Carrot Cake Bird’s Nest Cookies
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.
This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek.All opinions are mine alone.
Welcome to #SpringSweetsWeek. 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!
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.
Carrot Cake Bird's Nest Cookies
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.
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 1/3 c. flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
- 1/3 c. Dixie Crystals sugar
- 1/3 c. Dixie Crystals brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3/4 c. finely grated carrots
- 1/4 c. toasted walnuts, chopped
- 1 1/2 c. shredded sweetened coconut
For the filling:
- 2 oz. low fat cream cheese, softened
- 2 Tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 c. Dixie Crystals powdered sugar
- Chocolate eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Mix and set aside.
- In a large bowl beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
- Add the carrots and walnuts and mix well.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
- 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.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes or until the coconut is golden brown.
- Remove from oven and cool completely on the baking pans.
- Meanwhile, make the filling by beating the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl until fluffy.
- Mix in the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- 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.
Monday #SpringSweetsWeek Recipes
- 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
- Easy Marshmallow Popcorn Balls by House of Nash Eats
- Healthier Orange Julius Copycat by Simply Inspired Meals
- Individual Italian Easter Breads by Cookaholic Wife
- 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
- Sweet Breakfast Crepes by The Speckled Palate
- 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
Adorable and so full of fun flavors! Nothing says spring like these cookies!
These are the most adorable and delicious cookies I have ever seen! We love carrot cake in our household!
I love these – great way to get all the spring carrot cake flavor in a grab & go form. Great for spring entertaining. And I bet the kids would have a ball making these too!
I love carrot cake, so I know these cookies have to be good! What a great way to welcome Spring.
I love love love carrot cake, and love that you made nests! These are perfect to ring in spring.
These nests are cute by themselves but with the filling they’re over the top springtime good!
These are so cute. They would make a great daycare or school snack for an Easter party!
These are so cute, I can’t even stand it! They’ll be a fun treat to make with my niece.
These are so festive and adorable! I cannot wait to make these for my nieces and nephews.
The carrot cake bird’s nest cookies for sure, so cute.
Those are adorable! I bet my grandsons would go crazy over these!
These are adorable! Perfect flavors and perfect look for spring!
These cookies are adorable and so perfect for Easter! I love that they have both carrots and coconut in them!
So cute! I have never made these
These are so fun. A perfect kid food for Easter. They just make me happy when I look at them.
The cream filling is a nice little surprise! These would be a lovely treat to make for Easter Sunday!
These would be so fun to make with kids for Easter! I love how you added in the carrot cake twist as well.
Fun, festive and then there’s carrot cake…love!
I love the idea of carrot in the cookies. And little nests are so cute, would make a great place setting starter for the Easter table.
I love the nest cookies! They look so cute. Sadly, the hubs doesn’t do coconut. I’ll be baking and taking to my new job.
My husband also does not do coconut. We can put them in a room together without dessert and then we can eat all these cookies!
What a fun idea! I love that they are carrot cake flavored ??
I have made carrot cake cookies and I have made bird’s nest cookies but it never occurred to me to combine them. Great idea!!
Such a cute idea for spring and Easter. My hubby loves carrot cake and is sure to love these cookies!