Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting – A Delicious Baking Delight
Carrot cake bars feature a moist and flavorful carrot cake base packed with carrots, pineapple, and chopped nuts topped with tangy cream cheese frosting. These bars are simple to make and are perfect for feeding a crowd.
Remember when I shared my carrot cake bread and told you that I was really into carrot cake recipes this year? Well, you know I couldn’t get through the rest of this spring season without sharing these carrot cake bars, too.
Bar desserts are great because they’re perfect for feeding a crowd. Sure, recipes like pumpkin bars, banana bars, and these carrot cake bars are pretty much sheet cakes with a different name, but they really are easier to cut and serve to a bunch of people. This makes this recipe absolutely perfect for any parties you have coming up.
Why You’ll Love These Carrot Cake Bars
These carrot cake bars are incredibly delicious.
The base is a tender, moist carrot cake, spiced perfectly with cinnamon and just a hint of nutmeg, bursting with grated carrot, crushed pineapple, and chopped nuts. The entire mix is baked in a half sheet pan and topped off with cream cheese frosting.
This recipe encapsulates all of the classic carrot cake flavors you love, but minus the layering or ornate decorations. The bars are easy to cut into any size, making it suitable whether you’re feeding just your family or a larger crowd. While this is an ideal Easter dessert, it can also shine for Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just as a delightful treat on an ordinary Thursday.
How to Make Carrot Cake Bars
Carrot cake is one of my favorite cake recipes to make – since it’s typically an oil-based cake, the batter can be whisked together without the need for a mixer. So easy!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups peeled and grated carrots
- 8 ounces crushed pineapple, drained
- ⅔ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Before you start baking, make sure you know how to measure flour correctly. This will help ensure your bars turn out perfectly every time. A blend of granulated sugar and brown sugar imparts a rich flavor, and if you find yourself without brown sugar, a simple substitute can be quickly whipped up. Remember, bagged pre-shredded carrots can yield an undesirable texture, so opt for peeling and grating your own.
Chopped pecans or walnuts enhance these bars’ flavor and texture, but you can omit them if need be.
The frosting used for these bars is adapted from my favorite cream cheese frosting recipe; here’s what you’ll need:
- 12 ounces room-temperature cream cheese
- 6 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
- 1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Making This Recipe
These carrot cake bars are baked in a half sheet pan, measuring 13×18 inches. Begin by spraying the pan with nonstick spray and lining it with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and both sugars until well combined, followed by the oil and vanilla.
In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Incorporate this mix into the wet ingredients until just blended. Finally, gently fold in the grated carrots, drained pineapple, and nuts.
Spread the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the carrot cake bars cool completely before adding the frosting.
For the frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together for about 3 minutes. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar, then beat again for an additional 2-3 minutes. Spread this delicious frosting evenly over the bars.
Carrot Cake Bar Storage
Store your carrot cake bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow the bars to reach room temperature before serving. Leftovers can be frozen for up to a month; simply slice, place on a parchment-lined pan, and freeze until the frosting is solid. For storage, wrap the bars in plastic wrap and put them in a zip-top freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for a few hours at room temperature before serving.
Make-Ahead Tip
If you’re prepping for a holiday meal or party and want to get these bars ready early, you can certainly do so! Prepare the bars and let them cool completely. Wrap the entire pan with 1-2 layers of plastic wrap and then heavy-duty foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. The frosting can be made the same way and stored in an airtight container in the freezer. When you’re ready to assemble, let the frosting thaw overnight in the fridge and allow the cake to thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours. Whip the frosting with an electric mixer for a few minutes before spreading it over the bars.
Frequently Asked Questions
I can’t have pineapple, can I leave it out?
The crushed pineapple in this recipe helps keep the bars moist and tender, so it’s not recommended to omit it. For a pineapple-free carrot cake recipe, consider trying a carrot bundt cake or carrot cake cookies.
What’s the best way to grate the carrots?
A box grater works well for shredding carrots; do remember to peel them first! If you have a food processor, you can also use the grater attachment instead.
I don’t like using vegetable oil. What can I use instead?
If you’re avoiding vegetable oil, you can substitute it with your preferred neutral-flavored oil such as avocado oil.
