These carrot cake bars are full of scrumptious carrot cake taste and topped with a thick cream cheese frosting recipe!
The very best carrot cake bars
For all of you carrot cake lovers, these bars are a should strive dessert for Easter.
I’ve tried so many carrot cake bar recipes over time, and this one is really the very best of all of them. The texture is delicate, moist, and irresistibly fluffy!
They usually style identical to consuming home made cream cheese frosted carrot cake, within the handy type of a hand-held bar.
One style, and it would be best to make these mini carrot cake bars 12 months spherical.
Additionally do this Carrot Cake Banana Bread
Carrot bar elements
The recipe requires just some primary elements and no cake combine!
You will want shredded carrot, applesauce, cinnamon, flour, apple cider or white vinegar, pure vanilla extract, salt, baking soda, sugar, and non-compulsory raisins.
Carrots – The recipe works with each normal dimension and child carrots. Make sure you peel the greens absolutely if they don’t seem to be already peeled.
For a enjoyable variation, strive purple, purple, yellow, or white carrots as an alternative of orange.
Applesauce – Be happy to go along with both sweetened or unsweetened applesauce. Or swap it out for an equal quantity of ripe mashed banana or drained crushed pineapple.
Flour – I’ve efficiently baked these carrot squares with complete grain spelt flour, white flour, oat flour, and gluten free all goal flour.
See under if you happen to favor a keto possibility with almond flour. I don’t advocate coconut flour or complete wheat flour right here.
Cinnamon – One and a half teaspoons of top of the range floor cinnamon provides taste and compliments the candy carrots.
You probably have floor ginger and floor cloves available, stir in a pinch of every for much more depth of taste.
Sugar – Thanks the pure sweetness within the applesauce and spices, you want simply half a cup of sugar for the whole recipe.
White sugar, brown sugar, or unrefined coconut sugar are all nice choices. For bars with no sugar added, go for granulated erythritol or xylitol.
You possibly can technically substitute pure maple syrup or honey. Nonetheless, the feel comes out considerably gummy with this substitution so I don’t advocate it.
Non-obligatory elements
Add ins – I really like raisins in my carrot cake, so I virtually at all times combine in a fourth cup with the dry elements. You possibly can add chopped dried pineapple, dates, or figs.
Stir in an non-compulsory handful of diced nuts, corresponding to walnuts, almonds, pecans, or shredded coconut if you want. No must measure!
Protein powder – For top protein carrot bars you’ll be able to eat for breakfast, swap as much as a 3rd cup of the flour with unsweetened protein powder.
Oil – Together with a fourth cup of vegetable oil or melted coconut oil provides richness and yields a lighter texture.
For oil free, low fats, and low calorie wholesome carrot cake bars, you’ll be able to substitute further applesauce or mashed banana as an alternative.
Readers love these oil free Oatmeal Muffins
Home made cream cheese frosting
Right here is my tried and true recipe for the creamiest, fluffiest carrot cake frosting. It pairs deliciously with the moist cake bar beneath, and every chew will remind you of carrot cake cheesecake!
Be happy to prime your carrot cake bars with powdered sugar, Coconut Butter, retailer purchased vanilla icing, or almond butter if you happen to favor.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese or vegan cream cheese
- 2 ounces butter or plant primarily based different
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- non-compulsory milk or water as wanted
Let the cream cheese and butter come to room temperature so they’re softer and simpler to mix with beaters, a stand mixer, or a fork. Beat within the powdered sugar a half cup at a time. Then whip within the vanilla till easy. Skinny out the frosting with a teaspoon or two of milk or water.
This cream cheese frosting recipe from scratch yields a couple of cup, which is the proper quantity for topping the complete pan of carrot squares.
I’ll typically double the recipe and use leftover frosting on Chocolate Zucchini Cake or 4 ingredient Simple Cinnamon Rolls.
Step-by-step recipe video
Above, watch the complete carrot cake bar recipe video.
Learn how to make moist carrot cake bars
Learn by means of the recipe directions, and collect your elements.
Grease an eight inch sq. pan, or line the underside of the pan with parchment paper.
Or if you would like thinner bars, grease a sheet pan or a 9 by 13 inch rectangular pan. Set this baking pan apart.
Preheat the oven to 350 levels Fahrenheit.
In a big mixing bowl, whisk the shredded carrot, applesauce, vinegar, vanilla extract, and non-compulsory oil.
Stir within the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, sugar, non-compulsory ginger and cloves, and non-compulsory raisins to kind a batter. To forestall a dense and gummy texture, you will need to not overmix the batter.
Unfold the carrot cake combination evenly into your ready pan with a spatula or spoon.
Place the pan on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake thirty minutes in an eight inch pan or fifteen minutes for sheet pan bars.
On the finish of the baking time, a toothpick inserted into the middle of the pan ought to come out principally clear.
Let cool earlier than frosting the bars with cream cheese frosting or your toppings of alternative.
As soon as cooled and frosted, loosely cowl the baking pan in material or paper towels and refrigerate for optimum freshness.
Tip: Should you can wait, the feel and style are even higher the subsequent day!
After a day, refrigerate leftovers for as much as 5 days in a coated container. Or slice and freeze for about two to a few months.
Wholesome carrot cake squares
This basic carrot dessert doesn’t style wholesome in any respect. But on the identical time, it’s full of vitamin.
And even with frosting, the carrot bars are below 100 energy every!
Only one serving offers you fiber, protein, potassium, vitamin Ok, vitamin C, folate, niacin, and over 25% of the RDA for vitamin A.
These bars are an ideal alternative for Easter brunch or for birthday events the place you wish to accommodate totally different dietary preferences of company.
The recipe consists of dairy free, egg free, gluten free, fats free, added sugar free, and vegan choices.
Is there a low carb model?
For keto carrot cake bars, use this recipe for Keto Carrot Cake.
Bake in an oblong 9 by 13 inch pan as an alternative of two spherical pans.
High with your personal favourite sugar free frosting. Or make my home made cream cheese frosting recipe above, utilizing powdered erythritol or xylitol as an alternative of powdered sugar.
Lower into bars or squares.
- 1 cup shredded carrot (200g)
- 1/2 cup applesauce or crushed pineapple or mashed banana
- 1/4 cup oil or further applesauce for fats free
- 2 tsp vinegar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups flour (See above for a keto model)
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup sugar or packed coconut sugar or xylitol
- 1 pinch floor ginger and cloves (non-compulsory)
- 1/4 cup raisins (non-compulsory)
- 1 handful shredded coconut, crushed walnuts or pecans (non-compulsory)
- 1 recipe cream cheese frosting above, or your favourite frosting or toppings
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To make carrot cake bars, first preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 8 inch sq. pan or line the underside with parchment paper. Should you favor thinner bars, use a sheet pan or 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Stir all elements in a big bowl till simply evenly combined. Unfold into the pan. Bake half-hour in an 8 inch pan or quarter-hour on a sheet pan. The bars are carried out when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out principally clear. Let cool absolutely earlier than frosting. Loosely cowl the pan with a towel and refrigerate. Should you can wait, the style and texture are even higher the subsequent day. After a day, retailer leftovers coated within the fridge or freezer for finest freshness. View Vitamin Details
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