Carrot Cake Bars
User Reviews
4.9
Carrot Cake Bars
Description
This recipe transforms traditional carrot cake into bars by mixing a spiced flour blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, and baking powder with softened butter, sugar, and eggs. Shredded carrots folded into the batter add natural sweetness and moisture, contributing to a tender crumb after baking in an 8x8 pan.
The finished bars are topped with a smooth cream cheese frosting made from softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Optional food coloring allows creative decoration. The bars balance warm spices with the tang of cream cheese.
These bars are suitable for cutting into servings and work well for potlucks, snacks, or dessert plates. They can be stored in the refrigerator and enjoyed chilled or at room temperature.
The notes suggest shredding your own carrots for better texture, and provide options for adding raisins or nuts to the batter or as topping. Substitutions like apple sauce for butter or gluten-free flour are possible for dietary preferences, and a larger pan can reduce baking time.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup carrot shredded
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- Food Coloring optional, orange and green
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F and line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper (or spray with nonstick cooking spray)
- n a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, and nutmeg and stir to combine.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add the butter, sugar, and brown sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and beat just mixed in.
- Add half the dry flour mixture and beat until combined. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and beat until flour is mixed in. (careful not to over-mix or cake will become more dense)
- Add in the shredded carrots and gently stir them into the cake batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes then remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Making the frosting
- After the cake has completely cooled, add the softened cream cheese, butter, and vanilla to a medium mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until combined.
- Add one cup of powdered sugar and beat until just combined. Then add in another cup of powdered sugar and beat until combined, continue adding one cup at a time and beating between each until creamy.
- If decorating the tops, spoon about ½ cup of frosting into 2 small bowls and add 2-3 drops of orange food coloring to one and 2-3 drops green food coloring to the other. (more until desired color is reached). Mix until the color is completely mixed in and then transfer to a piping bag or plastic zip closure bag with a corner snipped off.
- Spread the remaining frosting evenly over the entire cake and cut the bars into 16 slices.
- Decorate the top of each cake bar with a carrot using the orange frosting and green frosting for the carrot leaves. You can do the squiggly lines like shown here or draw a carrot shape and fill in the center with frosting. Be as creative as you wish!
Notes
- Shred fresh carrots using a food processor or grater for better texture than pre-shredded.
- Optional mix-ins include raisins or chopped nuts added into the batter or sprinkled on the frosting.
- For a lighter version, substitute half the butter with unsweetened applesauce.
- Gluten-free flour can replace regular flour using a 1-to-1 substitute.
- Using a larger 9x13 pan reduces baking time to approximately 25-30 minutes.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 16bars
Amount Per Serving
Calories 334 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1bar | |
| Calories | 334kcal | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 54g | 18% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 12g | 18% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 65mg | 22% |
| Sodium | 355mg | 15% |
| Potassium | 127mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 44g | 88% |
| Vitamin A | 1731IU | 35% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 53mg | 5% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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