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–+ servings
Three carrot cake swirl bars sitting on a square, white plate on top of a colorful cloth.
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5 from 2 votes

Carrot Cake Bars Recipe

Carrot bars with pureed carrots, shredded carrots, warm spices, and a cream cheese swirl baked into a soft 9x13 dessert.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24 servings
Calories: 220kcal
Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams

Equipment

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 13x9 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 13x9 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.

Notes

How to Store

  • Fridge: Keep the bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Slide a piece of parchment paper between layers so they don't stick.
  • Freezer: Wrap individual bars tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight when you're ready to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 201mg | Potassium: 109mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 3220IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg