Nana Margaret always whips up these 3 ingredient bites whenever we have a sudden sweet tooth. They are incredibly soft and I always have to hide a few before the cousins arrive.

These 3-ingredient carrot cake cookies are exactly what I reach for when a sudden sweet tooth hits and there’s no time (or energy) for a full-blown baking project. The recipe comes from my Nana Margaret, who was the queen of having something warm and homemade ready right as people walked through the door. She’d keep a box of carrot cake mix, a block of cream cheese, and a bag of white chocolate chips in the pantry, and in under 20 minutes we’d have a platter of incredibly soft, cake-like bites cooling on the counter. They’re tender, a little tangy from the cream cheese, and dotted with creamy white chocolate chips—simple enough for a busy weeknight, but special enough that I always have to hide a few before the cousins arrive.

Serve these carrot cake cookies slightly warm so the centers stay soft and the white chocolate chips are just set but still a little melty. They’re perfect with a cold glass of milk, a mug of coffee, or hot tea after dinner. For a quick dessert board, pile them onto a white ceramic platter, add some fresh berries and a small bowl of extra white chocolate chips. They also work well as a grab-and-go treat for lunchboxes or afternoon coffee breaks—just store a few in a small container and tuck them into your bag.

Servings: 18-22 cookies

1 (15.25–18.25 oz) box carrot cake mix

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat for easy cleanup.

In a medium mixing bowl, add the softened cream cheese. Beat with a hand mixer or stir vigorously with a sturdy spatula until smooth and creamy, with no big lumps.

Sprinkle the dry carrot cake mix over the cream cheese. Stir together until a thick, sticky dough forms. It will be dense at first—keep folding and pressing with your spatula or mixer until the mix is fully incorporated and no dry pockets remain.

Fold in the white chocolate chips until they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Using a small cookie scoop or a rounded tablespoon, scoop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough and drop them onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. The dough will be sticky, so if needed, lightly dampen your fingers and gently shape or smooth the tops into rounded mounds.

Bake for 9–12 minutes, until the tops look set, the edges are just starting to turn lightly golden, and the centers still look soft and slightly puffy. They should not look dry; this keeps them extra soft.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5–10 minutes. They will continue to firm up as they cool but stay very soft in the center.

Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely, or move them directly to a white ceramic serving platter if you’re serving right away. Enjoy warm or at room temperature, and if you have a crowd coming, hide a few in a container before everyone digs in—they disappear fast.