Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Swirl and Crumble Topping

Carrot Cake Bars

Carrot Cake Bars take everything people love about a classic carrot layer cake and press it into a pan you can slice, pack, and share.

The base is built on freshly shredded carrots and finely chopped walnuts, and it is finished with two elements that make the bars hard to stop eating: a cheesecake swirl baked right into the middle and a buttery crumble topping scattered over the top.

What sets these bars apart from an ordinary carrot cake square is the cream cheese layer. Instead of frosting the bars after they cool, the cheesecake swirl is layered between two portions of carrot cake batter and baked along with everything else.

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That means the tang of cream cheese shows up in every bite without a long cooling and frosting wait.

The walnuts are folded into the batter rather than sprinkled on top, so the crunch is spread evenly through the pan. Soft spiced carrot crumb, creamy swirl, crisp crumble: that combination of textures is the entire point of the recipe.

The first time I brought a pan of these to a neighborhood potluck, I cut them into nine generous squares, set the plate down, and turned away to grab a drink.

By the time I came back, the plate was down to crumbs and two people were asking whether the swirl was cheesecake or frosting. It is neither, exactly.

It is a simple cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar mixture that bakes into something closer to a cheesecake layer, and that is precisely why these bars disappear so fast.

Carrot Cake Bars Ingredients

The recipe comes together from three separate components, and it helps to think of them as three small jobs rather than one big one. There is the crumble topping, the carrot cake bar batter, and the cheesecake frosting swirl. Each one uses only a handful of ingredients, and two of the three can be made while the oven preheats.

Butter does most of the heavy lifting. The recipe calls for two sticks in total, one stick for the crumble topping and one stick for the bars.

The original article used Challenge Butter for both, describing it as churned fresh daily from milk and cream from family owned dairies since 1911, and noting that the company controls the process from milking through packaging and distribution.

Any good quality unsalted butter you already trust will work well in your own kitchen.

Carrots are the ingredient that defines the bars, and the recipe needs about 2 to 3 large carrots to yield 1½ cups once shredded. Freshly shredded carrots are strongly preferred. Pre shredded carrots from a bag tend to be dry and stiff, and they do not soften into the batter the same way.

Walnuts add crunch and a mild, earthy flavor that pairs nicely with cinnamon. The original recipe notes that they can be left out if you prefer, and suggests grating the carrots even finer when you skip the nuts so the bars still have plenty of texture.

Cream cheese should sit at room temperature before you beat it with the confectioners’ sugar, because cold cream cheese stays lumpy and is much harder to spread into an even layer.

How to Store Carrot Cake Bars

Let the bars cool completely before you cut or store them. Warm bars crumble at the edges and the swirl smears, so a little patience here pays off.

Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The cream cheese layer is the reason these bars go in the fridge rather than sitting out on the counter.

For longer storage, the bars freeze for up to 3 months. Wrap them in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer safe container labeled with the date so you know exactly what you are pulling out later. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before serving, and they taste nearly as good as the day they were baked.

Ingredients

This recipe makes 9 bars in an 8×8 inch baking pan, divided across three components.

Crumble Topping

• ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) Challenge butter, cubed
• ¾ cup (94 g) all purpose flour
• ⅓ cup (42 g) confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Bars

• ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) Challenge unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1½ cups shredded carrots, approximately 2 to 3 large carrots
• ½ cup walnuts, finely chopped

Cheesecake Swirl

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• ½ cup (62.5 g) confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat and prepare the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8×8 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set it aside. You can also line the pan with parchment paper and lightly spray the paper.
2. Start the crumble topping. To a medium bowl, add the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and cinnamon. Whisk together to combine.
3. Work in the butter. Add the cubed butter. Using your fingers, sift the flour mixture over the butter, then break each cube down into pea sized pieces. When you are finished, every ingredient should be well incorporated with a few chunks remaining. Place the bowl in the refrigerator until you are ready for it.
4. Melt the butter for the bars. Place the butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. If needed, microwave another 15 seconds to melt the butter completely.
5. Mix the butter and sugar. In a medium bowl, add the melted butter and the granulated sugar. Mix to combine.
6. Add the egg and vanilla. Stir in the egg and the vanilla extract.
7. Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Stir until completely combined.
8. Fold in the carrots and walnuts. Fold in the shredded carrots and the chopped walnuts. Set the batter aside.
9. Make the cheesecake swirl. In a medium bowl, add the cream cheese and the confectioners’ sugar. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth.
10. Begin assembly. Add about half of the carrot cake batter to the prepared pan and spread it out with an offset spatula.
11. Add the swirl layer. Add the cheesecake batter over the carrot cake batter in the pan, spreading it out into an even layer.
12. Top with the remaining batter. Add the remaining carrot cake batter on top of the cheesecake batter and spread it out into an even layer.
13. Swirl the batters. Using a knife or a skewer, swirl the batters together. A few loose loops are plenty; stop before the layers turn muddy.
14. Add the crumble. Top with the chilled crumble topping, scattering it evenly across the surface.
15. Bake. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, until the edges are light golden brown and there is very little jiggle in the center.
16. Cool and store. Cool completely before cutting. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

A quick note before you start: let the cream cheese come to room temperature first, and shred the carrots yourself if you can. Those two small choices make the swirl easier to spread and the bars noticeably more tender.

Recipe details

Here is the at a glance information so you can plan your baking window.

Slice them into nine squares once they are fully cool, and you have a dessert that holds up on a plate, in a lunch box, or on a holiday table without any last minute frosting work.

FAQs

Carrot Cake Bars

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• Total Time: 60 min
• Yield: 9 bars 1x

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Description

Carrot Cake Bars Carrot Cake Bars take everything people love about a classic carrot layer cake and press it into a pan you can slice, pack, and share. The base is built on freshly shredded carrots and finely chopped walnuts, and it is finished with two elements that make the bars hard to stop eating: a cheesecake swirl baked right into the middle and a buttery crumble topping scattered over the top.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Crumble Topping
½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) Challenge butter, cubed
¾ cup (94 g) all-purpose flour
⅓ cup (42 g) confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Bars
½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) Challenge unsalted butter, melted
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 pinch nutmeg
1½ cups shredded carrots, approximately 2-3 large carrots
½ cup walnuts, finely chopped

Cheesecake Swirl
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup (62.5 g) confectioners’ sugar

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Instructions

1-Preheat the oven to 350°F: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8×8-inch baking pan with non-stick spray and set aside. You can also line the pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2-Crumble Topping: Crumble Topping: To a medium bowl, add the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and cinnamon. Whisk together to combine.
3-Add the cubed butter: Add the cubed butter. Using your fingers, sift the flour mixture over the butter and then start breaking down each cube into pea-sized pieces. When done, every ingredient should be well incorporated (with a few chunks). Place in the refrigerator until ready.
4-Carrot Cake Bars: Carrot Cake Bars: Place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. If needed, microwave another 15 seconds to melt the butter completely.
5-In a medium bowl, add the melted: In a medium bowl, add the melted butter and sugar. Mix to combine.
6-Stir in the egg and vanilla extract: Stir in the egg and vanilla extract.
7-Add in the flour, cinnamon, baking powder,: Add in the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Stir until completely combined.
8-Fold in the shredded carrots and chopped: Fold in the shredded carrots and chopped walnuts. Set aside.
9-Cheesecake Swirl: Cheesecake Swirl: In a medium bowl, add in the cream cheese and sugar. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth.
10-Assembly: Assembly: Add about half of the carrot cake batter into the pan and spread it out with an offset spatula.
11-Add the cheesecake batter to the carrot: Add the cheesecake batter to the carrot cake batter that is in the pan, spreading it out into an even layer.
12-Add the remaining carrot cake batter on: Add the remaining carrot cake batter on top of the cheesecake batter and spread it out into an even layer.
13-Using a knife or skewer, swirl the: Using a knife or skewer, swirl the batters together.
14-Top with crumble topping: Top with crumble topping.
15-Bake for about 35-40 minutes until the: Bake for about 35-40 minutes until the edges are light golden brown. There will be very little jiggle to the center.
16-Cool completely before cutting: Cool completely before cutting. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

• Prep Time: 20 min
• Cook Time: 40 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Calories: 898

Keywords: Carrot Cake Bars