Y’all I love my easy carrot cake bars. I keep the base moist like my carrot cake with carrot puree then I swirl in a little cream cheese topping that makes it look super pretty boos! Seriously, if you’ve been craving carrot cake but haven’t been feeling the whole “cake decorating” thing, these carrot cake bars are where it’s at!
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How to Make Carrot Cake Bars
Step 1: Mix the Bars
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in a bowl.
- Stir together with a whisk.
- Add the pureed carrots, sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix them together.
- Add the shredded carrots and walnuts to the bowl.
- Whisk one last time just to mix in the carrots and walnuts.
Step 2: Mix the Cream Cheese Layer
- Combine the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a bowl.
- Mix them together with a hand mixer or whisk until smooth.
Step 3: Assemble the Bars
- Pour ¾ of the carrot bar batter into a prepared 13×9 baking pan.
- Spread a thin cream cheese layer on top of the carrot batter until no batter is showing through using an offset spatula.
- Spoon the remaining carrot batter into dollops randomly over the cream cheese layer.
- Swirl the two layers together with a butter knife creating a pretty swirl pattern.
- Bake in a preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes.
- Remove the carrot cake bars from the oven and allow them to cool for 20 minutes in the pan.
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Carrot Cake Bars Recipe
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I’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake Bars
- 12 ounces pureed carrots*
- 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs beaten
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup chopped walnuts optional
For the Cream Cheese Layer
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For Bars
- Preheat oven to 375F. Set rack to middle position. Prepare 13×9 pan with nonstick baking spray.
- In a large bowl, add pureed carrots, sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk together until evenly mixed.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and add shredded carrots and walnuts, if using.
For Cream Cheese Layer
- In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese and sugar with hand mixer or whisk.
- Add in egg and vanilla and mix until smooth.
Assemble
- Pour ¾ of carrot bar batter into prepared 13×9 baking pan.
- Using offset spatula, spread thin cream cheese layer on top of carrot batter until no batter is showing through. Spoon remaining carrot batter into dollops randomly over cream cheese layer.
- Swirl with butter knife the two layers together, creating a pretty swirl pattern.
- Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes in pan. Serve warm or room temperature.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Creating the Swirls. Gently pull a butter knife, skewer, or toothpick through the carrot batter splotches on the top to create a pattern. Insert the knife only slightly into the top layer of the batter.
- Don’t Over-Bake. Bake for too long and these will be super dry. Check it a bit ahead and remove it from the oven as soon as a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool Before Cutting. The dessert, especially the cream cheese swirl, will set up as the dessert cools.
- Cutting the Bars. Use a sharp knife dipped in hot water and dried to make clean, precise cuts.
Recipe Help
Yep, but they will need to be baked in two separate baking dishes so they cook properly.
These bars have plenty of moisture from the egg, oil, and even the carrots so the most likely cause is using the incorrect measure of ingredients, over-mixing the batter, or baking for too long.
These carrot cake bars don’t really need an icing because they have the cheesecake swirl. If you want an icing, you can skip the cheesecake portion and simply bake the carrot cake batter on its own. Then add your favorite cream cheese frosting or other frosting on top after they’re cool.
More Carrot Recipes to Try
*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!* Post a photo of how your version of the recipe came out on Instagram (using #grandbabycakes)!!
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I have seen comments about yogurt but i don’t see it in the ingredient list or directions. ??
Hi Jen, the recipe was updated and I took out the yogurt 🙂
I dont see how to substitute mango yogurt. Please explain, I’d like to try these bars later today.
Thanks
The old version of this recipe called for mango, but has since been updated so that is what you see people talking about in the comments. The new recipe above does not use mango.
How did you puree the carrots? How many carrots is 12 oz. pureed?
Hi Bonnie, you can add the carrots to your food processor with a tiny bit of water to puree them.
Hi Jocelyn
Can you buy mango puree.
Hi Jackie, I haven’t seen it at the market but it is super easy to make. You can add your mango to a food processor or blender and a tiny bit of water and grind it up until smooth.
Hi Jocelyn, I was just stalking your fan page on FB, and saw these scrumptious bars! I don’t know how I missed them. I love Chobani, not only for lightening up baked goods, but for the moistness it creates. Enjoy your Sunday!!!
Awww thanks so much Carol. I adore greek yogurt in my baking now. It is becoming my favorite replacement.
Yum these look so good, I especially love the sound of the mango cream cheese!
Thanks so much!! Mango cream cheese makes me happy too.
Yum! I am all about carrot cake right now and these are calling my name. I love that you used the Chobani in it to lighten things up a bit!!!
Thanks so much! It definitely lightens them up a bit but gives such an incredibly mango flavor that’s just perfect!
Very creative! I love Chobani and have seen many recipes this one is one I will need to try
Thanks so much!! Chobani is super great right?
Oooh mango yogurt & carrot, I would never think of combining them. Lovely cake squares!
Yes it is a wonderful combo that you never would think would be so great! Thanks so much!