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These Carrot Cakes Bars are little squares of joy and happiness all topped off with a creamy, dreamy homemade cream cheese frosting. Perfect for Easter, easy to whip up, and sure to impress. Serve these at room temp or cold from the fridge for a sweet treat.
For when the vibe is ‘delicious dessert without the fuss.’
No Fuss Carrot Cake Bars!
I’m really leaning in to the calm, cozy, stress-free vibes lately.
Maybe it’s because the world is feeling a little chaotic at the moment or maybe it’s just something one does as they get older.
I don’t know, but I do know that these carrot cakes bars are just the thing for a quiet moment at home with a mug of tea and a good book and that they also work exceptionally well for an Easter dessert that tastes majorly yum without being majorly fussy.
They’re dense but soft, moist but not overly sweet, with just the right balance of spices to feel cozy without being overpowering. And then there’s the texture—the subtle crunch from chopped pecans paired with the tender bite of freshly grated carrots is heaven – all tucked into a easy-to-bake bar.
But the real magic? It’s in the tangy cream cheese frosting that we make with just 3 ingredients and a hand mixer.
♥ 3 Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Easy: Gorgeous, without all the work of a layer cake + fancy cake decorating.
- Cream Cheese Goodness: We’ll take any excuse to eat cream cheese frosting! It’s just so good and it always pairs perfectly with carrot cake.
- Travel-Friendly: Visiting friends or family for Easter and want to bring dessert? Just wrap your pan in foil and go! No special cake carrier needed.
Ingredient Notes:
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
For the bars:
Dry Ingredients – You’ll need some standard cake ingredients for this recipe including flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices including ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger!
Wet Ingredients – The dry ingredients will get mixed with some melted butter and beaten eggs to prepare the carrot cake batter.
Shredded Carrots – We tested this recipe with both pre-shredded carrots and carrots that we shredded ourselves. Highly (highly) recommend shredding your own carrots. They melt right into the cake for the best texture.
Chopped Pecans – We like the crunchy texture and nutty flavor that the chopped pecans add to these carrot cake bars. Walnuts would also work well.
For the frosting:
Cream Cheese – Be sure to use a block of cream cheese (not the spreadable kind in a tub) and make sure it’s at room temperature for the best texture.
Vanilla – For this recipe we like to use vanilla bean paste because it has a much richer vanilla flavor than extract and it includes the seeds but vanilla extract works fine here too!
Powdered Sugar – To sweeten up the cream cheese frosting!
My Favorite Vanilla!
A good quality vanilla really does make a difference and this is my favorite brand.
Step by Step Instructions for Carrot Cake Bars:
Add all of the dry ingredients to a large bowl and stir to combine. Next stir in the eggs, melted butter, and shredded carrots until just combined. Finally, fold in the chopped pecans.
Spread the carrot cake batter evenly into a greased 15×10 rimmed baking sheet or jelly roll pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan.
Prepare the cream cheese frosting in a stand mixer by beating together the cream cheese and vanilla paste. Gradually add the powdered sugar while mixing on low until the frosting reaches your preferred consistency.
Spread the cream cheese frosting on the cooled carrot cake and then slice into bars. Serve at room temperature or chilled!
Helpful Tip!
How to Store Carrot Cake Bars:
We recommend storing these carrot cake bars in the fridge, tightly covered, for up to 5 days.
For easy storage, we frost and cut the bars and then pop in the fridge for an hour or two to firm up before wrapping with plastic wrap. This helps keep the frosting from sticking to the plastic wrap.
These carrot cake bars can also be frozen for up to a few months! They are best stored individually. Cool completely then freeze on a baking sheet for an hour for the frosting to firm before wrapping in plastic and foil or placing in a freezer safe bag or container.
Karly’s Tips:
We’ve tested these bars quite a few times and here are some of our top tips so that yours turn out just as good as ours!
- Freshly grated carrots are a non-negotiable. They keep the bars insanely moist and tender—trust me.
- If you’re feeling fancy, sprinkle a little cinnamon or chopped nuts on top of the frosting for some flair. Piping a little carrot on there is also cute!
- Store leftovers (if you have any!) in the fridge to keep them fresh and the frosting firm. Bonus: they taste amazing cold!
MORE EASTER DESSERT RECIPES!
- Easter Cookies: Our favorite cookie dough all dressed up for the Easter Bunny!
- Butter Cookies: My mama makes these for every holiday.
- Bisquick Peach Cobbler: So simple and always a hit!
- Easter Charcuterie Board: Full of colorful Easter treats!
- Mini Cheesecakes: Topped with the best strawberry sauce!
- Lemon Bars: The perfect spring dessert!
- Easter Oatmeal Brownies: Rich, fudgy, and chewy brownies with candies!
Carrot Cake Bars
Ingredients
For the bars:
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teasoon baking soda
- 3 cups shredded carrots about 6 medium carrots
- 4 large eggs beaten
- 1 cup melted butter
- 1 cup chopped pecans
For the frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
- 3 to 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Stir in carrots, eggs, and butter until just combined. Fold in the pecans.
- Spread the batter evenly in a greased 15×10 rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan.
- To make the frosting, place the cream cheese and vanilla paste in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until smooth and creamy. With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar until the frosting reaches the consistency you prefer.
- Spread frosting on the cooled bars. Cut into bars and serve at room temp or chilled.
Amy Coad says
I am wondering if you have tried making this without baking soda and baking powder and how that worked? I’m thinking about how to make them less “cakey” and more bar-like.
Karly says
I haven’t tried that. I’m not sure how these will turn out without any leavening agent at all…they may be more dense and heavy than you’d like, but only one way to find out. Let me know if you give it a try! 🙂
Kirt says
I added small can crushed pineapple and a jar of baby food carrots
Karly says
Yum!
JO says
I will make these for our family get together this month, they all love carrot cake & I know they will love these.
Thank you for the recipe
Karly says
Hope you enjoy!
Nicole guerra says
The directions need to be edited !!!!
As I was following the directions and after I for it in the oven …(half way threw) I looked at the picture and thought… Wasn’t I suppose to put pecans in the mix?
The ingredients say pecans but if your like me only reading along and following directions you will miss putting the but in like I did.
The bars still can out delicious but I really wish the bits would’ve been in there. For others please edit the directions and add the nuts in with all the other ingredients !
Thanks !
Karly says
Sorry about that! I just updated the instructions! 🙂
Princess says
Hello. What if im using 9×13 pan? How many minutes will i bake this? Thank you
Karly says
@Princess,
I haven’t tried this in a 9×13 pan so I can’t be sure. I’d just keep an eye on them and pull them when a knife inserted comes out clean.
Chelsea @chelseasmessyapron says
Happy birthday to your boy Karly! Love these carrot cake bars – they look awesome! Especially that thick layer of frosting! Pinned 🙂 Also, so jealous over your cute vintage silverware!
Carol at Wild Goose Tea says
I know what you mean about boys. I had two and they both did the same thing to me! Grew and Grew and Grew—in an eye blink. I live in a small town—but we have about 7000 people—in a rural
area. BUT we are a vacation destination, so we straddle both worlds a teeny tiny bit. But still two hours away from a big city. Carrot cake is such a favorite, one cannot go wrong fixing any kind of a variation of it. Bars are always a favorite too.
Jennie @themessybakerblog says
The kiddos grow up so fast. If only they could stay wee ones forever. I’m totally diggin’ carrot cake in bar form. The easier, the better. Yum!
Joanne says
Oh I will definitely be using my hands to eat these. Mostly so I can double fist them.
Happy birthday to your son!!
marcie says
Happy birthday to your boy, Karly, and what a way to celebrate! These look outrageously good!
Angelyn @ Everyday Desserts says
these look phenomenal! hope your son had a lovely birthday!!
Lauren says
I’m a sucker for carrot cake!! LOVE!
LadyMichigan says
The trick is pick an age and stick to it. If you encounter a really RUDE person just stare at them till they go away 🙂 I am now at the age where I do not mind telling my age, once you are old people are awed that you made it this far. !