Carrot Cake Bars

A square slice of moist carrot cake bar with a creamy cheesecake swirl on top, served on a white plate.

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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 Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 302kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

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 8x8 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 8x8 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.

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.

Tips :

For best results, line an 8x8 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.

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