Carrot Cake Bars
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If you’ve ever found yourself craving carrot cake but not in the mood to commit to the whole layer-cake situation, these Carrot Cake Bars are your answer!
They’ve got all the warm spices, sweet carrot flavor, and the soft, moist texture you love in a classic carrot cake, but in a low-effort, one-pan bar form. Speaking of, I love this 9×9-inch baking pan for this recipe!
You’ll love my Carrot Cake Bread, Carrot Cake Cookies, or my Carrot Cake Oatmeal, too!
These Carrot Cake Bars fit the bill for really any Spring occasion. Whether you’re baking for a spring brunch, a cozy fall afternoon, or just need something sweet to go with your coffee, these bars deliver. They’re rich, moist (thanks to melted butter and fresh carrots), and come together in under an hour—no mixer, no fancy tools, and no fuss. Can I get an Amen?!
Plus, they’re easy to dress up with a swirl of cream cheese frosting, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and crushed walnuts.
So grab your grater and let’s get baking—your kitchen is about to smell amazing!
Table Talk with Tawnie
I originally posted this recipe in 2019 and decided in 2025, it needed a facelift. The previous recipe was good and very similar to this recipe, but it was a bit dry and to be honest, overly spiced. I want the spices to compliment the cake and not compete with the flavor or the yummy cream cheese frosting either. My revised recipe is moist, perfectly spiced, and allows the carrots natural sweetness to shine! I hope you love it as much as I do and I can’t wait to hear what you think!
- Flour: Spoon and level your flour (don’t pack it in!) for the most accurate results. I have not tested this recipe with a gluten-free flour, but I usually have success with a 1:1 gf flour.
- Spices: the usual suspects: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice, and salt. It gives the bars the nostalgic, warm, and cozy flavors. Adjust the spices to your preferences.
- Melted butter: I love using melted butter in this recipe, as opposed to softened butter, because it gives the bars a rich and moist texture. They’re more dense and buttery like a brownie/blondie than cake-like, in the best way. I also make a lot of my cookie recipes with melted butter for a fudgy, chewy texture like these really good chocolate chip cookies and my viral chocolate chipless cookies.
- Eggs: The eggs help bind everything together and give the bars structure. Make sure they’re at room temperature for best results—they mix in more easily and help the batter bake evenly.
- Carrots: Finely grated fresh carrots melt right into the batter, giving you that classic carrot cake flavor and moisture without chunky bits. Pro tip: Skip the bagged pre-shredded kind—they’re often dry and too thick to bake down properly. (I love those bagged carrots for my chopped chicken salad, though! So convenient!)
- Other ingredients needed: powdered sugar, cream cheese, and brown sugar.
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Whisk melted butter & sugar
Yay for no complicated kitchen appliances to make this recipe! Just a few mixing bowls, a whisk, and rubber spatula. Whisk the melted (and slightly cooled) butter together with the brown sugar. Be sure the brown sugar is fresh/soft so to avoid large clumps of brown sugar.
1 bowl magic
Add the eggs and vanilla, then add in the dry ingredients and carrots. Careful not to overmix the batter – it will be thick & that’s perfect! Because of the melted butter, I like to think of these bars like “brownies” as opposed to a light and airy cake texture.
Add to pan & bake
Keep a close eye on the bake time, ovens vary and you’ll want to be careful not to over bake these beauties.
Cool, add frosting, and dig in!
Top the cooled bars with the dreamy cream cheese frosting, garnish with cinnamon and walnuts if you’d like (you totally should!), slice & serve up this deliciousness. Just look at that texture!!
Expert Tips
- Finely grated carrots: I like to use the small holes on the box grater or even a microplane to grate the carrots finely. The ultra-fine shred is great, so the carrots are evenly distributed throughout the bars instead of big chunks.
- Add-ins: Feel free to add raisins or walnuts. I am more of a purist when it comes to carrot cake, so I don’t usually like to fold anything into the batter, but a few chopped walnuts on top of the cream cheese for texture is always a good idea.
- Allow the bars to cool: As with most cakes and bars, these carrot cake bars should be cooled completely before adding the cream cheese frosting.
- Decorate: use orange and green frosting to make cute little carrots on top of the cream cheese frosting if you’re feeling creative!
Can I make these with brown butter?
Yes! Of course. It’s an extra step but will add lots of nutty flavor and make the bars even more rich and indulgent. Use my post on how to brown butter if you need guidance. Allow the brown butter to cool slightly before whisking in the brown sugar. *Note: since there is loss of moisture when browning butter, I recommend for every 1/2 cup of butter, adding 1-2Tbsp. milk back into the recipe. So once you’ve made the brown butter, allow it to cool for about 10 minutes, then you can stir some milk in. This will keep the bars moist and flavorful!
Variations / Substitutions
- Chopped Nuts – Add ½ cup of walnuts or pecans to the batter for crunch and classic flavor.
- Raisins or Golden Raisins – Add up to ⅓-½ cup for a chewy, lightly sweet surprise.
- Pineapple – Mix in ¼ cup well-drained crushed pineapple for extra moisture.
- Dairy-Free – Use plant-based butter and vegan cream cheese for a fully dairy-free version.
- Gluten-Free – Substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Look for blends with xanthan gum for best results.
Storage / Freezing
- Fridge: Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bring the bars to room temperature before serving.
- Room temperature: Technically, the cream cheese frosting has sugar, which acts as a preservative and prevents the frosting from spoiling as quickly, which is why some say it can be kept at room temperature for a couple of days. The safe answer is to refrigerate, but you do what you feel best!
- Freezer: It’s better to freeze the bars unfrosted and add the cream cheese topping after thawing. Freeze for up to 2 months.
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Carrot Cake Bars
Ingredients
For the bars
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup loosely packed finely grated carrots (~1-2 large carrots grated on the small holes of a box grater)
For the frosting
- 4 oz. softened cream cheese
- 4 Tbsp. softened unsalted butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
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Instructions
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper. Ensure there is a litte overhang to make lifting the bars out of the pan easier.
- Whisk dry ingredients: in a mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.1 1/4 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. ground ginger, 1/4 tsp. ground cloves, 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
- Whisk butter and sugar: in another bowl, whisk the brown sugar and melted butter together, being sure it’s smooth and breaking up any brown sugar pieces.3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, 1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- Add eggs & vanilla: whisk in eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.2 large eggs, room temperature, 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- Fold in dry ingredients and carrots: careful not to over mix, batter will be thick. This is perfect!1 1/4 cup loosely packed finely grated carrots (~1-2 large carrots grated on the small holes of a box grater)
- Spread in pan: Spread evenly in prepared pan. I know it's a little tricky with thick batter & parchment, but the parchment helps lift the bars out once it bakes!
- Bake: bake for ~18-20 minutes. Do no over bake or bars will be dry. They will continue to cook more once the pan is removed from the oven, so take out sooner than you think! (All ovens vary, so if they are still very gooey, bake a little longer).
- Cool & frost: cool completely then make frosting. Using a hand mixer, beat together the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth. Then add in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt, beating again until smooth and creamy. If it’s too thick, you can add a splash of milk.4 oz. softened cream cheese, 4 Tbsp. softened unsalted butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, pinch of salt
- Enjoy: Spread evenly on top of cooled bars, garnish with cinnamon and/or chopped walnuts. Slice & enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Mix-ins: Add in nuts or raisins if desired. (~1/2 cup is perfect)
- Storage: store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bring the bars to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
📸 Photos by Megan McKeehan of The Broke Girl Table
This recipe was originally published April 2019, and was updated with a revised recipe and new photos April 2025. Feel free to comment below if you’d like the old recipe and I’d be happy to email it over to you.
Thank you Tawnie for another amazing recipe!! Super easy to make and so delicious, very moist!
So glad you loved these Katja! Thanks for taking time to leave a review 🫶🏻
Easy to make and tastes great but the baking time of 26min was no where close to enough for me. I followed the recipe exactly and the entire inside was still dough after 29th of baking. I had to bake it for nearly double the amount of time.
Hi Jessica! Did you bake them in a glass pan by chance? I have only tested this recipe out in an aluminized steel pan, glass pans usually increase bake time. Sorry about that!
I am so not over Easter and carrots yet! 😉 Sighting your recipe in the perfect time. Need to try thrm out, they look so tempting!
Wow these look fabulous! So thick and loaded with flavor…definitely craving one right now 😀
So chock full of flavors that those nuts won’t be missed! This looks like a keeper! Delish!
This was my first attempt at carrot cake and I’m so happy how it turned out! Will make again this Spring.
Yum! I love all things carrot cake and these make me watch to dive right in! Thanks for sharing, I can’t wait to try them out.
YUMMMMM! I love carrot cake 🙂 These sound SO good 🙂
Thanks Tara!! 🙂 It’s one of my favs tooo!
I like that this is a no-frills recipe with the same delicious taste as fancy carrot cake!
Great way to put it, thanks so much! <3
I ADORE carrot cake from a good bakery. But I’ll admit, I’ve rarely made it. This recipe will change that. Pinning!
Nothing beats good carrot cake, especially this time of year! Hope you find time to try it out – thank you! 🙂