Can’t decide between carrot cake and cheesecake? These carrot cake cream cheese bars give you the best of both worlds! With warm spices and fresh grated carrots layered with a smooth cream cheese filling, they make for the perfect bite size dessert. Great for spring gatherings like Easter or Mother’s Day brunch.
Combine Two Favorites in One Dessert Bar
This dessert bar recipe is different from a traditional carrot cake cheesecake in that the bottom layer is thick like a cookie or blondie batter. You press part of it into the pan to form the crust and then add the cheesecake batter. To get swirls in the cheesecake bar, you add the remaining carrot cake batter to the top. As it bakes, it falls into the cheesecake layer and forms amazing layers in the bars.
In each bite you’ll get all the flavor you love in carrot cake along with a creamy cheesecake swirl. While it has a lot of ingredients, it’s simple to make and you can double the recipe and make these in advance and freeze until you’re ready to serve.
There’s nothing better than soft and moist carrot cake seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice, it’s one of my favorite cakes piled with cream cheese frosting. However, cakes aren’t always the most practical dessert and they’re hard to transport. These are not only fool-proof to make, they’ll transport easily.
If you want a dessert in a more bite size form, that you can eat with your fingers, than these dessert bars are just what you need.
Full of flavor but not overly sweet. Serve them as part of a dessert bar, with fudgy brownies for a contrast of flavors.
They need to be refrigerated but can still sit out for several hours.
What you’ll need for the carrot cake portion
A full list of ingredients can be found in the Recipe Card below.
- Spices: Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice are needed to give you that true carrot cake flavor.
- Grated carrots -You’ll need to grate the carrots because the pre-grated carrots are too thick.
What you’ll need for the cheesecake
How do you make it
Step 1:
Cream the butter and sugar and add an egg.
Step 2:
Whisk together the dry ingredients including the spices and add to the butter mixture. Add the grated carrots.
Step 3:
In a separate bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth and add sugar, flour, an egg and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy.
Step 4:
Remove 2 cups of the carrot cake dough.
Bake for 30 minutes until it no longer jiggles and is slightly browned on top. Let cool.
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Swirled Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
- ¾ cups butter softened
- ¾ cups light brown sugar
- ⅔ cups sugar
- 1 eggs
- 2 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoons ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- ¾ cups lightly packed grated carrot about 2 carrots
CHEESECAKE
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons flour
- 1 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Line an 8 x 8 metal baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until fluffy, about 3 minutes, Add an egg and beat until combined.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. Gradually add flour to butter mixture, beating just until combined. Beat in carrots.
- In a separate bowl beat cream cheese with a hand mixer or the stand mixer, until smooth. Add sugar, and flour and beat. Add an egg and beat until well combined, add vanilla.
- Spread 2 cups of the carrot mixture into the prepared pan and pat down covering the entire bottom of the pan. Top with cheesecake layer. Crumble the remaining dough on the top.
- Bake until the edges are set and the center jiggles only slightly, 30-35 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting.
Video
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- Finely grate the carrots for a smoother texture.
- They will need to refrigerate at least 2 hours before cutting.
- You can easily double the recipe and bake in a 9 x 13 pan.
- Store in the refrigerator or freeze for later.
- Bake these in a metal pan, if using glass, you will need to adjust the time.
Nutrition
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Seanna Borrows says
These are Delish!! Love this recipe!
Barbara Curry says
Thanks Seanna, glad they were a hit.
MEEP says
Should baking time increase if recipe is doubled in a 9×13 pan? If so, by how many minutes?
Barbara Curry says
You should not have to change the baking time if you use a 9 x 13 pan. Just bake until the center is just slightly jiggly.