeze until ready to use.
Make the Cookie Dough
- Cream butter and sugars until fluffy.
- Mix in carrots, applesauce, egg, and vanilla.
- Whisk dry ingredients and add to wet to form dough.
- Chill dough 2–3 hours.
Bake and Assemble
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet.
- Scoop dough and bake 12–14 minutes.
- Press crumb topping onto warm cookies.
- Cool completely.
Glaze
- Whisk glaze ingredients and drizzle over cooled cookies.
What Do Carrots Do in Baking?
Carrots add:
- Natural sweetness
- Moisture and softness
- Tender crumb texture
- Balance to spice and sugar
- A subtle flavor base that blends beautifully
How to Store Double Crumb Carrot Cookies
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days.
Freeze for up to 1 month with parchment between layers.
FAQ – Double Crumb Carrot Cookies
Can I make these carrot cookies ahead of time?
Yes. You can make both the cookie dough and crumb topping up to 2 days in advance and keep them refrigerated until ready to bake.
Can I freeze carrot cake cookies?
Absolutely. Freeze baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Let thaw at room temperature before serving.
Do I need to peel carrots before grating?
Yes. Peeling ensures a smoother cookie texture and removes bitterness from the skin.
Why are my carrot cookies flat?
Flat cookies usually mean warm dough or melted butter. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours and make sure the crumb topping stays cold.
Can I use pre-shredded carrots from the store?
You can, but chopping them finer gives better moisture distribution and softer cookies.
Can I skip the glaze?
Yes. The cookies are delicious on their own, but the glaze adds a bakery-style finish and subtle sweetness.
Can I use gluten-free flour?
Yes. Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for the crumb topping. Results may vary slightly in texture.
Why add cornstarch to cookie dough?
Cornstarch keeps cookies soft and thick while reducing spread.
MORE Carrot Desserts
Cinnamon crunch carrot quick bread
Candied Pecan Carrot Sugar Cookies
Double Carrot Crumb Cookies
Ingredients
- Cookies
- 1 ¼ cups finely grated carrots
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- Crumb Topping:
- ½ cup butter cold and cubed
- ⅔ cup gluten-free flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tsp milk or maple syrup for extra flavor
Instructions
- CRUMBLE
- Mix the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
- Add the cold, cubed butter and use your hands or a pastry cutter to create small clumps.
- Place in the freezer while you prepare the cookies.
- COOKIES
- In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the grated carrots, applesauce (or maple syrup), egg, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until a soft dough forms.
- Cover and chill the dough for at least 2 hours (preferably 3 hours) to prevent it from spreading. If the batter seems too sticky, add another 1-2 tbsp of flour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (instead of 375°F, since carrots release moisture). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop out the dough using a large cookie scoop and place it on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, removing when the centers look slightly underbaked. They will continue cooking as they cool.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then gently press 1 tbsp of the frozen crumb topping onto each cookie.
- GLAZE
- In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and milk until smooth.
- Once cookies are thoroughly cooled, drizzle glaze over the top.
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