Decadent Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
These Decadent Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are a delightful twist on the classic carrot cake, offering a moist, flavorful, and easy-to-make dessert. The combination of warm spices, shredded carrots, and optional nuts creates a perfect texture, while the creamy, sweet cream cheese frosting adds richness and balances the flavors beautifully. Ideal for gatherings, snacks, or as a sweet treat any time of day.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12-16 bars 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 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
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups shredded carrots
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish thoroughly 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 evenly combined.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, beat the vegetable oil and eggs together until the mixture is fluffy and well combined.
- Blend Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the wet mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients, mixing gently until just combined to avoid overmixing which can toughen the bars.
- Add Carrots and Nuts: Fold in the shredded carrots and chopped walnuts or pecans carefully until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Bake the Bars: Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Prepare Frosting: While the bars are cooling, beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together until smooth and creamy.
- Frost and Serve: Once the bars have fully cooled, spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the top. Cut into squares and serve.
Notes
- For a nut-free version, simply omit the chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Ensure the bars are completely cool before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
- Shredded carrots should be well-drained if they are particularly wet to avoid soggy bars.
- These bars can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Keywords: carrot cake bars, cream cheese frosting, easy dessert, baked carrot bars, spiced carrot cake, nutty carrot cake
