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These orange carrot cookies are soft, sweet, and full of fresh citrus flavor with just the right hint of cozy spice. Shredded carrots keep the cookies moist and tender, while orange zest gives every bite a bright, cheerful taste. They are easy enough for an afternoon baking project but pretty enough for Easter, spring parties, lunchboxes, or dessert trays. Pin this so you have a simple carrot cookie recipe ready when you want something homemade and a little different.

Why this is the best Carrot Cookies with Orange Glaze recipe

It's a simple recipe. These orange carrot cookies are made with basic baking ingredients plus fresh carrots and bright orange flavor, so they taste special without being hard to make. You probably already have most of what you need in your pantry.

It's easy to make. The dough comes together quickly, and the cookies bake up soft, sweet, and full of cozy flavor. You do not need any fancy equipment or complicated steps.

They taste amazing. The carrots keep the cookies moist and tender, while the orange adds a fresh citrus flavor that makes them feel light and cheerful. They are sweet enough for dessert but not so rich that they feel heavy.

They're great for spring, Easter, lunchboxes, and afternoon snacks. These cookies are a fun way to use carrots in a sweet treat, and they are pretty enough for a holiday tray but easy enough for any regular day.

These soft cookies are not super sweet and go well with coffee and are also good for a quick breakfast.

What you'll need to make the best Carrot Cookies with Orange Glaze

Equipment

See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

Ingredients

For the carrot cookies

Butter softened - Softened butter gives these orange carrot cookies a rich flavor and tender texture. Make sure it is soft enough to mix easily but not melted.
Sugar - Regular granulated sugar sweetens the cookies and helps them bake up soft with lightly crisp edges.
Carrots cooked and mashed, measured after mashing - The mashed carrots add moisture, sweetness, and pretty orange color. Be sure to cook and mash the carrots first, then measure them for the recipe.
Large Egg - The egg helps hold the cookie dough together and gives the cookies structure as they bake.
Vanilla bean paste - Vanilla bean paste adds a sweet, rich vanilla flavor with those pretty little vanilla flecks. You can use vanilla extract if that is what you have.
Orange zest - Fresh orange zest gives the cookies their bright citrus flavor. Zest only the orange part of the peel because the white part underneath can taste bitter.
All purpose flour or cup-for-cup gluten-free baking mix - All purpose flour gives the cookies their soft, tender crumb. Use a cup-for-cup gluten-free baking mix if you need gluten-free orange carrot cookies.
Salt - A little salt balances the sweetness and brings out the orange and carrot flavors.
Baking powder - Baking powder helps the cookies puff up and keeps them from being too dense.

For the orange glaze

Orange juice hot
Powdered sugar
Oranges zest only, divided

How to make easy Carrot Cookies with Orange Glaze

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
With a mixer, beat shortening and sugar in a large bowl until crumbly.
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Add carrots, egg, vanilla bean paste, and orange zest to sugar mixture and beat until well mixed.
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Sift flour, salt and, baking powder, and gradually add sifted mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing well. Do not overmix once the dry ingredients and wet ingredients have been combined.
Drop by spoonful onto a cookie sheet.
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Bake cookies 15 minutes or until golden.
Make the glaze while cookies are cooling. Combine hot orange juice and powdered sugar, a little at a time, until all incorporated.
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Beat until all lumps are smooth, then stir in the zest from 2 oranges, minus the teaspoon you put in the cookies.
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Drizzle the glaze on top of the cooled cookies and lightly sprinkle with remaining orange zest for garnish.
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Cook's Tips

This soft dough doesn't work well with a cookie scoop. It works better dropped from a spoon. To do this, you will need two spoons. Scoop up a small amount of batter with one spoon and use the second spoon to scrape the batter off the spoon and onto the cookie sheet.

Substitutions & variations

You can use freshly grated carrots for the best texture and moisture. I do not recommend using pre-shredded carrots because they are usually too dry and thick for soft cookies. If your carrots seem extra wet after grating, gently blot them with a paper towel before adding them to the dough.

You can make these orange carrot cookies with orange zest, orange juice, or a little orange extract, depending on how strong you want the citrus flavor to be. Orange zest gives the freshest flavor, while orange extract makes the orange taste a little stronger.

If you like warm spice, add cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, or a little cloves. You can also stir in chopped walnuts, pecans, raisins, white chocolate chips, or shredded coconut for extra texture.

For a sweeter cookie, drizzle the cooled cookies with a simple orange glaze made from powdered sugar and orange juice. You can also spread them with cream cheese frosting if you want them to taste more like carrot cake cookies.

Storing leftovers

Store leftover orange carrot cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If the cookies have glaze or cream cheese frosting, store them in the refrigerator instead.

You can refrigerate unfrosted cookies for up to a week. Let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving so they soften back up.

These cookies also freeze well. Place the cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag with parchment paper between the layers, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature before serving, and add glaze or frosting after thawing for the best texture.

Check out more delicious Carrot Cookies recipes

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Why this is the best Carrot Cookies with Orange Glaze recipe