Zucchini Bars with Cream Cheese Icing
User Reviews
5
Zucchini Bars with Cream Cheese Icing
Description
The recipe begins by pressing grated zucchini to remove excess moisture, preventing soggy bars. The dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and freshly grated nutmeg—are whisked together, then folded into a mixture of brown sugar, melted coconut oil, lightly beaten eggs, and vanilla extract, along with the zucchini. The batter spreads evenly in a greased sheet pan and bakes at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes until set and no longer jiggly.
Once cooled completely, a creamy frosting made by beating together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla is spread atop the bars. Refrigerating the frosted bars improves their firmness and flavor balance.
These bars provide a way to use zucchini in baked goods, balancing moistness from the vegetable with sweet and spiced notes and a smooth icing finish.
Ingredients
- 2 cups zucchini freshly grated
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
- 1 cup brown sugar loosely packed
- 3/4 cup coconut oil melted
- 3 egg lightly beaten, large
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
cream cheese frosting
- 2 cream cheese 8-ounce blocks
- 1/2 cup butter unsalted
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 10 x 15 inch sheet pan with nonstick spray (I like to use coconut oil!). Take the zucchini and squeeze in a large kitchen towel over the sink to remove a lot of the liquid. Squeeze out as much as you can!
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg until combined. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, coconut oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Fold in the dry ingredients. Fold in the grated zucchini until combined and dispersed throughout. Spread the batter in the greased pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the bars are set and not jiggly in the center. Let bars cool completely, then frost.
cream cheese frosting
- Beat the cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Beat in the sugar until combined. Beat in the vanilla extract. Frost the cooled bars! I like to pop the bars in the fridge because we love them cold.
Notes
- Be sure to squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the grated zucchini to avoid excess moisture in the bars.
- Cooling bars completely before frosting ensures the cream cheese icing does not melt or slide off.
- Chilling the frosted bars in the refrigerator enhances their texture and flavor.
- Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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