Description
These Cream Cheese Carrot Cake Bars are everything you love about carrot cake — warm spices, shredded carrots, and a sweet cream cheese swirl — all in an easy-to-make bar form. Moist, rich, and full of flavor, they’re the perfect handheld treat!
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake Batter:
-
1 cup all-purpose flour
-
1/2 tsp baking powder
-
1/4 tsp baking soda
-
1/4 tsp salt
-
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
-
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
-
2 large eggs
-
1/2 cup granulated sugar
-
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
-
1/2 cup vegetable oil
-
1 tsp vanilla extract
-
1 cup finely shredded carrots
-
1/4 cup crushed pineapple, drained (optional, but adds moisture and flavor)
-
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
For the Cream Cheese Swirl:
-
6 oz cream cheese, softened
-
1/4 cup granulated sugar
-
1 large egg yolk
-
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
-
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
-
In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugars, oil, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in shredded carrots, pineapple (if using), and nuts.
-
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined.
-
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
-
In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth.
-
Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture on top of the carrot cake batter. Use a knife or skewer to swirl the two together.
-
Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
-
Let cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars.
Notes
For extra texture, try adding 1/4 cup of shredded coconut or raisins to the batter. Bars keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days. Best served chilled or at room temp.