Carrot Cake Bars

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Carrot Cake Bars are soft, moist, and warmly spiced, topped with classic cream cheese frosting and toasted pecans. An easy, crowd-pleasing dessert that delivers all the flavor of carrot cake without the fuss.

Prep Time30

Cook Time40

Chill Time1

Total Time2 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cake Bars, Carrot cake, Carrot Cake Bars, easy dessert

Servings: servings

Calories: 375kcal

Author: Chef Jenn

Ingredients

For the Cake

cooking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
3 cups grated carrot

For the Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pecans toasted and chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
Beat the oil and sugar in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating until thick and creamy, then mix in the carrots and mix on low speed until blended, scraping down the sides as needed.
Fold in the dry ingredients and mix on low until incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan.

For the frosting:

Whip the cream cheese and butter until smooth with a hand mixer or in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, about 5 minutes.. Add the confectioners’ sugar gradually, then mix in the vanilla and mix on medium until well blended. Scrape down the sides as needed.
Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and sprinkle with pecans.
Slice into 12 bars and serve.

Notes

Chef Jenn’s Recipe Notes

My favorite way to shred carrots is with a rotary cheese grater, or you can use a box grater. I made these bars once after chopping the carrots in a food processor and the carrots didn’t fully soften. I recommend grating or shredding your carrots for this recipe.
To make the best frosting, your cream cheese should be super soft. Not melted, but very easily spreadable. I sometimes pop it into the microwave for 10 second intervals to soften it fully.
For cleaner slices, chill the bars for 30 minutes before cutting or even fully freeze them.

Nutrition