Carrot Cake Bars (with Cream Cheese Frosting)

If you love carrot cake but crave something a little different, these Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are just the thing. Packed with sweet, shredded carrot and warm spices, then topped with a velvety cream cheese frosting, they deliver all the classic flavor in a fresh, easy-to-share form.

While I love traditional carrot cake, especially at Easter, there’s something wonderfully fun and playful about enjoying these treats as individual dessert bars. It also invites a little creative freedom for you to easily customize the batter to suit your taste. For instance, I’ve left out chopped nuts and raisins, but both are simple additions if you prefer them.

While this is undoubtedly the perfect Easter dessert, it’s equally fitting for Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even a random weekday!

What are carrot cake bars? 

These carrot cake bars feature a tender, spiced cake base that’s loaded with sweet, shredded carrots. They’re topped with a rich, velvety cream cheese frosting that adds the perfect tangy contrast. Baked in a 9×13-inch baking dish, they’re easy to cut into any size – ideal for everything from casual family treats to holiday gatherings.

Why you’ll love this carrot cake bars recipe

• The base is a tender, moist carrot cake that’s perfectly spiced and filled with sweet, shredded carrot.
• You can cut the bars as large or as small as you like, allowing the same recipe to treat just your family or a crowd.
• Bake these carrot cake bars ahead of time and freeze, then simply thaw before frosting and serving when ready. 
• And I love these bars for Easter!

Ingredients needed to make carrot cake bars with cream cheese frosting

For the Bars:

• Butter: Use softened, unsalted butter. 
• Sugar: A combination of brown and granulated sugar provides the ideal depth of flavor to the batter.
• Eggs: Allow your eggs to reach room temperature for easy mixing. For egg-free carrot cake bars, use 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce per egg.
• Vanilla extract: For added depth of flavor. 
• Shredded carrots: A key ingredient in traditional carrot cake, providing natural sweetness, delicious texture, and a pop of color. Shred or grate your own carrots as the bagged pre-shredded carrots from the store are usually too thick and will give these bars a different texture.
• All-purpose flour: My preferred flour to bake with. 
• Spices: True to any classic carrot cake, this recipe calls for a combination of cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg. 
• Cornstarch: This tenderizes the crumb and creates a stable structure, mimicking cake flour for a softer, finer texture in the baked bars.
• Baking soda: For the perfect rise.
• Salt: To enhance and balance flavors. Omit if using salted butter. 

For the Frosting:

• Butter: Softened at room temperature. If you use salted butter, omit the salt called for in these frosting ingredients. 
• Cream cheese: Soften at room temperature for easy mixing and smooth texture.
• Powdered sugar: Sift to prevent any lumps in the frosting. It also helps to thicken the frosting while also balancing the tangy flavor of the cream cheese. 
• Vanilla extract: For added depth of flavor. 
• Heavy cream: For the ideal consistency while maintaining creamy richness. 
• Salt: Just a pinch to enhance and balance the flavors. Omit if using salted butter.   

How do you make these carrot cake bars? 

Prepare and bake the bars:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugars (brown and white), mixing until well blended. 
3. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, then beat until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
4. Shred the carrots, pat them dry with a paper towel, and stir them into the wet ingredients until evenly incorporated.
5. Add the flour, spices, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch, then fold together just until combined. 
6. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish, pressing it into an even layer. 
7. Bake at 350°F for 13-18 minutes, checking for doneness.
8. Allow the bars to cool completely before frosting. 

Make the cream cheese frosting:

1. In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until fluffy. 
2. Add the rest of the frosting ingredients and whip until smooth.

Assemble:

1. Once the bars are fully cooled, lift them out of the dish using the parchment paper. 
2. Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the top.
3. Lastly, sprinkle the frosted bars with a light dusting of cinnamon before cutting into 12 even squares to serve. 

Serving

These carrot cake bars are the perfect mid-morning or afternoon treat alongside a hot cup of tea or coffee. Of course, it’s a no-brainer for serving as an Easter dessert, with or without a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Sandy’s tips and substitutions:

• Storage: Store leftover carrot cake bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days due to the cream cheese frosting. The flavors deepen over time! Unfrosted carrot cake bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. 
• Freeze and make-ahead: Wrap unfrosted carrot cake bars in plastic and foil for up to 3 months. Thaw the cake bars overnight in the fridge and allow them to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before adding fresh cream cheese frosting. 
• Don’t overmix: Be careful that you don’t overmix the batter or you will create overly dense cake bars. 
• Cool before frosting: Make sure that the cake bars have cooled completely as any residual heat and steam will make the frosting runny. 
• Parchment overhang: Line the baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides to easily lift the baked bars out for frosting and cutting.
• Use both sugars: Make sure to use both brown sugar and granulated sugar in the batter. This combination gives these bars a rich flavor. If you don’t have light brown sugar, the best substitute is a mixture of granulated sugar (1 cup) and molasses (1 tablespoon). Rub these together until well combined and the sugar is brown.
• Soften the butter and cream cheese: These two ingredients must be left out to soften for a smooth, well combined frosting. Pop them in the microwave for short bursts of time if you forgot to soften them at room temperature but be careful not to melt them. 
• How to grate/shred the carrots: Wash and peel the carrots first. Then, use a box grater to grate the carrots. A grater attachment on a food processor is also an option. 

Variations:

• Chopped nuts: Chopped pecans and walnuts are delicious additions to the cake bars, offering flavor and texture. You can also sprinkle some on top while the cream cheese frosting is still slightly sticky. Raisins are another common ingredient in carrot cake treats. 
• Pineapple coconut carrot bars: Add crushed pineapple (drained) and shredded coconut into the batter. The pineapple provides another layer of sweetness, texture, and moisture. The coconut pairs beautifully with the pineapple as well as with the carrot cake flavor. 
• Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and add 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum if needed. 
• Creative decoration: Mix some of the cream cheese frosting with green and orange food coloring to draw little carrots on the frosted cake bars. It’s a cute idea when serving these for Easter!

Love the idea of turning classic sweet recipes into dessert bars? If so, be sure to try these mouth-watering Banana Pudding Cheesecake Bars, Toll House Cookie Bars, or Cake Pan Apple Bars with Frosting. 

More desserts for Easter you may want to try:

• Lemon Curd Cake
• Mini Carrot Cakes
• Easter Pavlovas
• Lemon Raspberry Trifle
• Easter Fruit Salad

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Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Sandy Coughlin

Carrot Cake Bars are packed with sweet, shredded carrot and warm spices, then topped with a cream cheese frosting for the ultimate Easter treat!

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 18 minutes mins

Total Time: 33 minutes mins

Yield: 12

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Ingredients

 

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Bars:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup shredded carrots, patted dry
• 2 ¾ cup flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cardamom
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt

Frosting:

• ½ cup butter, softened
• 8 oz cream cheese, 1 block
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp heavy cream
• pinch of salt

Equipment

• 9×3 baking dish

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugars (brown and white), mixing until well blended.
• Add the eggs and vanilla extract, then beat until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
• Shred the carrots, pat them dry with a paper towel, and stir them into the wet ingredients until evenly incorporated.
• Add the flour, spices, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch, then fold together just until combined.
• Transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish, pressing it into an even layer.
• Bake at 350°F for 13-18 minutes, checking for doneness.
• Allow the bars to cool completely before frosting.
• In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until fluffy.
• Add the rest of the frosting ingredients and whip until smooth.
• Once the bars are fully cooled, lift them out of the dish using the parchment paper.
• Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the top.
• Lastly, sprinkle the frosted bars with a light dusting of cinnamon before cutting into 12 even squares to serve.

Notes

Sandy’s tips:

• Storage: Store leftover carrot cake bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days due to the cream cheese frosting. The flavors deepen over time! Unfrosted carrot cake bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. 
• Freeze and make-ahead: Wrap unfrosted carrot cake bars in plastic and foil for up to 3 months. Thaw the cake bars overnight in the fridge and allow them to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before adding fresh cream cheese frosting. 
• Cool before frosting: Make sure that the cake bars have cooled completely as any residual heat and steam will make the frosting runny. 
• Parchment overhang: Line the baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides to easily lift the baked bars out for frosting and cutting.
• Soften the butter and cream cheese: These two ingredients must be left out to soften for a smooth, well combined frosting. Pop them in the microwave for short bursts of time if you forgot to soften them at room temperature but be careful not to melt them. 
• How to grate/shred the carrots: Wash and peel the carrots first. Then, use a box grater to grate the carrots. A grater attachment on a food processor is also an option. 

Cuisine: American

Course: Dessert

Calories: 505kcal, Carbohydrates: 82g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 110mg, Sodium: 542mg, Potassium: 122mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 27g, Vitamin A: 1931IU, Vitamin C: 0.4mg, Calcium: 57mg, Iron: 2mg

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