Easy Carrot Cake Bars
These carrot cake bars are soft, moist, and packed with warm spices, grated carrots, and topped with rich cream cheese frosting. This easy dessert recipe delivers all the classic carrot cake flavors in a simple, shareable bar form—perfect for gatherings, snacks, or everyday treats.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12–16 bars
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
For the Bars:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups grated carrots
- ½ cup crushed pineapple (optional)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
For the Frosting:
- 200g (7 oz) cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- In another bowl, beat eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Mix in oil and vanilla.
- Stir in grated carrots and crushed pineapple (if using).
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in nuts if desired.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely.
- For frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, mixing until creamy.
- Spread frosting over cooled bars, slice into squares, and serve
Notes
Do not overmix the batter to keep the bars soft and tender.Freshly grated carrots provide the best moisture and texture.Chill slightly before slicing for cleaner edges.
Find it online: https://cookibly.com/easy-carrot-cake-bars/