"To Die For" Carrot Cake Cookies

For years I've searched for a good carrot cake cookie. Ultimately, I wanted something that tasted like my "To Die For" Carrot Cake, but in the form of a cookie. Most times, when I try a carrot cookie recipe, the result is always too much like cake instead of the chewy cookie that I want. So, I bet you can guess what I did! I took a few different recipes, decided what I liked about each one, and incorporated all the pieces into one recipe. The result is a delicate, chewy, and delicious cookie. They're amazing just by themselves, but add cream cheese frosting to them and they're over the top!!

2 sticks butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cups coconut
1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Add to batter, a little at a time. Add oats, coconut, and carrots. Gently stir until everything is well combined. Chill for about 30 minutes. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden. Cool completely on a flat surface.
Mix up a batch of Cream Cheese Frosting, put frosting on the bottoms of the cookies, and then press two together to make a sandwich cookie. It's best to let them chill in the fridge for a little while so that the cream cheese firms up a bit.

Tip:
Be sure to use parchment paper or a silpat to line your baking sheet so they won't stick. I use parchment paper so that I can just slide the whole sheet of cookies off the pan to the table and then let them cool a bit before removing them from the parchment.
Usually, when I bake cookies, I like to under bake them slightly to insure a nice chewy texture. These cookies are already chewy so you don't need to do that. You can bake them until they're nice and golden and crispy around the edges.
Feel free to add raisins or chopped pecans.