Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

• 250 g Cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
• 50 g Granulated sugar (for cheesecake filling)
• 1 Egg (large, for cheesecake filling)
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract (for cheesecake filling)
• 120 ml Vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)
• 150 g Brown sugar (packed)
• 2 Eggs (large, for cake batter)
• 200 g Grated carrots (finely grated)
• 180 g Gluten-free flour blend (with xanthan gum)
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 0.5 tsp Baking soda
• 2 tsp Ground cinnamon
• 0.5 tsp Ground ginger
• 0.25 tsp Salt

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.

2. 2

   In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and granulated sugar together until smooth and creamy.

3. 3

   Add one egg and the vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture, whisking until fully combined and smooth. Set aside.

4. 4

   In a separate large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, brown sugar, and two eggs until well combined.

5. 5

   Stir the finely grated carrots into the oil and sugar mixture.

6. 6

   Sift in the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.

7. 7

   Pour about three-quarters of the carrot cake batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly.

8. 8

   Dollop the cheesecake filling over the carrot cake batter.

9. 9

   Drop spoonfuls of the remaining carrot cake batter over the cheesecake layer.

10. 10

    Use a knife or a skewer to gently swirl the two mixtures together to create a marbled effect.

11. 11

    Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out clean and the cheesecake is set but still slightly jiggly in the center.

12. 12

    Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before chilling in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to firm up.

13. 13

    Once chilled, lift out of the pan using the parchment paper and slice into bars.

Notes

For the best results, ensure the cream cheese is truly at room temperature to avoid lumps in the cheesecake swirl. You can substitute the gluten-free flour for regular all-purpose flour if you do not require the recipe to be gluten-free.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• snack
• baking
• carrot cake
• cheesecake
• gluten-free
• bars