These carrot cake bars are full of scrumptious carrot cake taste and topped with a thick cream cheese frosting recipe!
The perfect 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 most effective of all of them. The texture is tender, moist, and irresistibly fluffy!
And so they style similar to consuming home made cream cheese frosted carrot cake, within the handy type of a handheld bar.
One style, and you’ll want to make these mini carrot cake bars 12 months spherical.
Additionally do this Carrot Cake Banana Bread
Carrot bar substances
The recipe requires just some primary substances and no cake combine!
You have to 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. Remember to peel the greens absolutely if they don’t seem to be already peeled.
For a enjoyable variation, strive purple, pink, yellow, or white carrots as a substitute of orange.
Applesauce – Be happy to go together 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 want a keto possibility with almond flour. I don’t suggest 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.
When you have floor ginger and floor cloves readily 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’ll be able to technically substitute pure maple syrup or honey. Nonetheless, the feel comes out considerably gummy with this substitution so I don’t suggest it.
Non-obligatory substances
Add ins – I really like raisins in my carrot cake, so I nearly all the time combine in a fourth cup with the dry substances. You possibly can add chopped dried pineapple, dates, or figs.
Stir in an non-compulsory handful of diced nuts, akin to walnuts, almonds, pecans, or shredded coconut if you want. No have to measure!
Protein powder – For top protein carrot bars you possibly can 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 possibly can substitute extra applesauce or mashed banana as a substitute.
Readers love these oil free Oatmeal Muffins
Selfmade 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 chunk will remind you of carrot cake cheesecake!
Be happy to high your carrot cake bars with powdered sugar, Coconut Butter, retailer purchased vanilla icing, or almond butter if you happen to want.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese or vegan cream cheese
- 2 ounces butter or plant based mostly various
- 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 clean. Skinny out the frosting with a teaspoon or two of milk or water.
This cream cheese frosting recipe from scratch yields a few cup, which is the proper quantity for topping the total 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 total carrot cake bar recipe video.
The way to make moist carrot cake bars
Learn via the recipe directions, and collect your substances.
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 type a batter. To stop 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: If you happen to can wait, the feel and style are even higher the following 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 traditional carrot dessert doesn’t style wholesome in any respect. But on the similar time, it’s full of diet.
And even with frosting, the carrot bars are underneath 100 energy every!
Only one serving provides you fiber, protein, potassium, vitamin Ok, vitamin C, folate, niacin, and over 25% of the RDA for vitamin A.
These bars are an important alternative for Easter brunch or for birthday events the place you wish to accommodate completely different dietary preferences of friends.
The recipe contains 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 a substitute of two spherical pans.
Prime with your personal favourite sugar free frosting. Or make my home made cream cheese frosting recipe above, utilizing powdered erythritol or xylitol as a substitute of powdered sugar.
Reduce into bars or squares.
- 1 cup shredded carrot (200g)
- 1/2 cup applesauce or crushed pineapple or mashed banana
- 1/4 cup oil or extra 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. If you happen to want thinner bars, use a sheet pan or 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Stir all substances in a big bowl till simply evenly blended. Unfold into the pan. Bake half-hour in an 8 inch pan or quarter-hour on a sheet pan. The bars are performed 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. If you happen to can wait, the style and texture are even higher the following day. After a day, retailer leftovers coated within the fridge or freezer for greatest freshness. View Diet Information
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