Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting- My Baking Habit

Carrot cake bars function a moist and flavorful carrot cake base filled with carrots, pineapple, and chopped nuts topped with tangy cream cheese frosting. These bars are easy to make and are good for feeding a crowd.

Keep in mind once I shared my carrot cake bread and instructed you that I used to be actually into carrot cake recipes this yr?

Nicely, you understand I couldn’t get by way of the remainder of this spring season with out sharing these carrot cake bars, too.

Bar desserts are nice as a result of they’re good for feeding a crowd. Certain, recipes like pumpkin bars, banana bars, and these carrot cake bars are just about sheet muffins with a distinct identify, however they are surely simpler to chop and serve to a bunch of individuals.

Which makes this recipe completely good for taking to any events you’ve gotten arising.

Why you’ll love these carrot cake bars

These carrot cake bars are SO good.

The bottom is a young, moist carrot cake. The cake is completely spiced with cinnamon and only a trace of nutmeg and bursting with grated carrot, crushed pineapple, and chopped nuts.

The whole factor will get baked in a half sheet pan and completed with cream cheese frosting.

This recipe has the entire traditional carrot cake flavors you like, however with none layering or fancy adorning. The bars are straightforward to chop as large or as small as you want, so you possibly can simply feed simply your loved ones or a crowd with the identical recipe.

After all that is the right Easter dessert, however don’t rely it out for Mom’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or only a random Thursday both.

Tips on how to make carrot cake bars

Carrot cake is one in all my favourite cake recipes to make – because it’s often an oil-based cake, the batter might be whisked collectively without having to make use of a mixer! Really easy.

Substances you’ll want

For these carrot cake bars, you have to:

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ⅔ cup flippantly packed gentle brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all goal flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon floor nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups peeled and grated carrots
• 8 ounces crushed pineapple, drained
• ⅔ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (elective)

Earlier than you begin baking, ensure you know easy methods to measure flour appropriately. This may assist your bars end up good each time. 

A mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar give these bars a wealthy taste. If you happen to’re out of brown sugar, whip up a easy brown sugar substitute to make use of as a substitute. 

I even have a number of suggestions for softening brown sugar if yours hardened within the pantry.

I like to recommend peeling and grating your individual carrots for this recipe. The bagged pre-shredded carrots from the shop are often too thick and can give these bars a bizarre texture.

Chopped pecans or walnuts add taste and texture to those bars, however be at liberty to depart them out in case you are allergic or don’t look after them.

The frosting for these bars is tweaked from my favourite cream cheese frosting recipe. For that, you have to:

• 12 ounces room-temperature cream cheese
• 6 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Make certain the cream cheese and butter are each softened earlier than you begin mixing the frosting, in any other case it received’t come collectively very nicely. 

If you happen to neglect to set both of those components out forward of time, I’ve a number of suggestions for softening butter and softening cream cheese shortly.

If you happen to’re out of powdered sugar, learn to make a powdered sugar substitute to make use of.

Making this recipe

These carrot cake bars are baked in a half sheet pan, which measures 13×18 inches. Spray the pan with nonstick spray and line with a sheet of parchment paper.

In a big bowl, whisk collectively the eggs and each sugars. As soon as that combination is nicely mixed, whisk within the oil and vanilla.

In one other mixing bowl, whisk collectively the dry components: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir this combination into the moist components till simply mixed.

Fold within the carrots, pineapple, and nuts, then unfold the batter into the ready pan.

Bake the bars at 350°F for 15-18 minutes; a toothpick inserted within the heart will come out clear when the bars are performed.

Let the carrot cake bars cool utterly earlier than including the frosting.

To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with a mixer for about 3 minutes. Flip the velocity to low and blend within the powdered sugar, then improve the velocity once more and blend one other 2-3 minutes.

Unfold the frosting evenly on high of the bars and luxuriate in!

Carrot cake bar storage

Retailer carrot cake bars in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days. Let the bars come to room temperature earlier than serving.

Leftover bars can be frozen for as much as a month. Slice, set them on a parchment-lined pan, and freeze for 1-2 hours till the frosting is stable.

Wrap the bars in a layer of plastic wrap and place them in a zip-top freezer bag earlier than storing within the freezer.

Thaw the bars in a single day within the fridge or for a few hours at room temperature.

Make-ahead tip

If you happen to’re prepping for a vacation meal or occasion forward of time and need to get these bars prepared early, you completely can!

Make the bars as written and allow them to cool utterly. Wrap your entire pan in 1-2 layers of plastic wrap adopted by heavy-duty foil. Freeze for as much as 2 months.

Make the frosting as written; retailer in an hermetic container and freeze for a similar period of time.

Once you’re able to assemble the bars, let the frosting thaw within the fridge in a single day and the cake thaw at room temperature for a few hours. 

Deliver the frosting to room temperature, then whip it with an electrical mixer for a couple of minutes earlier than spreading over the bars. 

Ceaselessly requested questions