Carrot Cake Gooey Butter Cake (Easy Cake Mix Recipe)

If you love carrot cake, cream cheese, and warmly spiced fall desserts, this easy Carrot Cake Gooey Butter Cake brings all three together in one simple dessert.

A boxed carrot cake mix forms the base, but instead of preparing it according to the package directions, it’s combined with butter and egg to create a thick, soft-and-chewy layer. A sweet cream cheese mixture goes on top, giving you that familiar carrot-cake-and-cream-cheese combination in an entirely different form.

These bars are a little different from a traditional gooey butter cake. The carrot cake base is substantial, textured, and packed with concentrated spice flavor, while the cream cheese topping bakes into a soft, creamy layer. There’s lots of chew, a little goo, and plenty of fall flavor in every bite.

If carrot cake is one of your favorite desserts, this easy cake mix recipe is definitely worth adding to your fall baking list.

Carrot Cake Meets Gooey Butter Cake

Traditional carrot cake is known for its warm spices, rich texture, and generous layer of cream cheese frosting. Gooey butter cake is all about a dense buttery base topped with a rich cream cheese layer.

Put the two ideas together and you end up with something that falls somewhere between carrot cake, a soft cookie bar, and a cream cheese dessert bar.

And because this recipe begins with a boxed carrot cake mix, most of the work has already been done for you.

What to Expect from These Carrot Cake Gooey Butter Bars

These bars are different from many gooey butter cakes, so it helps to know what to expect before you make them.

The carrot cake layer is thick, soft, and very chewy, with a much more concentrated flavor than an ordinary slice of carrot cake. Because the cake mix isn't diluted with the usual amount of liquid, all of those warm carrot-cake spices come through strongly.

The cream cheese topping is rich and creamy, but these aren't exceptionally gooey bars. Think more chewy carrot cake bar and less molten butter cake.

The contrast between the two layers is what makes the recipe work: a deeply flavored, warmly spiced base paired with a sweet, creamy topping.

Ingredients for Carrot Cake Gooey Butter Cake

You'll find a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post, but here's a quick look at what you'll need.

For the Carrot Cake Base

• 1 box carrot cake mix
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 large egg

For the Cream Cheese Layer

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 4 cups powdered sugar

A Note About the Spices

You might be tempted to add cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or another warm spice to the cream cheese topping, but there's really no need.

The carrot cake mix becomes surprisingly flavorful when it's transformed into this dense base. Instead of spreading those flavors throughout a tall, fluffy cake, you're concentrating them into a relatively thin, chewy layer.

Keeping the cream cheese mixture plain provides balance.

It's much the same reason traditional carrot cake is usually paired with a simple cream cheese frosting. The cake supplies the spice; the creamy topping provides the contrast.

How to Make Carrot Cake Gooey Butter Cake

This recipe comes together quickly, so start by preheating your oven to 350°F.

Prepare an 8 × 11-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. You can also line the dish with parchment paper if you'd like to lift the cooled bars out before slicing.

Make the Carrot Cake Layer

Place the carrot cake mix in a large mixing bowl. Add the melted butter and egg. Mix until everything is completely incorporated.

Don't expect this mixture to resemble cake batter. It will be very thick, more like a soft cookie dough. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

Make the Cream Cheese Topping

Place the softened cream cheese in a separate mixing bowl and beat until smooth.

Add the melted butter and eggs and mix well.

Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing until the topping is smooth and creamy.

Pour the cream cheese mixture over the carrot cake layer and spread it evenly to the edges.

Bake

Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake until the edges are set and lightly golden and the center no longer looks wet.

The center should still have some softness when the pan comes out of the oven. Gooey butter cakes continue to set as they cool, so avoid baking until the entire center feels completely firm.

Allow the bars to cool completely before slicing.

What Size Pan Should I Use?

These bars were baked in an 8 × 11-inch pan, which produces especially thick, substantial bars.

A standard 9 × 13-inch pan has considerably more surface area, so using one will produce thinner layers and will likely shorten the baking time.

If you prefer thick, chewy dessert bars, the smaller pan works beautifully. If you'd rather have a thinner gooey butter cake, you can experiment with a 9 × 13-inch pan, but begin checking it earlier because the layers won't be as deep.

Serve and Enjoy!

Remove from the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into squares.

The Perfect Fall Dessert Bar

Carrot cake sometimes gets associated with spring and Easter, but its cinnamon-and-spice flavor profile makes it just as comfortable on a fall dessert table.

These bars would be especially good for a fall potluck, harvest gathering, Thanksgiving celebration, tailgate dessert table, or casual get-together.

Because they're rich and substantial, you can also cut them into fairly small squares. A little goes a long way.

Variations on This Recipe

This recipe has plenty of flavor already, so there's no need to complicate it. But there are a few simple ways to change it up.

Add pecans. Chopped pecans would be a natural addition to the carrot cake layer. You could also sprinkle a few over the top before baking.

Add coconut. If you enjoy coconut in carrot cake, add a small amount of sweetened shredded coconut to the bottom layer.

Add raisins. Carrot cake lovers tend to have strong opinions about raisins! If you're firmly in the pro-raisin camp, a handful could be added to the base.

Add vanilla. A teaspoon of vanilla extract can be added to the cream cheese mixture if you want a little extra flavor there without introducing additional spice.

For this particular recipe, however, it's best to let the carrot cake mix provide the warm spices and keep the cream cheese layer simple.

Can I Freeze Carrot Cake Gooey Butter Bars?

Yes. These are a good candidate for freezing.

Allow the bars to cool completely, then slice them into individual portions. Wrap them well and place them in an airtight freezer-safe container or freezer bag.

Thaw the bars overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Freezing individual portions also makes it easy to pull out just one or two pieces when you want them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is gooey butter cake supposed to be underbaked?

Not exactly. The center should be completely baked from a food-safety standpoint, but gooey butter cake shouldn't be baked until it's dry and firm like a conventional cake. The topping will continue to set as the dessert cools.

Why is my carrot cake base so thick?

That's intentional. The boxed cake mix is combined with only butter and egg rather than being prepared according to the package directions. The resulting mixture should resemble soft cookie dough rather than cake batter.

Are these bars very gooey?

This carrot cake version is less gooey than some traditional gooey butter cakes. The carrot cake base is particularly thick and chewy, and the cream cheese layer sets into a soft topping. Expect lots of chew and less goo.

Can I make carrot cake gooey butter cake in a 9 × 13-inch pan?

Yes, though the finished bars will be thinner than those pictured here. Because thinner layers generally bake more quickly, start checking the cake earlier.

Should I add cinnamon to the cream cheese layer?

It's unnecessary. The carrot cake base already has a strong warm-spice flavor. Leaving the cream cheese topping unspiced gives the dessert better balance and creates a flavor contrast similar to traditional carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.

Does carrot cake gooey butter cake need to be refrigerated?

Yes. Because of the cream cheese topping, leftovers should be stored covered in the refrigerator.

More Gooey Butter Cake Recipes

If you enjoy the easy cake-mix method used in this recipe, be sure to check out these other gooey butter cake variations.

Classic Gooey Butter Cake

The classic version is a great place to start if you love the rich, buttery texture that made this style of dessert famous.

Lemon Gooey Butter Cake

Bright lemon flavor brings a completely different personality to this version, pairing a soft, chewy lemon base with a rich cream cheese topping.

Southern Cherry Gooey Butter Bars with Cherries – Backyard Texas Grill

A fruity variation that's perfect when you're looking for another easy spin on the classic gooey butter cake.

More Carrot Cake Favorites

If the carrot cake flavor is what brought you here, you'll find plenty of other ways to enjoy it.

Easy Apple Carrot Cake
For the classic experience, you can't beat a traditional carrot cake paired with rich cream cheese frosting. This one adds the sweetness of apples!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes
All the flavor of carrot cake in individual portions, perfect for parties, showers, Easter gatherings, and dessert tables.

Aloha Carrot Cake
A fun twist on traditional carrot cake with additional flavors and textures that make it something special.

Carrot Cake Cookies from a Cake Mix
Turn a simple boxed cake mix into soft, flavorful cookies with all of those familiar carrot cake flavors.

Thanks for Stopping By!

Whether you're planning a fall gathering, looking for something different for Thanksgiving, or simply craving the warm spices of carrot cake, these easy Carrot Cake Gooey Butter Bars are a fun way to transform a boxed cake mix into something completely different.

They're thick. They're chewy. They're creamy. And they're packed with the flavors that make carrot cake such a favorite.

Happy Baking!

Before you go, why not pin some photos to your Pinterest boards?

Janice Thompson is a professional baker, cake designer, and author with over 20 years of experience creating unique cakes and desserts. She’s the creator of Out of the Box Baking, where she shares her favorite doctored cake mix recipes, tutorials, and baking tips. Learn more →