• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8x8 baking pan with non-stick spray and set aside. You can also line the pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with nonstick baking spray.

Carrot Cake Bars

• Place the 1/2 cup butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. If needed, microwave another 15 seconds to melt the butter completely.
• In a medium bowl, add the melted butter and 1 cup light brown sugar. Mix to combine.
• Stir in the1 large egg and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract.
• Add in the 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir until completely combined.
• Fold in the 1 cup shredded carrots. Set aside.

Cheesecake Swirl

• In a medium bowl, add in the 4 ounces cream cheese and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth.
• Add in the 1 large egg yolk and 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and creamy.

Assemble

• Add about half of the carrot cake batter into the pan and spread it out with an angled spatula.
• Add half of the cheesecake batter to the carrot cake batter. Do this by dropping dollops of batter over the carrot cake batter. Don’t swirl yet.
• Add the remaining carrot cake batter on top of the cheesecake batter and around the cheesecake batter.
• Add the remaining cheesecake batter by adding dollops on top of the carrot cake batter.
• Using a knife or skewer, swirl the batters together. Swirl as much or as little as you like.
• Bake for about 35-40 minutes until the edges are golden brown. There will be very little jiggle to the center.
• Cool completely before cutting. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.