Soft Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Glaze
🥕🎉🧡 Super soft carrot cake bars that taste like blondies packed with chewy carrots! So good and a must-make!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 366cal
Equipment
- 1 Large, Microwave-Safe Bowl
- 1 Medium Bowl
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
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 366cal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 71mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 37g
