These carrot cake blondies capture the cozy flavors of classic carrot cake in a chewy, handheld bar. Warm spices and finely shredded carrots are folded into the batter, and a sweetened cream cheese mixture is gently swirled through for the familiar frosting flavor without the fuss of decorating a cake.
These carrot cake blondies make a simple, crowd-pleasing dessert — ideal for Easter or any time you want a nostalgic treat. If you prefer a full-layer carrot cake, try a carrot snack cake with brown butter cream cheese frosting. For other blondie variations, apple cinnamon, brown butter, or Biscoff blondies are all excellent alternatives.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
True carrot cake flavor — the bars include shredded carrots, brown sugar notes, and warm spices so you get the classic taste in an easy bar form.
Simple process — everything comes together in one pan and bakes in under 30 minutes.
No elaborate decorating — the cream cheese swirl creates a beautiful finish without piping or frosting a cake.
Stores well — refrigerated, these keep up to a week, and they can sit at room temperature for a few hours if needed.
Ingredients
- Spices — ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves for classic carrot cake warmth.
- Baking powder — gives the blondies a slight lift.
- Carrots — use finely shredded carrots. Freshly shredded retain moisture better than pre-shredded store-bought carrots.
- Shredded coconut — optional; if using, choose sweetened shredded coconut.
- Cream cheese — full-fat and softened to room temperature for smooth swirls.
- Sour cream — adds tang to the cream cheese swirl; Greek yogurt can be substituted.
See the recipe card below for exact amounts and full ingredient details.
Substitutions and Variations
- Omit sweetened shredded coconut if you prefer.
- Fold in ⅓ cup toasted chopped walnuts or pecans for extra texture and flavor.
How to Make This Recipe
One: Whisk the melted butter and brown sugar together until smooth.
Two: Add the egg and vanilla, whisking until fully incorporated.
Three: Whisk the dry ingredients together, then fold them into the wet mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined.
Four: Fold in the shredded carrots and coconut (if using) until evenly distributed.
Hot tip! Mix only until the flour and mix-ins are combined. Overmixing can make the bars tough or gummy.
Five: Beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar until smooth. Add sour cream, egg yolk, and vanilla, mixing until combined.
Six: Spread one-third of the carrot batter into the prepared pan, pressing it to the edges and corners.
Seven: Drop spoonfuls of the remaining carrot batter and the cream cheese mixture across the pan, alternating until both are used up.
Eight: Gently swirl the batters with a knife, then bake until set in the center. Cool completely before slicing for clean bars.
Expert Tips
- Line the pan with parchment paper that overhangs the edges for easy removal and neat slicing.
- Don’t over-mix the batter when combining dry and wet ingredients to keep the texture tender.
- Keep the swirl light — over-swirl and the pattern will blur and the appearance will suffer.
Recipe FAQs
They can be slightly gooey, similar to brownies, but they should not contain raw batter. Bake until the center is set.
Over-swizzling or uneven dollops of batter can hide the swirl. Place dollops evenly and swirl gently for the best result.
Yes. Blondies firm up as they cool and will become noticeably firmer after chilling in the fridge.
Storage
Store carrot cake blondies tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.
To freeze, wrap bars tightly in plastic wrap and place in a sealed container or zip-top bag for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
More Blondie and Brownie Recipes You’ll Love
-
Chewy Brown Butter Blondies (with Chocolate)
-
Chewy Chocolate Cherry Brownies
-
Easy Biscoff Blondies
-
Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats
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📖Recipe
Carrot Cake Blondies with Cream Cheese Swirl
Callan Wenner
Equipment
- 8 x 8 inch pan
- Parchment paper
- Whisk
- Mixing bowls
- Rubber spatula
- Offset spatula or knife for swirling
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup finely shredded carrots
- ⅓ cup sweetened shredded coconut (optional)
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons sour cream, room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for cream cheese mixture)
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line an 8×8″ pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
- Dry ingredients: Whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Wet batter: In another bowl, whisk melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk vigorously for about a minute.
- Combine: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in shredded carrots and coconut (if using). Do not overmix.
- Cream cheese swirl: Beat cream cheese and granulated sugar until smooth. Add sour cream, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Layer: Spread one-third of the carrot batter into the pan. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining carrot batter and the cream cheese mixture across the pan, alternating dollops so the batters are evenly distributed.
- Swirl and bake: Use a knife to gently swirl the batters for a marbled look. Bake 20–25 minutes, or until the center is no longer raw and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool: Cool on a rack for one hour, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before slicing. This helps the bars set and yields cleaner slices.
Notes
Tips:
- Avoid over-mixing when combining dry and wet ingredients to prevent a dense or gummy texture.
- Swirl minimally for the best marbled appearance.
Carbohydrates: 25 g
Protein: 2 g
Fat: 10 g
Sugar: 18 g
Nutritional information is an estimate per serving.
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