Description
These Decadent Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting combine moist, spiced carrot cake batter baked into a convenient bar form and topped with a luscious, creamy frosting. Perfect for a delightful dessert or an indulgent snack, these bars offer the classic flavors of carrot cake with the ease of bar serving.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Carrot Cake Bars
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups shredded carrots
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and generously grease a 9×13-inch baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt until well combined for the spiced base.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, beat the vegetable oil and eggs together until the mixture is light and fluffy, helping incorporate air for a tender crumb.
- Make the Batter: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined to avoid overmixing and tough bars.
- Add Carrots and Nuts: Fold in the shredded carrots and chopped walnuts or pecans evenly through the batter to distribute texture and flavor.
- Bake the Bars: Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, smoothing the top, and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Prepare Frosting: While the bars cool completely, beat together the softened cream cheese, sifted powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
- Frost and Serve: Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled bars, then cut into squares and serve.
Notes
- For nuttier flavor, substitute walnuts with pecans or omit nuts for a nut-free option.
- Ensure the bars have completely cooled before frosting to prevent melting.
- Shredded carrots can be replaced with finely grated if preferred.
- Store cooled and frosted bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- For a dairy-free version, use vegan cream cheese and coconut oil.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (approx. 80g)
- Calories: 310 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
Keywords: carrot cake bars, cream cheese frosting, easy dessert, spiced carrot bars, walnut carrot cake, quick baked dessert
