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Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bars

 


If you love both Carrot Cake and Cheesecake and don't want to decide between the two, these delicious bars were made for you!  They marry the two desserts beautifully together into a bar that is perfectly sweet, but not overly so.  They were great served at room temperature, but even better the next day once they had a chance to chill.

Just be prepared...they tend to disappear FAST!

I loved this recipe because it includes both cinnamon and nutmeg, giving the carrot cake batter that warm, wonderful flavor that only a nice dose of spices can.  

The cheesecake batter comes together quickly and its fun to swirl the two batters together into luscious swirls on the top.

Enjoy!
 


Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bars
Adapted from: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:
Carrot Cake:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 pound carrots, finely shredded (about 2 cups)

Cheesecake Batter:
2 packages (16 ounces total) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (3.75 ounces) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9X13-inch pan with cooking spray and set aside.

For the carrot cake batter:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

In another medium bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla until very well-combined and light in color, 1-2 minutes.

Add the dry ingredients and then the carrots and mix until no dry streaks remain (don't over mix).

For the cheesecake batter:
Whip the cream cheese and granulated sugar with an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer) until smooth and well-combined, 1-2 minutes. Add the sour cream, eggs and vanilla and mix for another minute or so until evenly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Spread half of the carrot cake batter in a thin layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Spoon the cheesecake batter and remaining carrot cake batter over the top, alternating heaping dollops so there's an even amount of batter across the bars.

Use a knife to lightly swirl the batter together. Bake the bars for 35-40 minutes, until the top springs back lightly to the touch. Let cool completely. Serve at room temperature or chilled (these bars can be made 1-2 days ahead of time; refrigerate until serving).

 

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