Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Bars (Printable)
Moist spiced carrot cake layered with creamy cheesecake filling, swirled together and baked into golden bars.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Carrot Cake Layer
01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
07 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
08 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 - 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots
13 - 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, well-drained
14 - 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
→ Cream Cheese Layer
15 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
16 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
17 - 1 large egg
18 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing some overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.
04 - Gently fold the grated carrots, crushed pineapple, and chopped nuts into the wet mixture until evenly distributed.
05 - Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined. Do not overmix. Set aside.
06 - In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract, blending until creamy and free of lumps.
07 - Spread about two-thirds of the carrot cake batter evenly into the prepared pan. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the top, then dollop the remaining carrot cake batter over the cream cheese layer.
08 - Use a knife or skewer to gently swirl the two batters together, creating a marbled pattern. Be careful not to over-swirl.
09 - Bake for 38 to 42 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
10 - Let the bars cool completely in the pan. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to firm up before cutting into squares and serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The combination of spiced carrot cake and tangy cream cheese creates the most incredible flavor contrast
- They're portable and perfect for sharing without the fuss of slicing a traditional round cake
02 -
- Over swirling the layers will muddy that gorgeous marble pattern, so restrain yourself to just 3 or 4 gentle knife passes through the batter
- These absolutely must chill completely before slicing or you'll end up with a messy situation instead of clean bars
03 -
- Wrap your box grater with plastic wrap on the back side when grating carrots to catch all those flying orange shreds
- The cream cheese layer should be slightly thicker than you think, as it settles during baking