I love the classic flavor of a traditional carrot cake, but during the Easter rush, I rarely have the patience for the triple-layer assembly and delicate frosting. I developed these carrot cake bars as a shortcut solution that doesn’t compromise on texture. By using a cake mix base and boosting it with extra cinnamon and nutmeg, I get a dense, cookie-like crumb that sandwiches around a fudgy cream cheese center. These easy dessert bars are my go-to when I need a handheld treat that’s sturdy enough for an outdoor egg hunt but still rich enough to feel like a gourmet treat.
Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Bars with Cake Mix
These carrot cake bars are unique in that they aren’t actually cake. Instead, I transform carrot cake mix into a dense, chewy cookie dough. By using melted butter and a single egg instead of the oil and water listed on the box, I bypass the airy, crumbly texture of a traditional cake. This creates a sturdy crust that can actually hold a heavy layer of cream cheese filling without getting soggy.
Unlike my carrot cake cheesecake, which requires a water bath and hours of cooling, these cream cheese dessert bars use sweetened condensed milk as a stabilizer to create a fudgy, cheesecake-like center. It allows the cream cheese to set into a rich, tangy layer in just 30 minutes. It’s the perfect middle ground for when I want the decadence of a cheesecake but the portability of a handheld cookie bar.
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If You See Green, Don’t Panic!
When mixing the dough, if you notice some specks of green, it’s not mold! The green patches are the result of alkaline baking soda interacting with the pH sensitive pigments in the carrots. Because of the pH difference, baking soda can cause carrots to turn green. This is perfectly normal and not at all dangerous!
If you want to guarantee a perfectly orange bar for a party, you can add a half-teaspoon of lemon juice to your wet ingredients; the acidity helps keep the carrot pigments bright orange
Carrot Cake Bars Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- 8×8 Baking Pan
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounces carrot cake mix (1 box)*
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled (1 stick)
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese room temperature (½ brick)**
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk (about ⅖ can)***
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Leave the sides a little higher than the pan so the bars can be lifted out easily after they’ve cooled. Spray the parchment paper lined pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the dry cake mix, butter, egg, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg together until fully combined, about 30 seconds. Do not overmix.15.25 ounces carrot cake mix, ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- In a separate medium bowl, beat the cream cheese on high until smooth, about 30 seconds.4 ounces full-fat cream cheese
- Beat the sweetened condensed milk into the cream cheese until smooth, about 30 seconds. Set aside.½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- Press about ⅔ of the dough mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. This dough will be thick (cookie dough consistency). If having difficulties spreading the dough into the pan, lightly spray a spatula with nonstick spray to help spread out the bottom layer.
- Spread the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk mixture evenly over the first dough layer.
- Press the remaining ⅓ of the dough into super flat pieces and cover as much of the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk layer with the dough as possible. It’s okay if some of the cheesecake layer is still exposed.
- Bake for 29-31 minutes – the middle will look set and the edges will be slightly browned. Do not overbake or these bars will lose the gooey texture.
- Let bars cool in pan for at least 60 minutes before removing from pan and slicing into 16 squares.
Notes
- This recipe starts with the dry mix only. Do not prepare the cake as directed on the box.
- Don’t overmix the cake mix; otherwise, your bars will come out tough.
- Don’t panic if the cake mixture looks green. It’s totally normal and a result of alkaline leaveners reacting with the carrots.
- Feel free to add in some raisins, walnuts, or chopped pecans to add extra flavor and crunch!
- The cake mix dough should be thick like cookie dough. If it’s too thin, add a bit of flour to thicken it back up.
- The cheesecake filling should have the consistency of yogurt.
- Don’t press the dough into the cheesecake layer, or it will disappear.
- If the dough is too sticky to handle, lightly flour your hands before pressing.
- Don’t overbake these bars, or the filling will not be gooey and creamy.
- If the filling won’t set after baking, it was likely too wet. Try adding more cream cheese to thicken it up.
- For the absolute best texture, refrigerate the cooled bars for at least 2 hours.
- For clean-edged squares, wipe the knife with a damp cloth in between cutting each row.
How to Make Carrot Cake Bars Step-by-Step
Prep: Gather up all of the ingredients you need to make these carrot cake cream cheese bars. Bring the egg and cream cheese to room temperature for about 30 minutes before beginning. You can speed this up by cubing it. Melt the butter in the microwave in 10-second increments until liquid, then set aside to cool. Preheat your oven to 350°F, and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Leave the sides a little higher than the pan so the bars can be lifted out easily after they’ve cooled. Spray the parchment paper lined pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
Mix the Dough: In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat 15.25 ounces (1 box) of carrot cake mix, ½ cup of melted and cooled unsalted butter, 1 large room-temperature egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg together until fully combined, about 30 seconds. The mixture should be thick like cookie dough. Take care not to overmix, or your bars will turn out dense and dry.
Beat the Cream Cheese: In a separate medium bowl, beat 4 ounces (½ brick) of room-temperature full-fat cream cheese on high until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Mix the Filling: Beat ½ cup of sweetened condensed milk into the cream cheese until smooth, about 30 seconds. Set aside. The filling should be slightly runny, like yogurt.
Spread the Dough: Press about ⅔ of the carrot cake dough mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. If you’re having difficulties spreading the dough into the pan, lightly spray a spatula with nonstick spray to help spread out the bottom layer.
Cover with Filling: Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the first dough layer. Spread it out with a rubber spatula if needed.
Top with Dough: Press the remaining ⅓ of the lemon cake dough into super-flat pieces and gently place them over the cheesecake layer, overlapping as needed, to cover. It’s okay if a little bit of the cheesecake layer is still exposed on the edges. Don’t press down, or the dough will sink into the cheesecake layer.
Bake and Cool: Bake your carrot cake bars in the preheated oven for 29-31 minutes, or until the middle looks set and the edges are be slightly browned. You’ll know they’re done when the middle looks set (no longer shiny), and the edges have slightly browned. Do not overbake, or the cheesecake layer will lose its gooey texture. Let bars cool in pan for at least 60 minutes before removing from pan and slicing into 16 squares. I prefer to let them chill for 2 hours for cleaner slices. An overnight chill makes them even better! Enjoy at room temperature for a fluffier texture, or chilled for a firmer texture.
How to Store and Freeze
Store carrot cake bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer tightly wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil for up to 1 month. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying chilled or at room temperature.
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