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Made with rolled oats, cream cheese, walnuts, brown sugar, and grated parsnips, this parsnip recipe definitely isn’t your run-of-the-mill oatmeal cookie. But keep an open mind! These bakery-style parsnip cookies with cream cheese frosting and candied parsnips are one of my favorite parsnip desserts, and a lovely alternative to more traditional carrot cake cookies.
How Did I Come Up With This Parsnip Recipe?
If you’ve ever wandered the produce aisle at the grocery store and spotted what looked to be a bunch of white carrots, well then, you’ve seen a parsnip. And, in fact, a walk through the supermarket is exactly what sparked the idea for these parsnip cookies.
Parsnips are a root vegetable, and they remind me of a milder, sweeter carrot. They are affordable and readily available during the fall and winter months, and although less popular (and less well known) than their carrot cousins, parsnips make a lovely addition to your cold-weather ingredient repertoire.
I really enjoy preparing parsnips as a side dish (they’re delicious when roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper, either on their own or tossed with chunks of carrot and potato). They’re also a nice addition to a root vegetable stew—this Tasty recipe is one of my favorites.
Parsnip Cookies: A Unique Twist on the Classic Carrot Cake
The sweetness makes this root vegetable perfect for baking and pastry recipes, yet most parsnip recipes are savory rather than sweet (and somewhere along the way, carrots became the default when it comes to using root vegetables in desserts!) So, these bakery style parsnip cookies with cream cheese frosting offer a surprising twist on carrot-based desserts like carrot cake and carrot raisin cookies.
This parsnip recipe begins with a soft, bakery-style cookie made from rolled oats, chopped nuts, and grated parsnips. After baking, I’ve slathered the cookies in cream cheese frosting and garnished them with mounds of homemade candied parsnip.
These are definitely on the sweeter side (thanks to the parsnips, the cream cheese frosting, and the candied parsnip garnish) but even so, it can be difficult to eat just one at a time!
Parsnip Recipe Tips and Tricks
To make the parsnip ribbons, I find it fastest (and easiest) to use a “Y-style” vegetable peeler. The parsnips can become difficult to peel once you’ve shaved them down to a small sliver—don’t obsess over trying to make ribbons from the middle piece. You can grate it for the cookie portion, or save the scraps for roasting alongside some carrots and potatoes.
Cream cheese consistency varies from brand to brand. (British-style cream cheese, or “soft cheese” as it is often called here, tends to be thinner and waterier than its American counterpart). When making the frosting, I suggest keeping some whole milk and confectioner’s sugar nearby to adjust the consistency as needed. The finished frosting should be smooth, creamy, and easily spreadable. It should not be thin or runny, nor should it be overly thick.
When grating the parsnips for the cookies, use a standard box grater rather than a microplane. For accuracy, I suggest weighing the grated parsnip rather than using a measuring cup. However, if you do choose to measure by volume, do not pack the grated parsnip pieces into the measuring cup or your cookies will contain too much moisture.
If you prefer a slightly darker and richer cookie, you can replace the light brown sugar with dark brown sugar instead.
I made these cookies with chopped walnuts, but pecans will work equally well!
Parsnip Recipe Shortcuts and Make-Ahead Suggestions
The candied parsnips require about an hour of preparation time, plus about 30 minutes to cool. If desired, these can be prepared a day or two in advance. Simply line the bottom of an airtight storage container with parchment and place cooled ribbons in the container along with1-2 tablespoons of additional granulated sugar. Store at room temperature until ready to use.
For a shortcut, you can also skip the candied parsnips and garnish your cookies with chopped walnuts or pecans instead.
These parsnip cookies are best enjoyed on the day they are made. If you want to prepare the cookies ahead of time, layer baked, un-frosted cookies between sheets of parchment and freeze until ready to use, then thaw, frost, and decorate a few hours prior to serving.
More bakery-style cookie recipes you might enjoy:
Lavender-lemon latte cookies
Chocolate caramel cookies
Rainbow M&M peanut butter cookies
Butterscotch oatmeal cookies
Chocolate passionfruit cookies
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Parsnip Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Parsnips
- Total Time: 3 1/4 hours
- Yield: 22-24 3-inch round cookies 1x
Description
Soft, bakery-style parsnip cookies slathered with cream cheese frosting and garnished with strips of candied parsnip. A unique twist on the traditional carrot cake cookie.
Ingredients
Candied parsnips:
175 – 200 grams parsnips, peeled with ends removed (2 medium parsnips)
225 milliliters water (1 cup)
315 grams granulated sugar (1 1/2 cups, divided), plus more for storing the ribbons
Parsnip oatmeal cookies:
192 grams flour (1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
113 grams unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup)
105 grams light brown sugar, packed (1/2 cup)
105 grams granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 tablespoon whole milk
75 grams rolled oats (3/4 cup)
80 grams grated parsnips, not packed (1 cup)
55 grams finely chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pecans (1/2 cup)
Cream cheese frosting:
113 grams cream cheese, softened (4 ounces)
45 grams unsalted butter, softened (3 tablespoons)
320 grams confectioner’s sugar (2 1/2 cups), plus more to adjust consistency
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 tablespoon whole milk, to adjust consistency
Instructions
Candied parsnips:
Preheat oven to 215° F/ 100° C. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment, and set aside until ready to use.
With a vegetable peeler, peel the parsnips into long ribbons.
In a medium saucepan, combine water and 210 grams (1 cup) sugar. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low. Stir in the parsnip ribbons.
Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
With a slotted spoon, transfer parsnip ribbons to prepared tray. Discard excess liquid.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Gently toss parsnips with a metal spatula, then bake for 10 minutes more.
Remove from oven. Immediately toss parsnip ribbons in the reserved 105 grams (1/2 cup) sugar.
Set tray aside and allow the parsnip ribbons to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Parsnip ribbons are ready to use as soon as they are completely cool. If preparing candied parsnips in advance, line the bottom of an airtight storage container with parchment. Place cooled ribbons in container, along with1-2 tablespoons of additional granulated sugar. Store at room temperature until ready to use.
Parsnip oatmeal cookies:
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
Add egg, vanilla bean paste, and milk and mix until well combined.
Add the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined. Do not overmix.
Add the oats, grated parsnips, and chopped nuts, and mix until just combined.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
While dough chills, preheat oven to 350° F / 175° C. Line a half-sheet rimmed baking tray with parchment.
With a 1 1/2-inch cookie scoop, scoop the dough into evenly-sized portions. (You should have approximately 22-24 mounds of dough.) Place half of the mounds on prepared tray, allowing space for the cookies to spread as they bake. Refrigerate the remaining dough until ready to use.
Bake in preheated oven for 13-15 minutes, or until cookies are lightly golden brown, but still slightly soft in the center.
For perfectly round cookies, gently reshape each warm cookie with a large round cutter. (You can skip this step if you prefer a more rustic-looking cookie!)
Cool on tray for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.
While cookies cool, prepare the cream cheese frosting.
Cream cheese frosting:
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter on high speed until smooth and creamy.
Add the confectioner’s sugar in 1/2 cup increments, mixing well after each addition, until all sugar has been incorporated.
Mix in the vanilla bean paste.
If necessary, add 1-2 tablespoons whole milk, or a few extra spoonfuls of confectioner’s sugar to adjust the consistency. The frosting should be smooth, creamy, and spreadable, not runny or overly thick.
Assembly:
With a small palette knife, miniature spatula, or the back of a metal spoon, spread a generous amount of cream cheese frosting on top of each cookie.
Top each cookie with a small mound of the candied parsnips.
Parsnip cookies are best enjoyed on the day they are made. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days, and allow to stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes prior to serving.
- Prep Time: 1 3/4 hours
- Chilling Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 13-15 minutes
- Category: Biscuits and Cookies
- Method: Stovetop + Oven
- Cuisine: Desserts