Name: Carrot Cake Blondies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 12 blondies
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1¼ cups brown sugar, packed; 1 teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 cup unsalted butter, browned; 1 large egg; 1 egg yolk; 2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; ½ teaspoon ground ginger; ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg; ¼ teaspoon ground cloves; 1 cup finely grated carrots; ½ cup unsalted butter, softened; 8 oz cream cheese, softened, brick style; 2 teaspoon vanilla extract; ½ tsp salt; 4 cups powdered sugar

A creamy, chewy, decadent, and sweet dessert perfect for Easter or Spring dessert! These Carrot Cake Blondies are a fudgy dessert that will make the whole family happy!

Looking for more desserts for the spring? Try ourChewiest White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, Rainbow Cookie Cake, orPistachio Cream Tiramisu!

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Why You Should Make Blondies

Blondies are one of the most underrated desserts. I love brownies, cookies, cheesecake, and all the goods. But blondies get no love. I'm here with the fudgy blondies no one will forget!

These are a great alternative to brownies. An extra egg yolk makes these extra fudgy and you'll get that texture of slightly undercooked dessert, which in my opinion, is the best texture for dessert.

If you're looking to transition this into the Fall, try our Pumpkin Butter Blondies with Maple Glaze instead!

How to Make Carrot Cake Blondies

I always start by making the blondies first. The cream cheese frosting should until the blondies have cooled. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×11- inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to make for easy removal.

Step 1: Combine flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

Step 2: Brown the butter in a small pot on medium heat. Once melted, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking and stirring frequently until butter turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 8-10 minutes.

Step 3: Remove the butter from the heat and transfer it to a microwave-safe bowl so the cooking process stops. Let it cool for a few minutes. Browning the butter enhances the flavor with caramel and nuttiness.

wet and dry ingredients next to each other

Step 4: Whiskthe brown sugar and vanilla in the browned butter. Add in the whole egg and egg yolk and combine. The extra egg yolk is what makes my blondies so fudgy and chewy. Fold in the carrots with the wet ingredients.

Step 5: Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until just combined. The dough will be thick and pasty.

Step 6: Spread the dough evenly onto your parchment-lined pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until browned on top. Let blondies cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

When the blondies have cooled, make the cream cheese frosting.

Step 7: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth. Add the vanilla and salt and beat on low speed, for 1 minute while adding the powdered sugar in one cup at a time. Then increase to high speed for 3 minutes until completely combined.

Step 8: Once blondies have cooled, spread frosting on top in an even layer. Wait until the carrot cake blondies are completely cooled, otherwise, you'll have a melted mess. Store in the refrigerator or serve.

Use a little ziploc bag to draw on the little frosting carrots. Look at the FAQs to see how to make the different colored frosting!

I love the cream cheese frosting after it has been in the fridge for a few hours because it gets a little hard. If you serve it right away you will have a softer frosting. Whatever you prefer will taste amazing!

You can take this cream cheese frosting and frost your favorite cookies or our Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Pro-Tips

An extra egg yolk goes a long way to make the blondies EXTRA fudgy. It will make the blondies have that slightly undercooked texture, extra fudgy and chewy.
The dough should be thick and pasty. Spread it as evenly as possible across the baking pan.
When browning the butter, keep a close eye on it. Stir frequently and as soon as the brown bits start forming, get ready to remove. These are the milk solids slowly cooking in the butter.

Recipe FAQs

Should I dry the grated carrots?

No, this juice is accounted for in the recipe! Plus it will make the carrot cake blondies nice and moist.

How do you make the carrot designs on top?

Take 2 small bowls and fill them with 2 tablespoon of frosting. For orange, use red and yellow food coloring and for green, use blue and yellow food coloring.

Should I store these in the refrigerator?

Yes, the cream cheese frosting requires refrigeration. Keep these in the fridge to make them last the longest.