Soft Glazed Carrot Cake Bars — Super soft carrot cake bars that taste like blondies packed with chewy carrots! So good and a must-make!
Table of Contents
These bars are like carrot cake blondies because of how buttery and rich they are. I used my go-to blondies base recipe as the jumping off point. 30+ versions of blondies later, it’s proven to be the most highly adaptable dough or batter base I have.
It’s an easy, no-mixer recipe and the bars are much faster than making a whole carrot cake, and don’t make nearly the quantity!
I finished the bars with a cream cheese drizzle. Since the carrot bars are so soft and moist from the juicy carrots and from the brown sugar which also helps them stay tender, they don’t need gobs of frosting.
These carrot cake bars are comforting, homey, packed with flavor, and the carrots add so much chewy texture. Even though there are no oats used, the bars remind me of my favorite oatmeal cookies that are super chewy with tons of texture, yet still extremely soft.
Ingredients for This Recipe
To make this easy spring dessert, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Light brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Spices
- Salt
- All-purpose flour
- Grated carrots
- Confectioners’ sugar
- Cream cheese
- Milk
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
Shredded Carrots Tip
I grated three large carrots for the bars because store-bought bagged shredded carrots are usually coarse and thick, and don’t bake up very nicely. Not to mention, they’re coated with preservatives, and grating your own only takes a couple minutes and it’s worth it.
How to Make Carrot Cake Bars
- Melt the butter, then stir in the egg, brown sugar, vanilla, spices, and salt.
- Add the flour and grated carrots, then turn into a greased 8×8-inch baking pan.
- Bake the carrot cake bars until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
- Once the carrot bars are out of the oven, you can whisk together the cream cheese glaze and drizzle it on top.
Glaze Tip
Note that the carrot cake bars need to cool for at least 30 minutes before drizzling with glaze. Otherwise the glaze will slide off!
FAQs
Yes! It’s not a typo! These carrot cake bars are robustly flavored with one tablespoon cinnamon, and one-half teaspoon each of ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves before folding in as many carrots as the batter can hold.
It’s a peeve of mine when carrot or pumpkin recipes are bland, so I always add enough spices so you know they’re there, without being overwhelming. This is dessert and I want it to taste as such, not like a pan of baked carrots, which is a likely result if you don’t season properly.
I kept out all raisins, dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, or anything else. If you want to start doctoring up the carrot cake bars with your favorite add-ins, go for it. About 1/2 cup to 1 cup total of whatever you choose will likely work just fine.
You likely can, although I haven’t tried it myself. You’d need to bake the carrot bars in a 9×13-inch baking dish in that case.
A few readers have asked about using oil in place of the 1/2 cup of butter used in this recipe. I’m not sure if oil is a good substitute here since it’d make the carrot bars even moister — and they’re already incredibly moist as is!
Storage Instructions
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
These carrot bars get better on the second and third day because the flavors marry and they get softer over time from the moisture in the carrots. If you can manage to save yourself a wedge or two for days two and three, you’re going to be extra thankful you did. I hoarded the last wedge like gold.
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Soft Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Glaze
Ingredients
Bars
- ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon, not teaspoon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups grated carrots, measured loosely (about 3 -4 med/large carrots, peeled and trimmed; grate your own rather than using storebought bagged carrots for best results)
- about 1/2 to 1 cup optional add-ins, nuts, dried fruit, raisins, etc.
Cream Cheese Glaze
- about 1 cup confectioners’ sugar + more if necessary for consistency
- 1 heaping tablespoon cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- splash cream or milk, optional and only if necessary for consistency
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
For the Bars:
- In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
- Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don’t scramble it. Add the egg, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, optional salt, and whisk until combined.
- Add the flour and stir until just combined; don’t overmix.
- Add carrots and stir to combine.
- Add any optional add-ins and stir to combine.
- Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
- Bake for about 26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
- Allow bars to cool in pan for about 30 minutes before glazing.
For the Cream Cheese Glaze:
- In a medium bowl, add 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, butter, and whisk vigorously until smooth. As necessary, add additional sugar (if glaze seems too thin) or splash of milk (if it seems too thick) to reach desired consistency.
- Optionally, add glaze to a squirt bottle and evenly glaze the bars, or simply add glaze using a spoon. Optionally, evenly spread the glaze in a thin coating over the bars, noting you will cover up the visual appeal of the carrot flecks.
Notes
- I’m comfortable storing glazed bars at room temp, but if you’re not, store them in fridge noting they will dry out more rapidly.
- Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Bars get softer on days 2 and 3 and the flavors marry; I think they peak 1-2 days after baking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Carrot Cake Desserts:
ALL OF MY CARROT CAKE-INSPIRED RECIPES!
Spiced Carrot Oatmeal Cookies — All the flavors of richly spiced carrot cake, but in cookie form! Soft, chewy, extremely moist, and not at all cakey! The cookies are loaded with oats, spices, grated carrots, and butterscotch chips!
Carrot Banana Bread — EASY, no-mixer, super soft banana carrot bread that reminds me of carrot cake but healthier!! Great Easter brunch idea or spring baked good!
Spiced Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting — A tender and moist classic two-layer carrot cake with tangy-sweet cream cheese frosting! For anyone who loves carrot cake, this cake looks and tastes so impressive but is EASY to make!
Salted Caramel Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting – Soft, tender carrot cake infused with salted caramel sauce and topped with tangy cream cheese frosting is the ULTIMATE in decadence!
Carrot Apple Bread — Carrot cake with apples added and baked as a bread so it’s healthier! Super moist, packed with flavor, fast and easy!
Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting – Soft, moist carrot cake that’s baked as a loaf. So much faster & easier than baking a cake!
Thanks for specifying to measure loosely! It always bothers me when I see recipes that say to use a certain volume of grated carrot but don’t say whether that’s packed or loose. Packed is about double the amount of loose, so it really makes a difference! It’s nice that you don’t skimp on the writing of your recipes. :D
You’re welcome and after writing my blog for 5 years and cookbooks, I am more careful than ever how I write things because as you said, yes it can make a HUGE difference. Thanks for noticing :)
You’re welcome!
I say drizzle icing for the photos and slather a good thick layer on for the taste testing! ;-) That is what the treadmill is for!
These bars look sensational, Averie! Absolutely stunning and so moist and flavorful! Can’t wait to make them! My last carrot cake turned green so I’m so over it! Shhh don’t tell anyone…
Green – that’s usually a sign of a reaction with baking powder. Sometimes there’s a weird reaction when baking wit cookie butter and things turning green. Not exactly sure what it all is but I bet some fluke chemical reaction with the carrots and the baking powder. I bet if you google it you could figure it out (if you care…LOL) And yes, that’s what treadmills are for re the thick slather :)
This looks amazing! I love the glaze addition ;)
You can bet I will be trying these soon. Perfect for a summer potluck or picnic!
These bars look amazing Averie! I am a sucker for carrot cake anything and love how thick and fudgy these are and so much easier to make than an actual cake – pinning :)
Thanks for pinning!
Yum! Carrot cake is the best. These bars sound amazing. Cream cheese glaze fits anything ^^
Oh lovely Averie! I’m a big fan of carrot cake, these bars are a fabulous and portable idea!
All kinds of carrot cake are awesome! I’ve been on a carrot cake smoothie kick, myself…
YUM! I love blondies, and I love carrot cake, but never thought to combine the two! And the cream cheese glaze puts these over the top for me :) They look amazing.
You have GORGEOUS recipes and photography! I pinned a bunch of your stuff yesterday. I was drooling over it all! Thanks for saying hi!
Thank-you so much for the huge compliment :)
Carrot cake is my FAVORITE cake, but I don’t like cake all that much. I’ve tried carrot cake cookies, but it just isn’t right. THESE look perfect.
I am definitely going to try these with my homegrown carrots this summer!
Oh wow with homegrown carrots no less…would be amazing. This is by far, my fave ‘carrot cake’ recipe Ive ever made. We are the same in that we don’t like dry, airy, or too ‘light and fluffy’. I would much prefer dense and supremely moist, any day!
This gives you that mouthfeel and the texture of the carrots is just awesome. It’s like a really dense oatmeal cookie, super chewy, but super soft. It’s everything I love in baked goods and you too!
And I can’t remember if you like raisins, but if you do, they’d be so good in here. I kept them out b/c so many ppl don’t like them. And these are WAY easier and less fussy than cookies. Seriously fast and easy!
We went out for dinner and came home to these for dessert. I was also thinking about your carrot cake cookies but didn’t have butterscotch chips. These are amazing–they definitely taste like carrot cake and the blondie texture was a nice surprise for Jon. I think he was expecting a cake like bar. I will confess to slathering more than drizzling the frosting!! Happy Mother’s day–put your feet up and take a break!
I’m so happy you made them, and that you used more than just a drizzle of frosting. Amen to that :) Certain things I do for photography, but based on taste, yes, slathering, by all means! And glad that they were a nice surprise – not cakey, at all. But tastes like carrot cake. But dense and really soft, yet chewy. It’s like the best of all worlds for me. Happy Anniversary again and thanks for trying this the same day I posted it and the field report!
You’re so right; there’s always room for more carrot cake in the world! As a humongous chocoholic, I always forget about how much I adore carrot cake until Easter rolls around, and then I swear that I’ll never need another slice of chocolate cake ever again. (Well, at least for a day or two.) The spices, the moisture, the sweet carrots… Absolutely irresistible. I don’t blame you for treating the last slice like gold! :) And happy Mother’s Day to you Averie! You’re one of the best moms in the world to make your daughter your top priority over blogging and bake her so many delicious treats. You deserve a whole truckload of peanut butter (or flowers, those won’t ruin bikini season quite so much!) tomorrow!
I just want to thank you for your truly heartfelt and sweet comments! They are always a joy to read and I really appreciate you always taking the time to share…whether it’s your childhood stories or just a special memory or all your compliments, I really appreciate it all, Amy! :)
It’s my pleasure Averie!! I’m glad my rambling can bring a smile to your face and hopefully brighten your day for a moment or two. :) Maybe next week we can meet and trade a few stories in person in Miami!
My blog is already 10 months old and this is my second comment but I read your blog all the time. I sought your photography resource for advice yet, my pictures are nowhere near your photos. I did not expect photography can be difficult :) But I am striving. These photos are so beautiful that I have to comment again after 10 month.
Photography is such a huge part of what we do and you’re right, it’s NOT easy to make the food look like how your eye sees it. Thanks for being a loyal reader and the compliments!
Yep, I need this immediately.
I loooooooove anything that is carrot cake and these bars look fantastic. I can’t wait to try them as well as your carrot cake loaf and cupcakes. Oh boy, I think I’ll have to join a gym after trying all of these delights!!! :-)
Thanks for making me laugh about the gym comment :) I totally understand!
Carrot cake is the best, and these look absolutely delicious! Those pictures of yours always suck me in :) they are usually the reason my stomach growls at night, because sometimes I will just sit and look at all your wonderful food on here. Enjoy your blog so much!
Oh my gosh what a sweet comment about my photography! And sorry (but kind of glad) to make your stomach growl :) At least I’m doing my job, right!