Description
Delightful Cream Cheese Carrot Cake Bars featuring a moist, spiced carrot cake base topped with a smooth and creamy cream cheese frosting. Perfectly portioned for 24 servings, these bars combine classic carrot cake flavors with easy-to-make bar convenience.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups grated carrots
Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly mixed.
- Mix Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat the melted unsalted butter with granulated sugar until the mixture is smooth and well combined, ensuring sugar starts to dissolve.
- Add Eggs: Incorporate the eggs one at a time into the butter-sugar mixture, beating well after each addition for a smooth batter.
- Combine Carrots and Dry Ingredients: Stir in the grated carrots, then gently mix the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined to avoid overmixing.
- Pour Batter: Transfer the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly with a spatula for uniform thickness.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, indicating the bars are fully baked.
- Cool Bars: Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack to set properly before frosting.
- Prepare Frosting: Beat the softened cream cheese with powdered sugar until the frosting is smooth and creamy, free of lumps.
- Frost and Serve: Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled carrot cake bars. Cut into 24 squares and serve.
Notes
- Grate carrots finely for a uniform texture.
- Ensure cream cheese is softened to avoid lumps in frosting.
- You can add chopped walnuts or raisins to the batter for extra texture.
- Store bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute cream cheese with a vegan alternative.
