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Carrot Cake Bars

Carrot cake bars are a simple way to enjoy all the flavors of classic carrot cake with cream cheese frosting in a fun and casual way! Enjoy a soft, moist, and perfectly spiced bar for a quick snack, a breakfast treat, or an easy dessert!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Additional Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
Servings: 16 bars
Calories: 334 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

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 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
For the cream cheese frosting:
  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 4 tablespoons butter softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • Orange and green food coloring optional

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 350° F and line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper (or spray with nonstick cooking spray)
  2. n a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, and nutmeg and stir to combine.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, add the butter, sugar, and brown sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
  4. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat just mixed in.
  5. 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)
  6. Add in the shredded carrots and gently stir them into the cake batter.
  7. 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.
  8. 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
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  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Spread the remaining frosting evenly over the entire cake and cut the bars into 16 slices.
  5. 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

  • Shredding your own carrots is the preferred method over buying already shredded carrots. Use a food processor with a grater attachment or a box grater.
  • Add ½ cup of raisins to the batter if desired.
  • Add ½ cup of chopped pecans or chopped walnuts to the batter if desired. Or sprinkle on top of the frosting in place of decorating if preferred.
  • Substitute ½ cup of unsweetened applesauce for the butter for a healthier lower calorie alternative.
  • Substitute gluten-free flour if preferred. (Like Bob's Red Mill One-to-One flour)
  • Use all white sugar if preferred.
  • Use a 9x13 baking pan and reduce the cooking time to 25-30 minutes.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1bar Calories 334kcal (17%) Carbohydrates 54g (18%) Protein 4g (8%) Fat 12g (18%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 3g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 65mg (22%) Sodium 355mg (15%) Potassium 127mg (4%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 44g (88%) Vitamin A 1731IU (35%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 53mg (5%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16bars

Amount Per Serving

Calories 334

% 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.