Carrot Cake Bird’s Nest Cookies #SpringSweetsWeek

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This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation of the #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

Welcome to #SpringSweetsWeek 2019 hosted by Heather from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures! What better way to celebrate the coming of spring than with food and a fun giveaway? 30 bloggers from around the country have come together to share over 100 sweet recipes perfect for spring!  Get ready to ditch your hats, coats, and snow boots and get ready for some delicious sweet treats like cupcakes, cookies, sweet breads, and cocktails! Our #SpringSweetsWeek sponsors are helping us give away some great prizes. Thank you so much Swiss Diamond, Dixie Crystals, Nancy’s Yogurt, Sprinkle Pop, Adams Extracts, Barleans, Melissa’s Produce, and PEEPS® for your generosity.

I’m all about making cute little cookies and cakes for different seasons.  With spring finally here and Easter coming up I knew I needed to make something that screamed spring.  After all, winter has been so long this year.  It hasn’t been the snowiest winter on record but man has it been cold.  Plus every time it gets warm the next day the temperature plummets and it snows.  Craziness!

I’ve made several types of bird’s nest cupcakes, cakes, and cookies before but these one are the ultimate because they are Carrot Cake Bird’s Nest Cookies.  How fun is it that not only do they look like spring but they taste like spring too?  The carrot cake flavor actually makes me think of Easter since bunnies eat carrots so this would be a great Easter sweet as well.

I thought that the cookies may be a little more like cake then a cookie but they weren’t.  They were made with carrots, walnuts, and coconut which really gave it that carrot cake flavor but tasted like a cookie.  There are also several spices in it as well as two types of sugar.  I used Dixie Crystals for both the granulated sugar and the brown sugar.  The outside of these cookies were crunchy while the insides were soft and chewy.  They really made delicious cookies.

In addition to just the cookie there is a filling to these as well.  It’s a cream cheese filling which is the traditional cake carrot frosting so it’s perfect for these cookies.  I used low fat cream cheese and Dixie Crystals powdered sugar to make it.  Then I used little chocolate eggs to go in the center of the cookies and they looked just like bird’s nests!

These cookies were so good.   Spiced carrot cake cookies filled with sweet cream cheese frosting and crunchy chocolate eggs make for a texture and flavor explosion plus they are just really fun cookies!   I can’t wait to make these for Easter dessert.

5.0 from 7 reviews

Carrot Cake Bird's Nest Cookies

 

Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

Carrot cake cookies are spiced and crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on this inside. They are filled with a creamy cream cheese frosting and topped with chocolate eggs.

Author: Heather Lynne

Recipe type: cookies

Serves: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• 1⅓ c. flour
• 2 t. cinnamon
• 1 t. ginger
• ½ t. nutmeg
• 1 t. salt
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
• ⅓ c. Dixie Crystals sugar
• ⅓ c. Dixie Crystals brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 t. vanilla
• ¾ c. finely grated carrots
• ¼ c. toasted walnuts, chopped
• 1½ c. shredded sweetened coconut

For the filling:

• 2 oz. low fat cream cheese, softened
• 2 T. butter, softened
• 1 t. vanilla
• ½ c. Dixie Crystals powdered sugar
• Chocolate eggs

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Mix and set aside.
3. In a large bowl beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
4. Add the carrots and walnuts and mix well.
5. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
6. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and then roll in the coconut. Arrange them one inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press a teaspoon into the middle of each cookie.
7. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until the coconut is golden brown.
8. Remove from oven and cool completely on the baking pans.
9. Meanwhile, make the filling by beating the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl until fluffy.
10. Mix in the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
11. Place the filling in a zip top baggie and pipe into the center of each cookie. Top with 3 chocolate eggs.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Food Network Magazine, January/February 2019.

3.4.3177

Monday #SpringSweetsWeek Recipes

• A PEEP into the Upcoming #SpringSweetsWeek Festivities by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Blueberry Shortbread by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Carrot Cake Balls by Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
• Carrot Cake Cupcakes by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Carrot Cake Nest Cookies by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Carrot Cake Swirl Cheesecake by Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Coconut Lemon Pound Cake by The Crumby Kitchen
• Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies by Kelly Lynn’s Sweets and Treats
• Easy Marshmallow Popcorn Balls by House of Nash Eats
• Easy Peanut Butter Cornflake Bars by Creative Southern Home
• Healthier Orange Julius Copycat by Simply Inspired Meals
• Individual Italian Easter Breads by Cookaholic Wife
• Lemon Blueberry Croissant Bread Pudding by The Freshman Cook
• Lemon Blueberry Scones by A Joyfully Mad Kitchen
• Lemon Cream Pie by Home Sweet Homestead
• Lemon Ricotta Stuffed Crepes with Cherry Syrup by Cooking With Carlee
• Mini Key Lime Cheesecakes by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Mini Strawberry Mousse Tarts by A Savory Feast
• Orange Pineapple Nice Cream Pops by Crumb Top Baking
• PB&J PEEPSomars by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Peach Blueberry Upside Down Cake by The Tip Garden
• Peeps Shortbread Checkerboard by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Roasted Strawberry Mousse Tart by The Gingered Whisk
• Soft Frosted Lemon Cookies by Kate’s Recipe Box
• Spring Fruit and Rice Krispies Treat Kabobs by Blogghetti
• Strawberry Raspberry Smoothie by Books n’ Cooks
• Sweet Breakfast Crepes by The Speckled Palate
• Toasted Pound Cake by Our Good Life
• Vanilla Bean Dutch Baby with Strawberry Hibiscus Syrup by The Baking Fairy
• White Chocolate Strawberry and Champagne Scones with Champagne Glaze by Family Around the Table
• White Cupcakes with Blueberry Frosting by Sweet Beginnings
• Xangos by Palatable Pastime

Thank you #SpringSweetsWeek Sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Swiss Diamond, Nancy’s Yogurt, Barlean’s, Sprinkle Pop, PEEPS, Melissa’s Produce, and Adams Extracts for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are my own. The #SpringSweetsWeek giveaway is open to residents of the United States who are 18 years of age or older.   All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Eight (8) winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. The #SpringSweetsWeek Bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the #SpringSweetsWeek posts or entry.