Seven Layer Carrot Cake Bars are over-the-top bars using a box carrot cake mix as a base instead of the traditional graham cracker crumbs~ in case regular seven layer bars aren’t sweet enough for you :)
I’ve seen these variations of Layer Bars on Pinterest~ the sky’s the limit with your choice of cake mix~ carrot cake, devil’s food cake, red velvet cake, etc. You can adjust your layers to whatever combination of nuts, chips, and candy you like.
I used the traditional combination from the Seven Layer Magic Cookie Bar recipe from Eagle Brand of nuts, coconut, butterscotch and semi-sweet chocolate chips, and then sweetened condensed milk.
Since I was using a carrot cake mix as a base for these bars for Easter, I added White Chocolate Carrot Cake M&M’s I found at Walmart. You could use any flavor/color of M&M’s or candy of your choice for the holidays.
These bars are ooey, gooey, rich, and sweet!
They’re baked in a 9 x 13 pan, I cut them into 30 bars, but you could make them as small or large as your sweet tooth desires.
Don’t do what I did~ save yourself some clean up and make it easier to remove these bars by lining your pan with foil that extends over the sides of the pan and then spray your foil with nonstick cooking spray.
Ingredients
1 box carrot cake mix
1 egg
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup, more or less, Carrot Cake flavored M&M’s candies (or any flavored M&M’s)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13×9 inch pan with foil, extending the sides of the foil over the edge of the pan. Mist foil with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, egg, and butter until blended. Press the mixture evenly in prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly set in the middle.
Remove the pan from the oven and top with pecans, coconut, butterscotch and chocolate chips. Drizzle with the sweetened condensed milk. Sprinkle with M&M’s.
Return to the oven and bake for approx. 15-20 minutes* or until top is bubbly. Cool the bars completely in pan, then lift from the pan using the foil handles, cut and serve. Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature.
* Depending on your cake mix you may have to adjust your baking time. My bars were moist & gooey, instead of bar-like so the cupcake wrappers were a tidy & festive way to serve them.
All that and diet too?!?!? Sounds like a yummy treat Mary, I didn’t see those M&M’s, cute:@)
Nothing diet about these and don’t have your blood sugar checked within at least 48 hours :)
Oh, my. Sugar overload! :D :D
I Love those cookies – except we call them “Hello Dollies”. I’ll have to try the carrot cake version. They seem perfect for Easter. And always, the pics are beautiful!
These look pretty yummy. I have made the 7 layer bars for Christmas for years but have not use a cake as the base. I must give this a try. Thanks.
I think ganed 5 pounds just looking at them. They look wonderful- xo Diana
We must have been on the same wave length with that carrot cake mix, when I bought mine I was going to make those carrot cake 7 layer bars but couldn’t find the m&ms! I also had a big flop recently making something with sweetened condensed milk so I sort of swore off the stuff for a while! Your bars look amazing and I bet the taste is a wonderful change up from the traditional version! They look so cute in the cupcake papers too. I’ll have to try this next year!
Jenna
I just have to look at things like this because the kids who would love to share can eat nothing with artificial ingredients to food coloring. One can’t have gluten so treats are hard at our house. I’d have one though!
LOL These are sinful, Mary. I think I gained five pounds in my thighs just from reading this post! ;P
These are really fun. Thanks for posting!
i’ll post when i recover from my diabetic coma! xo
OH MY, YUMMM!!! This looks like Heaven to me! I Love seven layer bars and I love carrot cake! I will have to try this! Thanks for sharing the recipe. Happy Sunday to you!!
I can’t have those because I am diabetic but when I need to make something for company this will be it. The pictures are great and they look wonderful.
Mary
Talk about sugar overload!…but they look and sound delicious! The photos, as usual, are wonderful…Passing this one on to my nieces!
Definitely a sugar overload! Bet the nephews like these. Glad you are having a sunny day. It is overcast and muggy here.
Thanks for the visit and thoughtful words on the Tartan Day post. After reading yours, I couldn’t let the day pass without giving it a nod. ;-)
I had no idea about carrot cake m&ms! Love carrot cake. The bars look so good!
Leave it to you to find Carrot Cake M&Ms!! Girl, I want to go shopping with you! The bars are just darling, and I’m sure were a big hit. Lovely display as well. I’m printing this out for next year.
I think I just gained 5 lbs from reading your delicious post!
Go ahead Mary, it is your birthday month! Still enjoying your posts.
Those look amazing! I wish I had one right now! Life to the full! Melissa
Pure deliciousness, Mary!
Hi Mary,
Oh yum, these look decadent!! I love the combination of pretty colors in your table setting. My favorites are the green and white table topper, the cake stand, and the colorful cupcake papers. All of this is perfect for an Easter treat!
Thanks for sharing, Mary, and I hope you had a wonderful Easter.
Hugs,
Denise
I agree with Jill, I gained five pounds in my thighs just reading about these delicious bars. Your presentation is pretty too.
What more can you ask for…carrot cake and M&M’s…looks wonderful…and I love how you used the cupcake liners..gooey or not!…
I’m pinning this one for next Easter :) I’ll bet my little grandsons will love it!
i have been thinking about this since i first saw it. i want to be a devil and go wild!
very interesting recipe, i’d like to try this.
Visiting from Marvelous Mondays. These sound delicious, I love carrot cake this time of year and all those candies look so fun. Wish we could get them here in the UK. I co-host Sweet and Savoury Sunday and would for you to stop by and share these and other recipes with us. Have a great day!
Yummy, Can’t wait to make them for Easter ! My son has a Hair Salon that I bake weekly for to serve to his clients ! I use a lot of your recipes for the Salon and this one will be so FUN !! I also made the “Kiss me I’m Irish” Cookies last week and they were a HIT !!
Thanks for all your Yummy recipes !!
I love this idea and I love your dyed eggs in the little bunny holder. Did you dye these? If so, what method did you use and where did you get the cute holder? I love your blog – you are so creative and make everything look so beautiful. Happy Spring!!
Thanks Debbie! The eggs came in an assortment of colors from Hobby Lobby a couple of years ago and the egg holder from World Market :)
Mary, I’m going to make these for our church dinner tomorrow. My question is – you don’t follow the recipe on the cake mix box to add 3 eggs, 1 1/4 cups of hot water & 1/4 cup oil? You just use the 1 egg & 1 stick of melted butter? I don’t have time for a trial run, so I want to make sure I don’t mess this up. Thanks so much for all of the inspiration!
Betty
Hi Betty, Yes, just 1 egg and the butter. You may need to increase your baking time depending on your oven, cake mix and how firm you want your bars to be :)