Carrot Cake Bars
Indulge in the perfect blend of sweet and spiced goodness with our Carrot Cake Bars topped with luscious cream cheese frosting.
Servings 20 bars
Calories 463kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ cup vegetable oil or canola
- ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups carrots finely grated
- ½ cup pecans finely chopped, optional - or walnuts
Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup butter softened (1 stick) unsalted
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract **see notes
- 4 cups confectioner’s sugar **see notes
Decoration, optional
Orange gel food coloring
Green gel food coloring
Instructions
Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 15x10x1 baking pan. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the four, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla.
- Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Stir in the carrots and nuts, if using, until well combined.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely on a wire rack.
Frosting
- Beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla and beat until well combined.
- Gradually add the confectioner’s sugar until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Frost the cooled bar cookies.
- Cut and serve immediately or store in an airtight container in a single layer.
Decoration, optional
- To make the carrots, add a small amount of frosting to 2 bowls.
- Color one with orange food coloring and the other one with green.
- Fit a decorator icing bag with a small round tip for the carrot and a leaf tip for the leaves.
- Pipe on the carrot with leaves before serving.
Notes
Vanilla Extract: using clear vanilla extract will keep the frosting bright white and will not yellow the frosting like regular vanilla extract.
Confectioner’s Sugar: it’s best to sift the sugar before adding to the cream cheese mixture for a smooth frosting.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 195mg | Potassium: 87mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg | Net Carbohydrates: 32g