Spiced carrot cake swirled with creamy, rich cheesecake, these Vegan Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bars are a delicious dessert combination.
Can't decide between carrot cake and cheesecake? Have both with these amazing simple Vegan Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bars. Flavorful moist carrot cake with swirls of rich cheesecake throughout is the perfect dessert combination. Plus, these bars are surprisingly easy to make so they are perfect for parties and family gatherings.
If you love carrot cake be sure to try my Cardamom Carrot Cake. It's everything you want in a carrot cake with a pop of unexpected flavor from cardamom.
Jump to:
Ingredients
These bars are made with simple ingredients that you may already have on hand. The carrot cake is made with many of the typical ingredients in conventional cake with a few exceptions. Flax egg is used in place of chicken egg and non dairy milk instead of dairy. It's important to note the cheesecake layer is made with self stable silken tofu. This is different than refrigerated tofu and it matters in this recipe.
- shelf stable silken tofu
- cane sugar
- vanilla extract
- fresh lemon juice
- corn starch
- salt
- ground flax seed
- oil
- brown sugar
- non dairy milk
- ground cinnamon
- ground ginger
- nutmeg
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
- grated carrot
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Gluten free - instead of all purpose flour you can use a 1:1 all purpose gluten free flour
- Nuts - you can add chopped walnuts to the carrot cake batter if you like.
Instructions
These bars are easy to make requiring very little time. Start by making the cheesecake. Next, make the cake batter and fold in the carrots. Then layer the cake and cheesecake. Swirl before baking. These bars do require time to set fully so you will need to plan ahead.
Blend tofu, sugar, vanilla, lemon, cornstarch and salt until smooth and creamy.
In another bowl combine ingredients for cake batter. Then gently fold in grated carrots.
Pour two thirds of cake batter into a lined baking dish. Spread cheesecake mixture over the cake batter using a spatula.
Drop spoonfuls of remaining batter over cheesecake. Gently swirl together. Bake for 45 minutes. Cool then refrigerate for 4 hours.
Top Tip
If you have one, use the grater attachment for your food processor to making grating the carrots fast and easy. You can also get shredded carrots at many stores for even faster prep.
Equipment
You will need a food processor or blender to make the cheesecake for this recipe. You will also need a grater and an 8x8 metal baking dish. Or get shredded carrots found in many stores to eliminate the grating step.
Storage
Store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Good for 3-4 days.
Common Questions
Yes! These bars require time to fully set so they should be made several hours ahead of the time you plan to serve.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think! Leave a review and rating in the comments below. This helps me continue to provide great recipes for you.
Recipe
Vegan Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bars
Equipment
- 1 food processor or blender
- 1 grater
Ingredients
Cheesecake Layer
- 10.9 oz package shelf stable silken tofu
- ⅓ cup cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Carrot Cake
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
- 2 tablespoon water
- ⅓ cup neutral oil avocado, vegetable, etc.
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup plain unsweetened non dairy milk almond, soy, oat
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tso baking powder
- 1 ½ cup grated carrot
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 metal baking pan with parchment paper so that it comes up the sides. You will use the paper to lift the bars out of the pan later.
- In a small bowl combine flax seed and water to make a flax egg. Whisk together and set aside to thicken, about 5 minutes.
- In the bowl of a food processor or a blender combine tofu, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, corn starch and salt. Blend until very smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- In another bowl combine the flax egg, oil, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt and vanilla. Whisk thoroughly to combine.
- Add flour and baking powder and mix just to combine.
- Add grated carrot and use a spatula to gently fold in. Avoid over mixing.
- Pour ⅔ of batter into the prepared baking pan. Use a spatula to spread evenly and to the corners.
- Pour cheesecake mixture over the the batter. Gently spread evenly across the batter.
- Drop spoonfuls of the remaining batter over the cheesecake. Use a knife or chopstick to swirl the top two layers together slightly. Don't go all the way to the bottom of the pan.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Leave in the pan and cool to room temperature.
- Once cool refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- After refrigerating, lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper. Slice into 12-16 squares.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!