Carrot cake whoopie pies are a delicious dessert idea for Easter! Learn how to make these soft and cakey cookies filled with cream cheese frosting.

When I was young I always loved going to my grandparents house for dinner. My grandmother was really good at cooking salmon, and her side items were on point.

There was one thing that she always made – pretty much every time – that could’ve gone terrible wrong. Especially with young grandchildren. And especially back in the day before we knew you didn’t boil veggies to mush.

Cooked carrots.

The thing is . . . we always loved my grandmother’s cooked carrots! And now that I’m older, I realize why. The smart lady coated them with lots of butter and then a little bit of spice (probably Johnny’s Seasoning Salt).

The carrots were a vehicle for the seasoned butter. What a great way to get kids to eat their vegetables!

It turns out that I found another way to deliver “disguised carrots” in a dish, and this time they are under cover in an Easter dessert: carrot cake whoopie pies.

And while I realize this is completely a dessert and not my grandmother’s side item, the fact is – they are similar. Both dishes include large helpings of carrots and taste delicious.

These whoopie pies have a bright, spiced flavor from the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. And sandwiched in between? Cream cheese frosting!

You’re going to love them, I promise!

Are you ready for the recipe? Here’s what ingredients you’re going to need:

Cookies

1 cup salted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 tsp cinnamon (you can also add nutmeg and cloves for some extra hints of warm flavor)
1 tsp baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 large carrots, shredded (approx. 2 cups)

Filling

1 cup salted butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 T milk (optional)

Things to Remember for This Recipe

The cookie batter should be creamy and slightly sticky. It should easily drop from a spoon but not be too runny. If the batter is too thick, your cookies might be dry; if it’s too thin, they may spread too much.Pair up cookies that are similar in size and shape to make the prettiest sandwiches.

It is important to let the cookies cool completely before frosting them. If the cookies are still warm, it will melt the butter in the frosting and cause it to become too runny to keep the sandwich together.

Don’t overfill the whoopie pies, as this can make them messy to eat. A couple of tablespoons of filling should be sufficient for each cookie.

Store the assembled whoopie pies in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out and to maintain their freshness. They can stay refrigerated for up to ten days, and can be frozen for up to two months.

Some folks have suggested adding sprinkles to the sides of the cream like we did with our Halloween whoopie pies and Christmas whoopie pies. I think that would be a fun idea to use a holiday mix!

Get the printable recipe for this dessert below.

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

This carrot cake whoopie pie recipe is perfect for spring or Easter! You'll love the tasty frosting filling.

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Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 11

Total Time: 31

Servings: whoopie pies

Ingredients

Cookies

1 cup salted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 egg(s) large
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 carrot(s) large, shredded (about 2 cups)

Filling

1 cup salted butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-2 T milk optional

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 F. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth.
Once the butter and sugars are thoroughly creamed together, whisk in the eggs and vanilla until the eggs are fully incorporated into the mixture.
Fold in the shredded carrots until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough mixture.
Add the cinnamon, baking powder, and flour. Whisk the mixture continuously until no dry pockets of flour or other dry ingredients remain.
Scoop balls of dough about 1-2 inches in diameter onto a cookie sheet.
Bake the cookies for 11 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool while you prepare the filling.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla with an electric hand mixer until the frosting is smooth and creamy. If the frosting is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk.
Use a piping bag or Ziploc bag to pipe a ring of frosting onto half of the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies.