Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Swirl – A deliciously moist and fluffy carrot cake that is perfectly spiced, loaded with carrots, and topped with a sweet cream cheese swirl!

Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Swirl

Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Swirl

Carrot cake has to be one of my favourite cakes, because it is bursting with warm flavours, and reminds me of my favourite season – Autumn.

These Carrot Cake Bars are moist and fluffy, perfectly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, loaded with grated carrots, and generously topped with a sweet cream cheese swirl.

The cream cheese topping pairs with this carrot cake so well, and makes for an extra moist crumb. If you’re a fan of carrot cake and cheesecake, you are gonna LOVE this recipe!

Looking for more carrot cake recipes? See my Carrot Layer Cake, Carrot Cake Blondies, and my Cheesecake Swirl Carrot Bundt Cake.

Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Swirl
Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Swirl

Ingredients you’ll need

Here’s a list of ingredients you’ll need to make this cake. You can find my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list with their amounts.

  • Plain/all-purpose flour
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves
  • Large carrots: You’ll need 2 large ones, grated, which should be about 8oz / 250g.
  • Light brown sugar
  • Caster/granulated sugar
  • Cream cheese: Incorporating cream cheese into the batter makes for an extra moist cake.
  • Large eggs
  • Vanilla extract

For the cream cheese swirl, you’ll need:

  • Cream cheese
  • Caster/granulated sugar
  • Large eggs
  • Vanilla extract
  • Plain/all-purpose flour

How to make Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Swirl

To make these cake bars, simply start by whisking together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.

In a separate large mixing bowl, mix together the grated carrots, sugars, cream cheese, eggs, and vanilla until combined.

Add the dry ingredients and mix until completely combined.

Pour the batter into a 9×13-inch cake pan greased and lined with parchment paper, and spread out evenly.

For the cream cheese swirl, mix together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and combined. Add the eggs, vanilla, and flour, and mix until completely combined.

Spoon dollops of the mixture on top of the cake batter, and create swirls using a knife or toothpick.

Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until the centre is no longer jiggly and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into bars.

The printable recipe card with the full list of ingredients, their measurements, and instructions can be found at the bottom of this post.

NOTE: For best results, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup measurements. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough, and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.

Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Swirl
Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Swirl

These Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Swirl are:

  • super quick and easy to throw together
  • deliciously moist and fluffy
  • LOADED with grated carrots
  • perfectly spiced with warm flavours
  • a great start to your autumn/fall baking

How long will these cake bars last? These bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Can I freeze these carrot cake bars? Yes, they also freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight the in fridge before serving.

Did You Make This Recipe?

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Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Swirl
Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Swirl

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Originally Published: July, 2015 | Updated: September, 2019

Simply Bake

Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Swirl

A deliciously moist and fluffy carrot cake that is perfectly spiced, and topped with a sweet cream cheese swirl!
Author: Marsha
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yields: 16 bars

Ingredients

For the Carrot Cake

  • 2 cups (250g) plain/all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 large carrots, grated (about 8oz / 250g)
  • 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) caster/granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup (170g) cream cheese, softened
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Swirl

  • 8 oz (225g) cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup (100g) caster/granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 6 tablespoons (50g) plain/all-purpose flour

Instructions

For the Carrot Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line a 13×9-inch pan with parchment paper, and set aside.
  • Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.
  • In a separate large mixing bowl, mix together the grated carrots, sugars, cream cheese, eggs, and vanilla until combined.
  • Add the dry ingredients and mix until completely combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and spread out evenly.

For the Cream Cheese Swirl

  • Mix together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and combined. Add the eggs, vanilla, and flour, and mix until completely combined.
  • Spoon dollops of the mixture on top of the cake batter, and create swirls using a knife or toothpick.
  • Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until the centre is no longer jiggly and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  • Allow to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into bars.

Video

Recipe Notes

These bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 3 days. They also freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight the in fridge before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1barCalories: 279kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 5gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 246mgFiber: 1gSugar: 26g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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42 Comments

  1. I would love to try these. Could I add 1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts without spoiling the recipe?

    Reply

  4. I see that in the original recipe on lecremedelacrumb, she used applesauce & baked in 9×13″ pan. I’m assuming you used a smaller pan to get thicker bars – which is always good. Are they moist enough without the applesauce? Thanks

    Reply

  11. I am OBSESSED with cream cheese right now. I also have some carrots that are a bit sad, but would be perfect for carrot cake. Putting this on the plan to #conquerdessert this weekend.

    Reply

  17. Love how visible the carrots are in the batter! What’s your best trick for getting a nice swirl with the cheesecake mixture?

    Reply

    1. Hi Felicia! I achieved the swirled look by taking a toothpick, and running it through the two mixtures in a circular motion. It’s very easy!

      Reply