If you love carrot cake, you'll love these Carrot Cake Bars! They're cookie bars with a delicious layer of cinnamon-spiced cream cheese and topped with a carrot cake crumble.
Move the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
MAKE CRUMB CAKE LAYER:
In a large bowl, stir together carrot cake mix, vegetable oil, chopped walnuts, and 1 egg. It should be a crumbly consistency.
Set aside 1 cup of the mixture for later.
Pat the carrot cake crumb mixture into the prepared baking pan.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Set aside to cool.
MAKE REST OF BARS:
Add the cream cheese to a large mixing bowl. Beat with a mixer on low speed until smooth. Add sugar, 1 egg, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over the carrot cake crust in the baking pan.
Sprinkle reserved 1 cup of carrot cake crumb mixture evenly on top.
Bake for 18 minutes.
COOL:
Place the pan on a wire rack and let the bars cool completely, about 1 hour.
Cut into bars.
Serve with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream (both optional).