Last Updated on March 24, 2023 by Corinne Schmitt
These Carrot Sugar Cookies are soft, chewy, and beautifully decorated. If you are looking for a festive, yet easy Easter dessert then this is the recipe for you.
One of my favorite things about cake mix cookies is that they don’t require a lot of ingredients to make, and these cookies are no different. If you love Easter dessert recipes you may also enjoy these Easter Pudding Cups.
Easter Sugar Cookies
Easter is right around the corner and it’s time to starting thinking about what we are going to make for our meal. Did you know that the date of Easter varies because it’s based on the lunar cycle, and Easter Sunday is always the first Sunday after the full moon?
Why I Love This Recipe
These sugar cookies are a wonderfully festive Easter dessert that is easy to create with just a few simple ingredients. Their soft and chewy texture, coupled with the vibrant decorations, will be sure to please everyone who partakes in this delicious treat.
- Easy to make
- Looks beautiful on a plate
- Fills the house with a delicious aroma
If you love Easter cookies you may also enjoy these Easy Easter Cake Mix Cookies.
Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients to make these soft cookies, and after one quick trip to the grocery store you will be ready to make this simple dessert.
Cake mix – For this recipe you will need a box of vanilla cake mix. Any brand will work; my favorite to use is Betty Crocker.
Candy – You will need orange Starbursts, and green jelly beans for this recipe.
Sprinkles – For the grass on the cookies, you will need green gel food coloring and shredded coconut from the baking aisle.
Substitutions
Cookies: Instead of making your own cookies out of cake mix, you could purchase sugar cookie dough and bake those instead.
Edible Grass: If you don’t want to use shredded coconut, you can pick up a package of edible grass instead.
Variations / Options / Add-Ins
If you are looking for a different flavor or want to change up the decorations, there are so many options.
Flavor: If you want to add some carrot flavor, you can use carrot cake mix instead of vanilla.
Decorations: Instead of making your own carrot with the candy, you could pick up some Wilton Mini Carrots at the store to save a little time.
Frosting: If you don’t want to use a can of frosting, you can make your own homemade icing instead.
Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools
You only need a few kitchen tools to help you make this delicious recipe. Gather these tools and get ready to enjoy this tasty treat.
- baking sheet or cookie sheet
- hand mixer
- cookie scoop – I used a one inch cookie scoop for this recipe.
How to Make Carrot Sugar Cookies
Making these Sugar Cookies is so simple. Just follow the instructions below, or in the recipe card, and you will have soft and delicious Easter cookies in no time at all.
Step 1: Preheat the oven and prepare the baking sheet
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Put powdered sugar in a bowl or on a plate and set it aside for now.
Step 2: Make the cookie dough
Mix together the cake mix, 2 eggs, vanilla extract and oil in a large mixing bowl.
Step 3: Shape the cookie dough into balls
Using a cookie scoop, shape the cookie dough into 1inch balls, and finish shaping them with your hands, if needed.
Step 4: Place the dough on the pan
One at a time, roll the cookie dough balls in powdered sugar, placing them 2 inches apart on the prepared pan.
Step 5: Flatten the dough balls
Using a cup or the palm of your hand, press down each cookie dough ball to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
Step 6: Bake the cookies
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12 minutes. Do not let the cookies brown.
Step 7: Cool the cookies on a wire rack
Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Step 8: Add the frosting to the piping bag
Add the frosting to a piping bag with a round tip and pipe the frosting on top of the cookies. Using a knife, flatten the frosting to a smooth finish.
Step 9: Color the shredded coconut
Put the shredded coconut and the green gel food coloring in a zipper baggie. Shake until the coconut is consistently green.
Step 10: Top the cookies
Place a tablespoon of the green coconut onto the top of each cookie, pressing it down so it sticks in the frosting.
Step 11: Unwrap the candy
Unwrap an orange Starburst and place on a microwave safe plate and microwave for 5 seconds.
Step 12: Shape the carrots
Carefully break the Starburst into 3 equal portions, and roll into a carrot shape with your hands. Place the candy carrots onto the cookie.
Step 13: Make the tops for the carrots
Cut a green jelly bean into parts (as many as you can) with sharp scissors. Add three pieces to the tops of each carrot.
Step 14: Repeat until all the cookies are decorated
Repeat the decorating steps until all the cookies are decorated. Then serve and enjoy.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve these cookies with our Easter meal. For our meal I like to make this Instant Pot Brown Sugar Ham and these Instant Pot Cheesy Potatoes.
Pro Tips
Here are a few tips to make sure that these cookies turn out perfectly for you every time that you make them.
- Use a cookie scoop when shaping the cookie dough balls, this helps to ensure they are all an even size.
- Be careful when working with the warm Starburst, as it can be hot.
- If you want to make “rocks” on your cookies you can use pieces of nuts like pecans or walnuts.
- For extra flavor, add a few drops of vanilla extract to your icing.
- You could also use cream cheese frosting for even more flavor on top of these cookies.
FAQs
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions for this recipe.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Do not freeze as this can cause them to become dry and crumbly.
Yes, you can make them up to 24 hours in advance.
More Easter Recipes
If you like Easter desserts, give these recipes a try:
Ready to get cooking? Print off the recipe card below or toggle on Cook Mode to keep your screen from going dark while you follow along on your phone or tablet.
Carrot Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- hand mixer
- Mixing Bowl
- plate
- baking sheet or cookie sheet
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounces Vanilla Cake Mix
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 can vanilla frosting
- 3-4 drops green gel food coloring
- 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
- 18 orange Starburst Candies
- 36 green jelly beans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Put powdered sugar in a bowl or on a plate and set it aside for now.
- Mix together the cake mix, 2 eggs, vanilla extract and oil in a large mixing bowl.
- Using a cookie scoop, shape the cookie dough into 1inch balls, and finish shaping them with your hands, if needed.
- One at a time, roll the cookie dough balls in powdered sugar, placing them 2 inches apart on the prepared pan.
- Using a cup or the palm of your hand, press down each cookie dough ball to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12 minutes. Do not let the cookies brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Add the frosting to a piping bag with a round tip and pipe the frosting on top of the cookies. Using a knife, flatten the frosting to a smooth finish.
- Put the shredded coconut and the green gel food coloring in a zipper baggie. Shake until the coconut is consistently green.
- Place a tablespoon of the green coconut onto the top of each cookie, pressing it down so it sticks in the frosting.
- Unwrap an orange Starburst and place on a microwave safe plate and microwave for 5 seconds.
- Carefully break the Starburst into 3 equal portions, and roll into a carrot shape with your hands. Place the candy carrots onto the cookie.
- Cut a green jelly bean into parts (as many as you can) with sharp scissors. Add three pieces to the tops of each carrot.
- Repeat the decorating steps until all the cookies are decorated. Then serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Use a cookie scoop when shaping the cookie dough balls, this helps to ensure they are all an even size.
- Be careful when working with the warm Starburst, as it can be hot.
- If you want to make “rocks” on your cookies you can use pieces of nuts like pecans or walnuts.
- For extra flavor add a few drops of vanilla extract to your icing. You could also use cream cheese frosting for even more flavor on top of these cookies.