Carrot Cake Blondies
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Carrot cake blondies feature everything you love about carrot cake in the form of a decadent fudge brownie. Cream cheese marbled throughout keeps people coming back for just one more bite.
If you’re looking for a new dessert that will knock your socks off, this carrot cake blondies recipe is here to save the day! This brown sugar blondie is filled with what we love most about carrot cake but with the fudgy texture of a brownie. The delicious cream cheese marbled throughout keeps people coming back for just one more bite.
A while back I took a big plate of them with me when we were setting up for the Huntsville Homeschool Prom last weekend and a dear friend said “I’m just going to eat half of one. I don’t eat a lot of sweets.” She came and found me moments later and said “I’m going to need my other half now…”.
Fortunately, these carrot cake blondies are pretty quick and easy to whip together. The brownie batter includes all the good stuff, like brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and shredded carrots. But it’s the cream cheese that takes these brownies to the next level of decadence (move aside, cream cheese frosting). They’re moist, dense, and oh so good!
We are living in changing times so it is always important to appreciate the little things in life. I hope you can take the time to sit back and appreciate the blessings this weekend. Maybe you could start with one of these carrot cake blondies.
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Cinnamon
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Shredded carrot
- Cream cheese (check out our easy-peasy homemade cream cheese recipe)
As always, the recipe is at the bottom of this post in a printable recipe card.
How To Make Carrot Cake Blondies
In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter and brown sugar.
Add the egg, vanilla extract, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt and stir again, by hand, until well combined and smooth. Add in the shredded carrots and stir until incorporated.
In a separate mixing bowl, place the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
Place half of the carrot cake batter into the pan. Drop spoonfuls of 1/2 of the cheesecake batter over the top. Don’t swirl just yet! Drop spoonfuls of the rest of the carrot cake batter on top of this and then follow with the remaining cream cheese batter.
Take a knife and swirl all of this together a bit over the top.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until it is lightly browned and set in the center. Remove and allow to cool before serving the prettiest pieces.
These carrot cake blondies taste as wonderful as they look, if not better!
Storage
Store your blondies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before serving.
Recipe Notes
- Now y’all know I don’t generally fuss over recipes so having you put one egg yolk in the cream cheese mixture may seem petty, but it makes a difference. If you use the whole egg your mixture will be runny. It will still work, but you won’t be able to swirl it as well.
- If you want to add more spices to your carrot cake blondies, add 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves.
- If it isn’t carrot cake without nuts for you, add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or chopped pecans to your blondie batter.
You may also like these dessert recipes:
Peanut Butter Brownies with Peanut Butter Fudge Icing
Banana Brownies (with Quick Peanut Butter Honey Icing)
Ingredients
Blondies
- 1/2 cup butter melted and cooled slightly
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract nope, not kidding!
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup shredded carrots
Cream Cheese Swirl
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 ounces cream cheese at room temp
Instructions
- Spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter and brown sugar. Add the egg, vanilla, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt and stir again, by hand, until well combined and smooth. Add in the shredded carrots and stir until incorporated.1/2 cup butter, 1 cup light brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 cup shredded carrots
- In a separate mixing bowl, place the softened cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 egg yolk, 1/4 cup sugar, 4 ounces cream cheese
- Place half of the carrot cake batter into the pan. Drop spoonfuls of 1/2 of the cheesecake batter over the top. Don't swirl just yet! Drop spoonfuls of the rest of the carrot cake batter on top of this and then follow with the remaining cream cheese mixture. Take a knife and swirl all of this together a bit over the top.
- Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until it is lightly browned and set in the center. Remove and allow to cool before serving the prettiest pieces.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, how long can the blondies be left out in room temperature? Thinking about the cream cheese in them.
Usually about 3 days at room temp or a week in the fridge. 🙂
Hello! Is the cream cheese part definitely correct? Mine comes out very runny using these measurements.
Sorry to hear they were runny Claire. These are the measurements I use but if yours was runny it may be the cream cheese you used. If it has a higher water content it can end up being runny. I would try a different brand and see how it goes. I hope you love them!
Hope you can help. Cook time on this recipe says 25 minutes but the instructions say 35-40 minutes in the oven. Which is it?
Sorry about that typo, it should have been 35 minutes. All fixed now. Thank you for pointing it out. As always though, ovens vary so make sure you watch it after 25 minutes to make sure it turns out great.