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This carrot cake bars recipe is easy to make, perfectly moist and lightly spiced and full of fresh carrots, and topped with the most heavenly cream cheese frosting.
If any of you happen to be craving carrot cake for Easter this year — but mayyybe don’t want to commit to a full-sized layer cake while we’re all stuck at home and can’t easily share with family and friends — I have the perfect alternative this year.
These carrot cake bars! ♡
I made a quick batch this weekend by halving my favorite carrot cake recipe (with a few small tweaks) and baking the bars in a 9 x 9-inch baking dish. And they ended up being so ridiculously delicious that I thought I would snap a few quick pics to share the recipe with you today.
These carrot cake bars are made with a homemade carrot cake base that is quick and easy to make, perfectly soft and moist, made with a few simple warming spices, plus lots and lots of fresh carrots. The bars are then topped with my favorite cream cheese frosting, which you’re welcome to make as gooey or as firm as you prefer. And together — I’m telling you — the combo is just perfection.
I highly recommend serving these carrot cake bars with a cup of strong coffee or hot tea. And as lovely as they are for dessert, my husband and I will be the first to admit that they make for a fabulous breakfast the next day too.
So who’s in for some carrot cake bars?!
Homemade Carrot Cake Bars Ingredients:
Ok first, let’s chat briefly about the ingredients you will need to make these carrot cake bars. The recipe calls for:
- Oil: I typically use avocado oil, but vegetable oil, canola oil or any other mild-flavored oil would work too.
- Sugars: We will use both granulated (white) and brown sugar.
- Eggs and vanilla extract: Because…cake. ♡
- Flour: I made this recipe classic all-purpose flour. But you’re welcome to sub in white whole wheat flour instead too.
- Spices: A warming mixture of ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
- Baking soda and baking powder: This recipe uses both.
- Salt: I used fine sea salt. If you only have iodized (table) salt, I would recommend using a little less salt.
- Freshly-grated carrots: Either grate them by hand with a box grater, use the shredding attachment on a food processor, or save yourself a step and buy shredded carrots.
- (Optional add-ins): Feel free to also include chopped nuts (such as pecans or walnuts), shredded coconut, and/or raisins if you would like.
- Cream cheese frosting: Made easily with cream cheese, butter, salt, vanilla and powdered sugar. (Just add more/less powdered sugar to make the frosting as gooey or firm as you prefer.)
Detailed ingredient amounts and full instructions included in the recipe box below.
How To Make Carrot Cake Bars:
Here are the basic steps to make these carrot cake bars! (Full instructions included in the recipe below.)
- Make the batter. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another, then combine and stir until smooth. (I typically make these by hand, but you can use a stand mixer if you prefer.) Fold in the grated carrots, plus any optional add-ins (such as nuts or raisins) that sound good.
- Bake. Pour the batter evenly into a greased 9×9-inch baking dish. Then bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the baking dish to a wire baking rack and let cool until the cake reaches room temperature.
- Make the frosting. Meanwhile in a separate mixing bowl, stir together all of the cream cheese ingredients until smooth. (I highly recommend sifting the powdered sugar before adding it in, if you would like to avoid clumps. Also feel free to add more/less powdered sugar to achieve your desired frosting consistency.)
- Frost and serve. Once the cake has cooled, spread it evenly with the cream cheese frosting. Then slice, serve and enjoy!
Possible Recipe Variations:
If you would like to customize your carrot cake bars, feel free to:
- Add nuts: Feel free to stir 1/2 cup chopped nuts (such as pecans, walnuts, pepitas or hazelnuts) into the batter, and/or sprinkle extras on top of the frosting.
- Add raisins: You could also stir in up to 1/4 cup of raisins.
- Add coconut: Or up to 1/4 cup of toasted shredded coconut.
- Spice the frosting: If you would like a bit of extra flavor in the frosting itself, I recommend stirring 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger into the frosting.
- Make the recipe gluten-free and vegan: Use this recipe (and halve it to make vegan gluten-free carrot cake bars).
More Favorite Carrot Recipes:
Looking for more delicious sweet carrot recipes? Here are a few of my faves! ♡
Description
This carrot cake bars recipe is easy to make, perfectly moist and lightly spiced and full of fresh carrots, and topped with the most heavenly cream cheese frosting.
Scale
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Bars Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup avocado oil (or vegetable oil, or any mild-flavored oil)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch of ground cloves
- 8 ounces finely-grated* fresh carrots
- optional: 1/2 cup chopped nuts or 1/4 cup raisins
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
- 1 (8-ounce) package low-fat cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups sifted powdered sugar (use more/less to achieve your desired consistency)
Instructions
- Prep oven and baking dish. Heat oven to 350°F. Mist a 9×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray, and set it aside for later.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined and smooth. Add in the eggs and vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, nutmeg and cloves) until combined.
- Combine. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture into the egg mixture, and stir until smooth. Fold in the grated carrots and stir until combined. If you would like to add nuts and/or raisins, stir them in at this time as well. Pour the batter into the baking dish, and spread it out evenly.
- Bake. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the baking dish to a wire cooling rack and let it cool until the cake reaches room temperature.
- Make the frosting. Meanwhile in a separate mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until evenly combined. Gradually add in the powdered sugar and stir until smooth. Feel free to add more/less powdered sugar to achieve your desired frosting consistency.
- Frost and serve. Once the cake has cooled, spread it evenly with the cream cheese frosting. Then slice, serve and enjoy!
Notes
Storage instructions: These carrot cake bars can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Grating the carrots: You can either grate the carrots by hand with a box grater or by using the shredding disk on a food processor. Or you can save a step and just purchase store-bought shredded carrots.
