Description
Indulgent carrot cake bars blend classic comfort with modern twist, delivering rich spiced flavors and creamy frosting. Moist cake layers packed with wholesome carrots and warm cinnamon promise pure dessert satisfaction you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Flavor and Topping Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- Cream cheese frosting
Instructions
- Prepare the oven to 350F (175C) and thoroughly coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with grease and flour to prevent sticking.
- Combine all dry ingredients in a spacious mixing bowl, ensuring an even distribution of flour, both sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Incorporate vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract into the dry mixture, blending thoroughly until a smooth, consistent batter forms.
- Gently fold in freshly grated carrots and chopped walnuts, distributing them evenly throughout the batter for balanced flavor and texture.
- Transfer the prepared batter into the readied baking pan, using a spatula to spread the mixture uniformly and create an even surface.
- Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, checking doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center – it should emerge clean without any raw batter.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool completely at room temperature, which helps set the texture and makes frosting easier.
- Once cooled, generously spread cream cheese frosting across the entire surface of the cake.
- Slice into rectangular bars of consistent size, creating neat and appealing servings ready to be enjoyed.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients to ensure smooth mixing and better texture.
- Grate carrots finely for even distribution and softer bars.
- Substitute walnuts with pecans or omit nuts for nut-free version.
- Line baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal and clean cutting.
- Check doneness early to prevent over-baking, which can dry out the bars.
- Store bars in refrigerator for up to 5 days in airtight container.
- Reduce sugar by 25% for less sweet version without compromising moisture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 271 kcal
- Sugar: 16 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 37 mg