Carrot Cake Bars
This easy carrot cake bars recipe is made from scratch with fresh carrots, applesauce, warm fall spices, and a rich cream cheese frosting. Learn how to make moist carrot cake bars step by step—perfect for parties, family desserts, or your Thanksgiving table.
Servings 14 servings
Calories 296kcal
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup apple sauce or crushed pineapple
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups carrots shredded
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 3 tbsp butter unsalted
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper (leave an overhang so you can lift the bars out easily).
- Finely grate 1 ½ cups of fresh carrots. (Freshly grated gives the best texture—skip the pre-shredded bagged kind, they’re too dry.)
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 3 eggs, ½ cup vegetable oil, ½ cup applesauce (or crushed pineapple), ¾ cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until well combined and slightly frothy. This is the base that makes the bars soft and fluffy.
- Sift or sprinkle in 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Gently stir with a spatula until just combined. (Don’t overmix—this keeps the bars tender.)
- Add the shredded carrots and fold through the batter until evenly distributed. The batter will be thick and spiced—it already smells amazing!
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely in the pan.
- In a medium bowl, beat together 8 oz softened cream cheese, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon until smooth, creamy, and fluffy (2–3 minutes).
- Spread the frosting generously over the cooled carrot cake bars. Dust lightly with extra cinnamon if you like, then slice into squares.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 196mg | Potassium: 108mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 2638IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 1mg