Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
These easy Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are soft, moist, and packed with warm spices. Perfect for dessert, snack, or even breakfast! Simple to make, customizable, and always a crowd-pleaser.
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 white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup freshly shredded carrots
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- Orange and green food coloring optional, but fun!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, and nutmeg.
- In a large bowl, beat softened butter with white and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla extract.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing gently until just combined.
- Fold in shredded carrots evenly.
- Pour batter into prepared dish and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For frosting, beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating until creamy.
- Spread frosting over cooled cake. If desired, tint small portions of frosting with food coloring for decoration.
- Cut into 16 bars, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Use freshly grated carrots for the best texture and moisture.
- Add ½ cup chopped walnuts or raisins for extra flavor.
- Store frosted bars in the fridge for up to 3 days; unfrosted bars can stay at room temperature for up to a week.
- You can substitute half the butter with unsweetened applesauce for a lighter version.
- For a larger batch, double the recipe and use a 9x13 pan—adjust baking time to 25-30 minutes.