Swirled Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bars…the best of both worlds. Sweet carrot cake with notes of vanilla and cinnamon, swirled with rich, creamy cheesecake, and generously glazed with a retro-style vanilla glaze for an extra special touch. The added bonus is that these bars take almost no effort to make. The perfect treat for all your upcoming spring events…or simply to enjoy as an afternoon snack. Every last bite is truly delicious!

This post is sponsored by Land O’Lakes.

I often have a hard time deciding between two recipes. Both can sound so delicious and exciting to create that I just can’t choose between them. That was the situation a few weeks ago when I was going back and forth on just what sweet Easter recipes I wanted to share this year. Both carrot cake and cheesecake are Easter classics (and in general very spring).

So how am I supposed to choose just one…you know?

Then I started thinking, what about putting the two together? Made sense in my mind. I mean the best carrot cakes are the ones that get frosted with a creamy, cream cheese frosting. Naturally, a carrot cake cheesecake sounded like the perfect marriage of flavors.

The process is simple, here are the details

You’ll want to start with the carrot cake…everyone makes theirs a little differently. But my secret is to use a bit of salted butter to keep the cake moist, light, and fluffy…just the right amount of buttery, salty flavor. As with most of my baking recipes, I like to use Land O Lakes® Salted Butter, which is always my go-to butter for both baking and cooking. It’s sweet and creamy and always turns out the best baked goods. My fridge is stocked at all times and love knowing that Land O Lakes is farmer owned.

Simply mix the melted butter with brown sugar (which is also key for a light caramel-like flavoring), vanilla, and eggs. Add the dry ingredients then stir in lots of shredded carrots.

Once the carrot cake batter is made, work on the cheesecake. It’s just five ingredients, but that’s all you need for a great cheesecake batter! The trick is to start with softened cream cheese. Then beat the cream cheese together with the sugar until it’s light and whipped. This will leave you with an especially creamy and rich cheesecake swirl.

Now, you layer the two together

You’ll start with the carrot cake, then add a thick layer of cheesecake. From here, dollop over the remaining carrot cake and finish with the cheesecake. I know it’s tempting, but don’t swirl the batters together. Just bake as is and you’ll be left with swirls of cheesecake throughout the carrot cake.

It’s so pretty! So no swirling!

Bake the bars, let them cool, and then…

 

That Retro-Style Icing

I am very into retro-style icing right now. This final layer isn’t needed. But it sure does leave you with an extra special carrot cake cheesecake bar that’s just a touch better than any other.

The icing is buttery, sweet, creamy, and pairs perfectly with the flavors and textures within these bars.

These bars are great for spring but especially fun and fitting for upcoming Easter! I can’t wait to make them again very soon. My family always gets so excited to see those pretty swirls of cheesecake every time I slice into these bars.

They’re the prettiest…and of course delicious!!

Looking for other spring-like bars, try these:

Lunchroom Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars with Candied Lemon

Creamy Lemon Bars with Browned Butter Raspberries

Lastly, if you make these Swirled Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bars be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bars

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 16 bars
Calories Per Serving: 257 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Print Recipe Email Recipe Text Recipe

Save This Recipe To Your Recipe Box

You can now create an account on our site and save your favorite recipes and access them on any device! You can keep track of your favorite recipes and generate a shopping list for recipes in your collections.

Register & Save

Already Registered? Login Now

Ingredients

Carrot Cake

Cheesecake

Vanilla Icing

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
    2. To make the carrot cake. In a mixing bowl, beat together the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, beating until just combined. Stir in the grated carrots.
    3. To make the cheesecake. In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and flour until whipped, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at time until incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat once more until the mixture is smooth.
    4. Assemble. Working with the carrot cake batter, spread about 2/3rds of the batter into the prepared pan in an even layer. Now pour over 2/3rds of the cheesecake batter, then dollop spoonfuls of the remaining carrot cake batter into the cheesecake layer. Lastly, pour/drizzle over the remaining cheesecake batter. Take the pan and tap it against the counter 2-3 times to help pop any air pockets in the cheesecake.
    5. Bake for 45-55 minutes, tenting the cake with foil halfway through cooking to prevent the top from browning. Allow the cake to cool in the pan, then transfer to the fridge to chill completely, at least 3 hours.
    6. To make the icing, whisk the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons water (or milk), until smooth. If needed, thin with additional water/milk. Drizzle the icing over the bars. Let set for 1-ish hour...or slice, snack, and enjoy! The bars can keep chilled in the fridge for up to 5 days.

You May Also Like

Add a Comment

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. 5 stars
    STOP IT. These turned out incredible! I admittedly used a store mix for the carrot cake since I was in a rush….but 1 box of store mix worked perfect for this recipe with the serving size on 16 bars. Turned out exactly like the picture! Which I feel like my recipes rarely do haha. My husband’s my favorites are cheesecake and carrot cake, so I was saving this one for his birthday this week. He loves your recipes as much as I do! Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hey Alyssa,
      Happy Sunday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan

      Reply

  2. Delicious recipe!! Absolutely love them!! Wondered if you had any tips for freezing them?? If they hold up well?? Thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply

    1. Hey Liz,
      I really appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! I would slice and freeze in an airtight container. xxTieghan

      Reply

  3. 5 stars
    I didn’t have time for a grocery run so I decided to replace the carrot cake portion with your Crinkle Top Brownies recipe because who doesn’t love a cheesecake brownie, right? I omitted the icing and had to adjust the timing, but it worked just fine and boy are they delicious. It was all pretty quick and easy given the fact that you’re making two batters. Thank you for all of your creations and inspiration!

    Reply

    1. Hey Elizabeth,
      Fantastic! I am thrilled you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! What a fun idea!! Have a great week:) xTieghan

      Reply

  4. 5 stars
    These tasted absolutely amazing and my husband LOVED them. The only drawback was the amount of time it took to make them, but it was worth it.

    Reply

    1. Hey Rochelle,
      Fantastic! I am thrilled you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week:) xTieghan

      Reply

See More Comments