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Naturally Colored Orange Cheesecake Carrots

March 17, 2014 This post may contain affiliate links.

What’s a party without cheesecake?! Get creative this Easter and make these Naturally Colored Orange Cheesecake Carrots for dessert. Each rich and creamy carrot shaped cheesecake is colored and flavored orange and makes a refreshing end to your Easter dinner.

4 cheesecake carrots on a white plate set on a dark wood background

A few years ago, I created baked some Cheesecake Carrots for Easter (pictured below) using a no-bake cheesecake recipe that called for orange gelatin.

I loved how the wedges of cheesecake, decorated with edible Easter grass, looked and and was excited to serve the carrots for dessert. Unfortunately, what had tasted pretty good the day it was made, tasted artificial and gummy by the time it was served a few days later.

So I went back to the kitchen to try again!

Whats a party without cheesecake?! Get festive this Easter and make these Naturally Colored Orange Cheesecake Carrots! Watch out, the Easter bunny may be stealing all of this delicious dessert!

I was bummed that my original Cheesecake Carrots did not turn out as I had planned, but I really liked the concept, so I decided to revisit this edible craft idea again this year. I knew I could do better.

I’m so glad I gave it another try.

Last month, when making my Naturally Colored Conversation Heart Cheesecakes, I discovered that I could use freshly squeezed orange juice to add a nice citrus flavor to my favorite baked cheesecake recipe, but found that the color produced by just adding orange juice was too pale. In order to intensify the orange color, I found that adding carrot juice worked wonders.

Whats a party without cheesecake?! Get festive this Easter and make these Naturally Colored Orange Cheesecake Carrots! Watch out, the Easter bunny may be stealing all of this delicious dessert!

The finished cheesecake hearts were brightly colored, had a rich creamy texture, yet tasted light and refreshing.

The orange flavor was definitely pronounced. Not a single person who tried my orange cheesecake hearts had any idea there was carrot juice in the recipe.

So, now that I new the recipe would work I simply baked one whole cheesecake, allowed it to cool then cut it into wedges. Then I added some green carrot tops (made using green candy melts) to make each wedge look like a carrot.

I brought these new and improved Naturally Colored Orange Cheesecake Carrots to a party this weekend, and was thrilled to see people licking their dessert plates clean.

Whats a party without cheesecake?! Get festive this Easter and make these Naturally Colored Orange Cheesecake Carrots! Watch out, the Easter bunny may be stealing all of this delicious dessert!

RELATED: If you want more fun carrot shaped food ideas be sure to check out these fun recipes:

  •  Carrot Candy Cups
  • Reese’s Peanut Butter Carrots
  • Easter Carrot Top Cupcakes
  • Hard Boiled Egg Carrots
  • Crescent Roll Carrots Filled with Egg or Ham Salad

How to make Naturally Colored Orange Cheesecake Carrots

Supplies Needed:

9-inch springform pan
heavy duty tin foil
zester (microplane grater)
roasting pan
boiling water
squeeze-it decorating bottle or a small zip top bag
baking sheets lined with parchment paper (pans need to fit in freezer)

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Turn the plate of the springform pan upside down and clamp it into the outer ring. T
    • his will make cutting and removing your cheesecake slices easier.
  • Wrap two layers of heavy duty tin foil around the bottom of the pan.
  • Mix together the vanilla wafer crumbs and melted butter.
  • Press it into the bottom of the pan.

Whats a party without cheesecake?! Get festive this Easter and make these Naturally Colored Orange Cheesecake Carrots! Watch out, the Easter bunny may be stealing all of this delicious dessert!

  • Beat cream cheese on low speed until smooth and free of lumps.
  • Add sugar and mix until well blended.
  • Add the eggs one at a time and mix until creamy, scraping down bowl as needed.
  • Add sour cream, orange juice, carrot juice and orange zest and mix just until combined.

Whats a party without cheesecake?! Get festive this Easter and make these Naturally Colored Orange Cheesecake Carrots! Watch out, the Easter bunny may be stealing all of this delicious dessert!

  • Pour cheesecake filling over crust in springform pan.

Whats a party without cheesecake?! Get festive this Easter and make these Naturally Colored Orange Cheesecake Carrots! Watch out, the Easter bunny may be stealing all of this delicious dessert!

  • Place filled springform pan in a roasting pan and set inside oven.
  • Carefully pour boiling water into roasting pan, filling the pan so the water goes half way up the sides of the springform pan. Be careful you don’t splash any water in the cheesecake.
  • Bake for 70-75 minutes, until the top of the cheesecake looks set, but the center is still jiggly.
  • Turn the oven off, and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 10-25 minutes.
    • You want the baked cheesecake to look firm, not wet, yet still jiggle just a bit in the center.
  • Remove the roasting pan from the oven and allow the cake to sit in the hot water for 30 minutes, then remove pan from water, remove the tin foil, dry the bottom of the pan, and set on a cooling rack to cool for an hour. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

Tips for cutting a cheesecake:

  • I found it easiest to get really nice slices from my cheesecake if I froze it for 30 minutes before cutting.
  • Clean your knife in hot water after you make each slice.

Whats a party without cheesecake?! Get festive this Easter and make these Naturally Colored Orange Cheesecake Carrots! Watch out, the Easter bunny may be stealing all of this delicious dessert!

  • To make the carrot tops, pour the melted green confectionery coating into a squeeze bottle fitted with a small round decorating tip or into a zip top bag (snip off one corner.)
  • Pipe a 5-6 inch long line onto parchment paper lined baking sheets, then add some leaves.
  • Freeze for 3-4 minutes just until set.

Whats a party without cheesecake?! Get festive this Easter and make these Naturally Colored Orange Cheesecake Carrots! Watch out, the Easter bunny may be stealing all of this delicious dessert!

  • Just before serving, cut cheesecake into 12 slices. Arrange cheesecake either on dessert plates or on serving dishes.
  • Poke three of the green carrot tops into each slice of cheesecake, making sure you don’t poke them through the sides of your slices.

Whats a party without cheesecake?! Get festive this Easter and make these Naturally Colored Orange Cheesecake Carrots! Watch out, the Easter bunny may be stealing all of this delicious dessert!

How to store your orange cheesecake carrots:

  • You can store the cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, but I suggest storing the candy carrot tops at room temperature in an airtight container and then adding them to the cheesecake slices before serving.
  • If you have left overs, it’s fine to refrigerate the carrot tops, just know that they might develop condensation on them and look wet and sticky upon serving.

You can find the supplies needed to make these Orange Cheesecake Carrots on amazon (If you use the links below I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.)

four cheesecake carrots on a white plate on a dark brown wood background

Naturally Colored Orange Cheesecake Carrots Recipe

Print
Orange Cheesecake Carrots
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 55 mins
 

Create cheesecakes shaped like carrots and topped with a chocolate candy stem for your Easter party.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: carrot shaped cheesecake, easter cheesecake
Servings: 12
Author: Beth
Ingredients
  • 40 vanilla wafers crushed into fine crumbs
  • 3 tablespoons butter melted
  • 3 8 ounce blocks cream cheese, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 pint sour cream
  • 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 3/4 cup carrot juice
  • zest from 2 small oranges
  • 6 ounces green confectionery coating melted and poured into a squeeze bottle or zip top bag
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. Wrap two layers of heavy duty tin foil around bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan.
  3. Combine vanilla wafer crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of springform pan.
  4. Beat cream cheese on low for about a minute until smooth and free of lumps.
  5. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, add eggs one at a time and beat until creamy.
  6. Add sour cream, orange juice, carrot juice, and orange zest. Mix until just combined.
  7. Pour over cookie crust and bake in a water bath in a roasting pan for 70-75 minutes.
  8. Turn oven heat off and leave cheesecake in oven for 10-25 minutes until cheesecake looks set but not wet and still jiggles just slightly in the center.
  9. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes in the roasting pan, then remove and allow to cool on a rack for an hour.
  10. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
  11. Pipe green candy coating carrot tops onto parchment paper lined baking sheets. Freeze for 3-4 minute until set.
  12. Cut cheesecake into 12 slices. Add three carrot tops to each slice and serve.

rate the recipe

Did you make this recipe or do you just think it is super cute? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating the recipe below.

If you love celebrating Easter with cute treats be sure to check out these other recipes…

Easter recipes

Cheesecake Easter Eggs

Easter cupcake recipe

Carrot Top Cupcakes

Easter cheesecake

Cheesecake Carrots

Easter food

Carrot Shaped Veggie Pizzas

Easter food ideas

Crescent Dough Carrots

Easter candy recipe

Peanut Butter Fudge Filled Chubby Chocolate Bunnies

See all of my Easter recipes, here.

 

rate the recipe

Did you make this recipe or do you just think it is super cute? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating the recipe below.

Beth Jackson Klosterboer blogger, recipe developer, and chocolatier.

I love making fun food for parties and special occasions and sharing my creative ideas with you.

If you make this recipe and share it online be sure to link back to this post and use #hungryhappenings.

Thanks and have a sweet day! – Beth

P.S.  Sign up for my newsletter and get your FREE amazing printable here!

Filed Under: Cheesecake Recipes, Easter Recipes Tagged With: Cake, candy melts, carrot, Cheesecake, Spring

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Pete S.

    March 17, 2014 at 6:56 pm

    I was one of those lucky party-goers who got to wipe his plate clean of the cheesecake carrots. They were so good that I did it twice! Smooth and creamy, these "carrots" were a fun and delicious way to enjoy the evening.

    Reply
    • beth

      March 17, 2014 at 7:00 pm

      I'm so glad you were able to join us for the party this weekend and I was particularly happy to see you enjoying the cheesecake carrots!

      Reply
  2. inkhappi

    March 18, 2014 at 2:22 am

    OMG, Absolutely darling! this is one pin I will definitely try. Thanks for sharing. 🙂

    Reply
  3. inkhappi

    March 18, 2014 at 2:29 am

    I can't believe I just found you.. A new follower now! I'd love to feature or link something of yours sometime. You have dome darling ideas. Thanks! Jillene @ inkhappi.com— putting the {i} in happi 🙂

    Reply
    • beth

      March 18, 2014 at 11:55 am

      I'm so happy you did find me! I'm always grateful when others share my work with their readers. Thanks so much:)

      Reply
  4. Kelley @ TheGrantLife.com

    March 18, 2014 at 2:38 am

    These are awesome! I love that they are naturally orange. And cheesecake. YUM!

    Reply
    • beth

      March 18, 2014 at 11:56 am

      Thanks, Kelley. I'm trying to use less food coloring, which is a challenge doing what I do!

      Reply
  5. Amy Engberson

    March 18, 2014 at 2:43 am

    This pie is so cute! I've gotta try it for Easter this year! Happy Spring!

    Reply
    • beth

      March 18, 2014 at 11:56 am

      Thanks, Amy. Happy Spring to you too!

      Reply
  6. Thea

    March 18, 2014 at 6:03 am

    Those are just beautiful, Beth. Really! Takes my breath away.

    Reply
    • beth

      March 18, 2014 at 11:57 am

      Thanks, Thea, that's so sweet.

      Reply
  7. Cassandra Schmigotzki

    March 18, 2014 at 12:26 pm

    Would've never thought to use carrot juice for color. Great idea!

    Reply
  8. Jelli B.

    March 18, 2014 at 12:29 pm

    So pretty! I know what you mean about those gummy-the-next-day cheesecakes. That's happened to me before too. Love these. Pinning.

    Reply
  9. Annie

    March 18, 2014 at 4:01 pm

    They look amazing! Thank you for sharing the recipe and the idea!

    Reply
  10. The Partiologist

    March 18, 2014 at 9:24 pm

    Oh Beth, these really are some of the cutest carrots and can't believe you remade them, well, yes I can they are gorgeous!

    Reply
  11. Karen @ Sugartown Sweets

    March 19, 2014 at 11:20 pm

    I love all of your creative ideas. This one is so pretty and sounds delicious too!

    Reply
  12. Jill @ KitchenFunWithMy3Sons.com

    March 21, 2014 at 1:18 am

    Oh my gosh Beth..this is such a cute idea! I now remember your older pictures. Love the new version as well!:)

    Reply
  13. april

    March 21, 2014 at 2:48 pm

    I love cheesecake this looks really good. Thanks for the recipe. Thanks for linking up at Tell Me About It Tuesday. We hope you hop over and share with us again next week.

    Reply
  14. Jennifer Johnson

    March 22, 2014 at 11:26 am

    This looks beautiful and what a great alternative to food coloring

    Reply
  15. Sami P

    March 22, 2014 at 2:14 pm

    These are just darling! I would have never thought to make cheesecake look like carrots. You made it look so easy.
    Hugs,
    Sami

    Reply
  16. Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel

    March 24, 2014 at 3:51 am

    These are so adorable!! What a clever idea… a slice of cake is the perfect carrot shape!! 🙂

    Reply
  17. Julia Nyanyo

    March 24, 2014 at 9:40 am

    This is just brilliant, I'm glad you kept on trying and didn't give up on this very cute idea!

    Reply
  18. Sherri H.

    March 24, 2014 at 2:15 pm

    LOVE this! I am still trying to get up the nerve to make my own cheesecake. I'm encouraged! Thanks so much for sharing at The Mommy Club Link Up

    Reply
  19. One More Time Events

    March 24, 2014 at 3:37 pm

    Wow…these are not only the cutest, but looks delicious…my family is big on cheesecake…I can't wait to make this! Would love it if you came by and shared it at One More Time Events..http://www.onemoretimeevents.com/2014/03/vintage-tin-spring-egg-centerpiece.html

    Reply
  20. Sweet Silly Sara

    March 25, 2014 at 3:47 am

    Your orange cheese cake carrots turned out great and so dang cute! We love cheesecake in our house so this would be a great easter desert! Thanks for sharing and for linking this great recipe up with us over at Tell it To Me Tuesday! We hope to see you linking up more of your awesome posts next week!

    Reply
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