Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set the pan aside for now.
Add the butter and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times to make sure all the butter is incorporated evenly.
1 cup butter, room temperature, 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
Add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition.
2 eggs
Add the vanilla and mix again.
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
Mix in the grated carrots.
1 1/2 cups grated carrots
Add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cornstarch to the bowl and mix until just combined. Once the flour is blended into the batter, stop mixing so you do not overmix (this can make the cookies tough).
2 3/4 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Scoop the cookie dough into 2 tablespoon sized balls and place them on the prepared cookie sheet tray. Make sure to leave about 2 inches between the cookie dough balls.
Bake the cookies for 10 minutes. The tops should no longer look wet and the edges will be a light golden brown.
Cool the cookies on a cooling rack.
While the cookies cool, make the cream cheese frosting. Beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat again until the mix is light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla and milk to make the frosting smooth.
1/4 cup butter, room temperature, 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened, 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 4 Tablespoons milk
Spread the frosting on top of each cookie using a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Each cookie should get about 1-2 tablespoons of frosting.
Sprinkle the cookies with chopped pecans, if desired, and then enjoy!
Chopped pecans (optional)