Our Carrot Cake Bars take a twist on tradition by baking the cream cheese frosting right into the center instead of layering it on top. The result? A rich, moist cake with a luscious swirl of creamy goodness in every bite. This marbled treat gives classic spiced cake an irresistibly soft, melt-in-your-mouth upgrade!
Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Filling
The swirl of cream cheese in this Carrot Cake Bars recipe isn’t just for looks – it’s the secret to making them extra soft and flavorful! As the bars bake, the creamy filling melts into the cake, keeping it moist and adding a tangy sweetness that perfectly complements the spiced carrot cake.
The cream cheese swirl creates pockets of rich flavor throughout, making each bite tender and with a decadent dessert-like taste. Each square is so delicious that you’ll forget you’re sneaking in your daily dose of vegetables!
If you like the concept of a carrot cake recipe that combines the warming spices of carrot cake with the tang of creamy cheesecake, then you will love my carrot cake stuffed cookies, carrot cake cookies, and carrot cake cheesecake bites.
Ingredients for Carrot Cake Bars
- Cream cheese: Make sure that your cream cheese is completely softened to room temperature to achieve a smooth texture swirl. For best results, use full-fat, block-style cream cheese.
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
- All purpose flour: Feel free to swap the all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour in a 1:1 ratio. I love Bob’s Red Mill but any brand will work.
- Salt
- Baking powder: Be sure to use baking powder and not baking soda.
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Carrots
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Carrot Cake Bars
- Make The Cream Cheese Mixture: In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment to beat together the cream cheese and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla and egg yolk and beat again until smooth. Set aside.
- Make The Dry Mixture: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Make The Wet Mixture: In a large bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined. Add the egg and vanilla and beat again.
- Create The Carrot Cake Batter: Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and mix on low just until fully incorporated. Using a wooden spoon, or offset spatula, fold the shredded carrots into the cake batter.
- Pour In The Pan: Spread half the cake batter into the baking pan. Drop dollops of the cream cheese mixture on top of the batter and cover with the remaining carrot cake batter.
- Start To Swirl: Dollop the remaining cream cheese mixture on top of the batter. Using a butter knife or wooden skewer, swirl the dollops into the carrot cake batter making it marbled, but not mixing the layers.
- Bake The Bars: Bake in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Slice And Serve: Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Tips for Making the Best Carrot Cake Bars
- Pick Your Pan: For best results, line an 8×8 inch, straight-sided metal baking pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. If using a glass or ceramic baking dish, you may need to adjust the baking time slightly.
- Shred With The Small Side: Be sure to use the fine (or smallest opening) side of a standard box grater for shredding the carrots. This ensures they are mixed well into the batter and the batter bakes up correctly. Preshredded carrots are too thick and large to use in this carrot cake recipe.
- Dessert Is Done: The center of the carrot cake bars should just barely have a little jiggle to them when gently moving the baking pan. If your carrot cake bars are getting a little too dark around the edges before the center is done, you can lightly cover the pan with aluminum foil for the last 5-10 minutes of bake time to prevent the cream cheese swirl from drying out while the carrot cake bars finish baking.
- Create Some Crunch: If desired, you can add ¼ cups finely chopped walnuts or pecans to your carrot cake batter. You will add them when folding in the finely shredded carrots for added flavor and texture to your carrot cake bars.
- Storing Suggestion: When storing sliced carrot cake bars, you can place a piece of parchment paper in between the layers to keep the bars from sticking to each other if stored in a container.
Can You Make Carrot Cake Bars Ahead of Time?
You can absolutely make the bars ahead of time! Simply prepare the batter and cream cheese filling separately, then refrigerate them for up to 24 hours before baking. Allowing the flavors to meld together overnight will enhance the taste and make the baking process quicker when you’re ready. Just make sure to give the mixture a quick stir before assembling and baking.
How to Store and Freeze Carrot Cake Bars
- In The Refrigerator: Once your bars have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. The cream cheese swirl will keep them extra moist and flavorful.
- In The Freezer: For longer storage, wrap the bars tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. They can be frozen for up to 2 months. When ready to enjoy, simply thaw in the refrigerator overnight. If you’re in a hurry, you can thaw them at room temperature for about 1-2 hours.
More Easy Dessert Bar Recipes
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Carrot Cake Bars
Serves — 9
Carrot Cake Bars are soft, moist, and irresistible – where spiced cake meets creamy cheesecake in every swirled bite! Each dessert bar delivers the ultimate blend of rich flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Swirl
- 6 ounces block-style cream cheese room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
Carrot Cake Batter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup finely shredded carrots packed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8 inch, straight sided, metal baking pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with non-stick baker’s spray. Set aside. For best results, use a metal baking pan. If using glass or ceramic, you may need to adjust the baking time slightly.
- To make the cream cheese swirl mixture, add the cream cheese and granulated sugar to a medium bowl. Beat for 1-2 minutes, using a handheld mixer on medium speed, until smooth.6 ounces block-style cream cheese, ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- Add the vanilla extract and large egg yolk to the cream cheese and beat again for another 1-2 minutes or until smooth. Set aside.½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 large egg yolk
- To make the carrot cake batter add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- To a large mixing bowl add the unsalted butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat on medium-high speed, using a handheld mixer, for 1-2 minutes or until the unsalted butter and sugars are fully combined.½ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Add the egg and vanilla extract to the bowl and beat again until fully incorporated.1 large egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and mix on low just until all the dry ingredients have been fully incorporated.
- Using a wooden spoon, or plastic spatula, gently fold the finely shredded carrots into the carrot cake batter just until evenly distributed.¾ cup finely shredded carrots
- Spread half the carrot cake batter evenly into the prepared 8×8 inch baking pan.
- Using half the cream cheese mixture, drop dollops evenly over the surface of the carrot cake batter. Add the remaining half of the carrot cake batter on top of, and around the dollops of the cream cheese mixture.
- Add the remaining cream cheese mixture, in dollops, onto the top of the carrot cake bars batter. Using a butter knife, or wooden skewer, gently swirl the cream cheese mixture into the carrot cake batter. Swirl just enough to create a marbled effect but avoid fully mixing the layers.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the carrot cake bars are lightly golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. The center of the carrot cake bars should just barely have a little jiggle to them when gently moving the baking pan. If your carrot cake bars are getting a little too dark around the edges before the center is done, you can lightly cover the pan with aluminum foil for the last 5-10 minutes of bake time to prevent the cream cheese swirl from drying out while the carrot cake bars finish baking.
- Remove the carrot cake bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage :
- In The Refrigerator: Once your bars have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. The cream cheese swirl will keep them extra moist and flavorful.
- In The Freezer: For longer storage, wrap the bars tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. They can be frozen for up to 2 months. When ready to enjoy, simply thaw in the refrigerator overnight. If you’re in a hurry, you can thaw them at room temperature for about 1-2 hours.
- For best results, line an 8×8 inch, straight sided, metal baking pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. If using a glass or ceramic baking dish, you may need to adjust the baking time slightly.
- Be sure to use the fine (or smallest opening) side of a standard box grater for shredding the carrots. This ensures they are mixed well into the batter and the batter bakes up correctly. Pre-shredded carrots are too thick and large to use in this carrot cake recipe.
- The center of the carrot cake bars should just barely have a little jiggle to them when gently moving the baking pan. If your carrot cake bars are getting a little too dark around the edges before the center is done, you can lightly cover the pan with aluminum foil for the last 5-10 minutes of bake time to prevent the cream cheese swirl from drying out while the carrot cake bars finish baking.
- You can add ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts, or pecans, to your carrot cake batter if desired. You will add them when folding in the finely shredded carrots for added flavor and texture to your carrot cake bars.
- When storing sliced carrot cake bars, you can place a piece of parchment paper in between the layers to keep the bars from sticking to each other if stored in a container.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 284mg | Potassium: 152mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 2163IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 1mg
