Decadent Carrot Cake Bars (Printable)

Moist, spiced bars topped with luscious cream cheese frosting—perfect portable treat.

# What You Need:

→ Carrot Cake Base

01 - 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ¼ teaspoon salt
05 - 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
06 - ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
07 - ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
08 - ½ cup vegetable oil
09 - ½ cup granulated sugar
10 - ½ cup packed light brown sugar
11 - 2 large eggs
12 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
13 - 2 cups finely grated fresh carrots
14 - ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

→ Cream Cheese Frosting

15 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
16 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
17 - 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
18 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
19 - Pinch of salt

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang on sides for easy removal.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in a medium bowl until thoroughly blended.
03 - Whisk vegetable oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until smooth and well combined.
04 - Fold grated carrots into the wet mixture until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
05 - Add dry ingredients to wet mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold in chopped nuts if desired.
06 - Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
07 - Allow bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before frosting.
08 - Beat softened cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt; beat until smooth and fluffy.
09 - Spread frosting evenly over completely cooled bars. Lift from pan using parchment paper overhang, cut into 16 squares, and serve.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • These bars travel beautifully to potlucks and picnics without the fuss of slicing a round cake
  • The cream cheese frosting topper transforms a simple spice cake into something that feels like a special occasion dessert
02 -
  • Wait for bars to cool completely before frosting, otherwise the frosting will melt right off
  • Grating carrots finely rather than in large pieces distributes moisture evenly throughout the batter
03 -
  • Use the large holes on your box grater rather than the small ones for better carrot texture
  • Room temperature ingredients prevent the frosting from curdling during mixing

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