Swirled Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bars.
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!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bars
The best of both worlds! Great for spring but especially fun for Easter...pretty and delicious!!
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 1 1/2 sticks Land O Lakes® Salted Butter, melted (3/4 cup melted)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/3 cups grated carrot
Cheesecake
- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Vanilla Icing
- 4 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Salted Butter, melted
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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.
Our Favorite Recipes
Cheesy Herb Stuffed Naan (with no yeast option).
Looks amazing!! Perfect spring recipe! 🙂
Thanks so much Kelly!! xTieghan
Can I make this Gluten free??? Will it still come out as good???
Hey Erin,
I would recommend using an equal amount of Cup4cup GF flour. I hope you enjoy the bars, please let me know if you give them a try! xTieghan
This looks like a perfect Easter treat. I have pinned this one for the weekend. I do love carrot a good carrot cake 🙂
I hope you love the recipe Colleen, let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
You read my mind! I was already planning to combine a cheesecake recipe with acozykitchen.com’s carrot cake recipe with brown butter cream cheese icing for this Easter.
Hope you love the recipe Laily!! xTieghan
The recipe says 1/2 cup granulated sugar but your recipe instructions say to add BROWN SUGAR”.. which is it?
Hey Shelley,
For the carrot cake batter, you are going to use 1/2 cup of brown sugar which is used in step 2. Then, you are going to use 1/2 cup of granulated sugar for the cheesecake in step 3. Hope this makes sense! xTieghan
Such a delicious combo. There is a steakhouse near me, that used to have a cake on their dessert menu that was a layer of cheese cake, layer of carrot cake, and another layer of cheesecake. It was so, so, so good. Still sad they took it off the menu!
Thanks so much Heather, I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
I was going to make your carrot cake from your cookbook for Easter weekend, now I’m torn! Looks delish. Xx
Let me know which you decide on! Hope you love them:) xTieghan
Quick question can I add walnuts to the recipe.
Hey Yolanda,
I’ve not tested this, but I’m sure walnuts would add great flavor. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
perfect Easter treat, and love these as bars for the simpler serving options, thank you!
Hey Sabrina,
Awesome! So glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xTieghan
This recipe sounds absolutely amazing! I only have unsalted butter – can I simply add some additional salt to the recipe?
Hey Diane,
You bet! I would add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi
How to make its egg free please
Thanks
Hey there,
So sorry, I have not tested this recipe without the egg, but you could certainly try a chia or flax egg! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi there-
Wondering if I could make this in a round Bundt pan?
Thanks,
Wendy
Hey Wendy,
Yes, that should work just fine, I would just keep an eye on the baking times. I hope you the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
Do you think it would be possible to bake it in a loaf dish and half the recipe? Only have two to feed this year! Let me know your best suggestions, thanks!
Hey Annie,
Yes, that should work just fine, I would just keep an eye on the baking times. I hope you the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
Wow these look insanely good. Love a good carrotcake and cheesecake, sounds like a perfect combo! Might make these for Easter this weekend.
xo Jessica
an indigo day
Thanks so much Jessica!
My Carrot cake ended up a little bit dry and I had difficulty swirling the cream cheese mix and carrot cake together because my cake mix ended up so dense. I also added a little cinnamon to my icing and think that coconut would also be a good addition to the icing. They seemed quite enjoyable warm from the oven as well. Still delish but I may try a few adjustments next time. A great spring/Easter treat!
Thanks for trying the recipe Kinsey! Was there anything you may have adjusted? Let me know if I can help! xTieghan
Are there other pan sizes that would work instead of 9×9? I have 8×8, 9×13, etc.
Hey Melissa,
An 8×8 pan would work just fine here. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
This looks amazing! Do you think it’s possible to make this into a cake and not bars?
Hey Ashton,
Yes, that would work just fine! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can you 1/2 this recipe and use an 8×8 pan for a smaller gathering?
Hey Andie,
Yes, that should work just fine, just be sure to keep an eye on the baking time! I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Do you let the bars chill before putting the icing over them?
Hey Sage,
Yes, that is listed in step 5. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi – do you think this will be okay in a 13 x 9 pan? Trying this today – thanks!
Hey Nicole,
Yes, that will work just fine, just be sure to keep an eye on them, you will probably need to reduce the baking time. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi, making now and it says to include the melted butter in the carrot cake part, but when do I add the other 1/4 cup of salted butter?
Hey Jessica,
You will use 1/4 cup if butter in the icing in step 6. I hope you love the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
Hi! Do any alterations need to be made for your baking recipes for altitude? I know you are at altitude too, so should we just follow them as written? Thanks!
Hey Christine,
No need to adjust the recipes, you can follow them as is! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
Could I make this as a loaf?
Hey Maddy,
Yes, that will work, I would just keep an eye on your baking time. I hope you enjoy the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This might be so silly! But I love your flower accent! What flowers can I use to safely decorate?
Hey Ashton,
I love ordering my edible flowers from Gourmet Sweet Botanicals, they have a bunch of great options! xTieghan
The icing is chunk and not smooth. How can I correct this. My butter is melted and I even sifted the powdered sugar.
Hey Stephanie,
So sorry to hear this. Is there anything you may have adjusted in the recipe? It’s hard for me to say without actually seeing what your icing looks like. Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Do you have any suggestions for increasing this recipe? I was wondering if I could 1.5 it and bake it in a 13×9 pan or maybe in a Bundt pan?
Hey Jennifer,
That should work just fine in a 9×13 pan. I hope you enjoy the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Made these for Easter dinner with my family tonight, BIG hit!! They were really good!
Hey Sue,
Happy Weekend! Thanks for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Can i make this the night before?
Hey Courtney,
Yes, that will work just fine! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
So excited to make these!! Yum! Are they ok to make day before and refrigerate? Making to bring to family Easter celebration!
Hey Katie,
Yes, totally fine to do! I hope you love this recipe, let me know how it turns out! Happy Easter:) xTieghan
I made these yesterday but only had an 8 inch square Pyrex pan or a 9×13 pan. I opted for the 8 inch square pan, and they took a lot longer that the recommended time frame, probably an extra 20-30 minutes (I expected they would take longer than recommended since the batter was pretty thick). The top ended up a bit browned on the edges, despite the foil tenting, probably due to the extra time in the oven. They look good though, I can’t wait to try them tomorrow. Debating between the recommended icing or some leftover cream cheese icing I had in my freezer from a carrot cake I made.
Hey Megan,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Easter 🌷Tieghan
These came out great! I used at 8×8 pan so the bars were quite a bit thicker and needed more on the 55min-1hr side to bake, but they are really delicious and a great combination of cheesecake and carrot cake. The vanilla icing on the top is a delicious finishing touch. Yum!
Hey Veronica,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Easter 🌷Tieghan
I tented the bars halfway through the baking but then the top stuck to the foil. Do you know why that would happen? I think it is still salable as the icing will hide it?
Batter tastes delicious.
Hey Erin,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try. I just tent with foil, so the foil should not be touching any of the batter. Let me know how they turned out! xTieghan
I just made this for Easter dinner tomorrow. Of course I had to taste every part of the recipe. I added 2 oz of cream.cheese to the frosting. Carrot cake. Cream cheese frosting. Win win. I can’t wait to try it. I bake it for 55 mins & it was super loose & jiggly in the middle. I turned the heat down to 300, covered w foil & baked for 20 more mins. Perfection! 💕
Hey Luanne,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Easter 🌷Tieghan
I have nothing to complain about with these bars. On point, super moist and flavourful. We made the icing but it would have been totally fine without it as well.
Hey Kim,
Happy Monday! It’s so great that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! xTieghan
Turned out delicious and was easy to put together. I’m going to try adding nuts next time.
Hey Rochelle,
Happy Monday! It’s so great that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! xTieghan
These were delicious, thank you! Perfect combination of desserts- definitely going to be an Easter tradition!
Hey Nicole,
Happy Monday! It’s so great that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! xTieghan
I am in the process of making this right now. And it smells so good!!!
One quick question, how do I know when the cheesecake part is done, when it doesn’t jiggle? I can smell the carrot cake but the cheesecake park is still just a little jiggly.
Hey Ana,
It’s totally fine if the cheesecake part jiggles a little, I would just follow the baking times and you should be good to go! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
Made these for Easter and they were amazing. Followed the recipe exactly and they came out perfectly. Will definitely make again!
Hey Madeline,
Happy Monday! It’s so great that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! xTieghan
Hi!
Made these for Easter and they were great! But like someone else mentioned, the carrot cake portion was a bit dry, I will be trying it again but measure everything exact. My batter was also a bit thick, any suggestions would help! Thank you!
Hey Ali,
Happy Monday! It’s so great that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! xTieghan
We made these today and has them after our Easter dinner. Like so many of the other commenters here, we don’t have a 9×9 pan- that may be valuable piece of feedback for your next bar recipe! We used an 8×8 and a smaller pan for the overflow. With the batter being thinner due to splitting into two pans, they were perfectly done at 35 minutes. Texture was great but we all agreed it needed more spice, so next time we’ll increase the cinnamon add some nutmeg and ginger to get the classic carrot cake taste.
Hey Lexie,
Happy Monday! It’s so great that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! xTieghan
Can you make as cupcakes?
Hey Christin,
I haven’t tried that with this recipe, but you could certainly give it a try. I would just reduce your baking time accordingly. Let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan
Made for Easter and they were very good! My fam loved them! The cake isn’t a super moist kind of cake but very tasty, not too sweet, and a perfect compliment to the cheesecake part. I would probably bake in a 9×13 pan next time so they’re thin brownie like bars that can serve better as finger food. In the square pan, the bars turned out more like a cake so it was super thick. I would definitely make these again as they’re a perfect combo of creaminess, cinnamon brown sugar flavor, and not too sweet (made them without the icing.) Thanks for a delicious treat!
Hey Kim,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
My cake mix also was dense and wouldn’t spread as easily. Ended up very lumpy on top 🙁 nothing like the smooth top shown in the photos. I followed directions exactly. So bummed….
Hey Tanya,
So sorry to hear this! What kind of flour did you use? Is is possible that you may have over mixed the batter? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Was just OK. The carrot cake is overpowered by the cheesecake.
Thanks for trying the recipe Megan! xTieghan
This was so fun and so good! Two questions if you don’t mind:
1. How do you get your icing so clean/bright? Mine always turns out carmel colored from the vanilla- do you use a specific kind if vanilla?
2. Are those Jasmin flowers and where do you find all these edible/non-toxic flowers for your desserts?
Thank you!
Hey Linsey,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad that it was enjoyed! I use vanilla from Whole Foods and I order my flowers from Gourmet Sweet Botanicals. xTieghan
I made these for Easter and they were a huge hit! I loved the density of the carrot cake paired with the cheesecake. When I made then I didnt make the icing to see how I would like the bars plain, and honestly I thought they were perfect just like that. This is definitely going in my “will make again” list of recipes!
Hey Jessie,
Awesome!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! xTieghan
Love this cake!
It’s the perfect combination of carrot cake and cheesecake 😍
My family loved it! Definitely again 🧡
Hey Jenni,
Fantastic!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Happy Friday:) xTieghan