Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Bars
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Our Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Bars are traditional soft baked carrot cake bars with a divine cream cheese filling swirled inside and about! These bars are the perfect Easter dessert! Cream cheese and carrot cake go hand in hand and we cannot resist!
Love cream cheese in desserts? You’ll also love these Ultimate Cream Cheese Brownies and this Carrot Cake Poke Cake! Super delish!
Carrot cake is one of the most popular trends when it comes to Easter and Spring, so you may love this Ultimate Carrot Cake and Mimi’s Carrot Cake Loaf too!
Cheesecake Factory Carrot Cake Cheesecake is also a super popular cheesecake you can make right at home! Yea, Cheesecake Factory made from scratch! 🙂
Ingredients You Need
Cream Cheese Filling
- cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- granulated sugar
- egg yolk
- vanilla extract
Carrot Cake Bars
- unsalted butter, melted
- brown sugar
- egg
- vanilla extract
- all purpose flour
- ground cinnamon
- baking powder
- salt
- shredded carrots
How to Make Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Bars
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8×8″ baking dish with foil or parchment paper, spray with non stick spray.
Cream Cheese Filling
- In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese till smooth and creamy. Add the sugar, beaten egg and vanilla, beat till just blended. Set aside.
Carrot Cake Bars
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk to combine well.
- Add in the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt and stir again until completely combined.
- Fold in the shredded carrots. Set aside.
- Spread a little over 1/2 of the batter into the prepared pan.
- Pour the filling over the top of the batter.
- Drop remaining carrot cake batter by teaspoons or use a small cookie scoop to drop over the filling. Swirl mixtures with a butter knife.
- Bake in preheated oven at 350° for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cool carrot cake cheesecake bars completely, then cover and chill for at least an hour. Cut into squares.
Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bar Tips
- Make sure your carrots are shredded or shaved very small. Bigger chunks of carrots will not cook through and the carrot texture may not go well with the carrot cake and cream cheese filling.
- Don’t overmix the cream cheese filling. Microwave cream cheese to soften to room temperature. If you do over microwave your cream cheese, that is fine, it just won’t be as thick and creamy, but it will all work out in the end when you swirl it the cream cheese through the carrot cake.
- If you want to add more spice to your carrot cake, increase the cinnamon by a 1/2 teaspoon, with 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.
- Cut into squares after the carrot cake bars have chilled for an hour in the fridge and then enjoy as is or let them come to room temperature for serving.
Our carrot cake bars with cream cheese recipe is pretty easy, so there’s really no reason not to make it! If you love carrot cake and cream cheese together, give these a try!
Ideas for Cream Cheese & More
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins
- RumChata Carrot Cake Banana Bread
- Reese’s Cream Cheese Bars
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
- 50+ Yummy Cream Cheese Desserts
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
- Cherry Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
- Easter Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Easy Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Banana Snack Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Divine Oreo Pie Crust – Slice of Heaven
Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Bars
Our Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Bars are traditional soft baked carrot cake bars with a divine cream cheese filling swirled inside and about! These bars are the perfect Easter dessert! Cream cheese and carrot cake go hand in hand! Too cute, right?
Ingredients
CREAM CHEESE FILLING
- 4 oz cream cheese softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
CARROT CAKE BATTER
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg beaten
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup shredded carrots
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8x8" baking dish with foil or parchment paper, spray with non stick spray.
CREAM CHEESE FILLING
- In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese till smooth and creamy. Add the sugar, beaten egg and vanilla, beat till just blended. Set aside.
CARROT CAKE BATTER
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk to combine well.
- Add in the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt and stir again until completely combined.
- Fold in the shredded carrots. Set aside.
- Spread a little over 1/2 of the batter into the prepared pan.
- Pour the filling over the top of the batter. Drop remaining batter by spoonfuls or use a small cookie scoop to drop over the filling. Swirl with a butter knife.
- Bake in preheated oven at 350° for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cool completely, then cover and chill for at least an hour. Cut into squares.
Tried This Recipe?Let us know how it was by commenting below!
I hear you!! xo
I cannot resist some baked carrot goodies with cream cheese frosting. And these bars look terrific – nice texture, moist and flakey, and great colour!