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Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Bars Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 54 reviews

Deliciously moist Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Bars featuring a spiced carrot batter topped with a smooth, fluffy cream cheese swirl. Perfect as a dessert or snack, these bars combine the warm flavors of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves with a luscious cream cheese topping, baked to perfection in an 8×8-inch pan.

Ingredients

Scale

Batter

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (melted)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
  • 1 cup grated carrots (loosely packed)

Cream Cheese Swirl

  • 4 ounces brick-style cream cheese (softened to room temp, use full fat for best results)
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with heavy-duty non-stick aluminum foil for easy cleanup and spray it with cooking spray.
  2. Melt Butter: In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter on high power for about 1 minute. Allow it to cool slightly so it won’t scramble the egg in the next step.
  3. Mix Wet Ingredients: Add the egg, brown sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, ground cloves, and vanilla extract to the melted butter. Whisk until well combined.
  4. Add Dry Ingredients: Stir in the all-purpose flour and kosher salt. Be careful not to overmix to avoid dense bars.
  5. Incorporate Carrots: Fold in the grated carrots. For best texture, grate the carrots using the coarsest blade of a box grater rather than using pre-shredded carrots.
  6. Spread Batter: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top evenly with a spatula.
  7. Prepare Cream Cheese Swirl: In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, egg yolk, and granulated sugar on high speed with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
  8. Apply Swirl: Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the carrot batter. Gently swirl it into the batter with a butter knife or spatula; a light swirl is sufficient.
  9. Bake: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  10. Cool and Serve: Allow the bars to cool uncovered in the pan at room temperature for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, before slicing and serving.

Notes

  • Use full-fat brick-style cream cheese for best taste and texture.
  • Do not overmix the batter to keep the bars tender.
  • Grate fresh carrots on a coarse grater for ideal texture; avoid pre-shredded carrots.
  • Cooling overnight improves flavor and slicing.
  • Line pan with foil and spray for easier cleanup.
  • Can store bars wrapped in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Keywords: carrot cake bars, cream cheese swirl, spiced carrot bars, carrot cream cheese bars, easy dessert bars, baked carrot dessert, cinnamon carrot bars

Find it online: https://victoriablair.com/carrot-cake-cream-cheese-bars-recipe/