Caramel Carrot Cheesecake Bars
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
 
A yummy twist on classic carrot cake with cream cheese icing.
Ingredients
Crust & Topping
  • 1 box of Spice Cake Mix
  • 1½ cups of quick oats
  • ½ cup of brown sugar
  • 1 cup of butter - room temperature
  • 1 cup of finely shredded carrots (about 2 good sized carrots)
  • 1 cup of chopped pecans
  • ½ cup of Skor Toffee bits (you could use mini butterscotch chips)
  • Coarse Salt
Filling
  • 2 8oz packages of cream cheese - room temperature
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla
  • ½ cup of white sugar
Instructions
Crust
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Line the bottom and side of a 9x13 pan with foil. Spray foil with cooking spray.
  3. Mix the cake mix, oats and brown sugar together in a large bowl.
  4. Break the butter into small pieces and into the bowl with the cake mixture.
  5. Use a pastry chopper to blend the butter into the cake mixture until it resembles a coarse meal.
  6. Mix in the shredded carrots and pecans.
  7. Set aside two cups of the mixture.
  8. Turn the rest into your prepared pan, spread evenly and press firmly on the bottom of the pan.
  9. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Place pan on wire rack to cool slightly while you prepare the filling.
Filling
  1. Beat the cream cheese with a hand or stand mixer until smooth and light. Add the eggs, vanilla and sugar and continue to beat until smooth.
  2. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the pan with the crust.
Topping
  1. Sprinkle the remaining cake mixture evenly on top of the cream cheese filling.
  2. Sprinkle the toffee bits over the crumb mixture.
  3. Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt.
  4. Return the pan to the oven and cook 30-40 minutes until the cheesecake filling is set and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan.
  5. Let cool completely.
  6. Remove cake from pan by the foil lining. Peel away foil, cut and serve
Recipe by Outside The Box at http://mommyoutsidethebox.ca/2016/09/caramel-carrot-cheesecake-bars.html