Carrot Cake Bars

Updated: Mar 4, 2026 by christina.marsigliese · 33 Comments

If you love carrot cake, then you will love these Carrot Cake Bars that are dense and moist, fragrant with cinnamon, a hint of orange and topped with cream cheese icing. Imagine if carrot cake were a brownie, then this would be it! They have a soft texture that is almost fudgy and way easier to make than a whole carrot cake. The flavor and texture even improves with age so they are great to keep in the fridge for snacking. If you love baking with carrots, be sure to try my BEST Carrot Cake recipe and also these fluffy Carrot Cake Cupcakes too!

carrot cake bar on cutting board with bite

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Easy to make - if you're craving carrot cake but you're not in the mood to make a whole cake, then you will love how easy it is to make carrot cake bars.
Moist and fudgy texture - these dense and moist bars have a texture that is a cross between fudgy brownies and moist carrot cake.
Warm spices - I love to use cinnamon and a hint of orange to flavor these bars, but you can also include ground ginger and nutmeg.
Cream cheese icing - I top these bars with a simple cream cheese icing and toasted pecans. The icing isn't too thick or heavy, so it ensures these bars aren't too sweet.

sliced carrot cake bars with cream cheese frosting showing inside texture

INGREDIENTS FOR CARROT CAKE BARS

Here are some notes about the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour works great for these carrot cake bars and makes a perfectly moist and dense texture.
Spices - I like to keep the flavors simple with just ground cinnamon and a hint of orange zest, but you can also include ground allspice, nutmeg and ginger. Feel free to leave out the allspice if you don't have it, or add a pinch of ground clove instead.
Butter - butter adds so much rich flavor to these bars and creates a dense texture.
Brown sugar - I use all brown sugar for this recipe to add rich molasses undertones to complement the sweet spices as well as create a chewy texture. You can use light brown or dark brown sugar, and if you use dark brown sugar the bars will have a deeper color.

Eggs - one large egg will add nice structure and an additional egg yolk adds the right amount of moisture while still maintaining a slightly dense and fudgy texture since there is a lot of moisture already coming from the carrots. Two whole eggs would make these bars too cakey.
Grated carrots - you will need 1 cup of shredded carrots which is about 100g from 1 large carrot or about 2 medium carrots. Make sure you grate them on the finer side of your box grater.
Cream cheese - just a couple of tablespoons of cream cheese is enough to make the icing. Avoid using spreadable or whipped cream cheese which has a higher moisture content and will affect the consistency.
Milk - a splash of milk thins out the icing to glaze the bars nicely.
Pecans - top the iced bars with some chopped toasted pecans for more buttery flavor and crunch. This is optional and you can leave it out if you wish.

carrot cake bars before adding cream cheese icing

sliced carrot cake bars with cream cheese frosting and toasted pecans

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS: HOW TO MAKE CARROT CAKE BARS

STEP 1). Combine cooled melted butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Mix in egg until evenly incorporated, smooth and glossy, then mix in egg yolk and vanilla. I like to grate in a bit of orange zest at this point as well, and that is completely optional.
STEP 2). Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly. Add it to the bowl with the butter mixture and fold it in gently. Just before it is all incorporated and while a few streaks of flour still remain, add the shredded carrots and fold them in just until combined.
STEP 3). Smooth out the surface with a small offset spatula and bake for 22-25 minutes until lightly browned around the edges and golden on top. Do not over-bake.
STEP 4). Make the cream cheese icing. Combine soft butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium bowl and use an electric hand mixer to mix until smooth. You can also use a wire whisk. Mix in milk and salt until combined. Add a little more milk if necessary to achieve a soft spreading consistency. Spread the icing evenly over the cooled bars using a small offset spatula and sprinkle toasted pecans over top. Slice and serve immediately or refrigerate if serving later.

stack of carrot cake bars with bite on cutting board

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

Shred the carrots on the finest side of the grater. If you coarsely grate the carrots, then they will not bake as quickly and will stay as threads through the batter which can get stuck in your teeth. For maximum flavor and the best texture, you'll need to grate them finely.
Use room temperature ingredients. Since this is a simple dump and mix one bowl method, there is minimal mixing steps involved so it is important to have all ingredients at the same temperature (not cold!) in order to help them blend evenly together.
Measure flour accurately. Too much flour can make these bars feel more dry and create a coarser texture. For the best results, weigh your flour.
Sift the dry ingredients. Sifting the flour will break up any lumps and make it easier for them to incorporate into the batter and minimize the amount of mixing required.
Roast the pecans. If you only have raw pecans, definitely roast them to bring out the flavor. Just place them in a dry frying pan over medium heat until they begin to darken and become fragrant.
Do not over-mix the batter. Don't wait for all of the flour to absorb before adding the carrots since you will need to continue mixing the carrots in. As soon as the flour and carrots are distributed, then the batter is ready for baking.

RECIPE FAQ

What spices are in carrot cake?

My favorite blend of spices for carrot cake are cinnamon (in the highest quantity), allspice, nutmeg and ginger. It's such a wonderful fragrance and will make your house smell amazing! For these bars I opted for cinnamon only because I wanted to keep it simple and let the earthy flavor of carrots shine, however you can certainly use a blend.

Can I add more spice to carrot cake bars?

If you would like to add more spices, I would recommend ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger and ⅛ teaspoon each ground allspice and nutmeg.

How do I know when carrot cake bars are finished baking?

Carrot cake bars are finished baking when the edges are lightly brown and the top is golden. It will feel firm at the edges and slightly soft in the middle and a skewer inserted into the center should come out mostly clean with just a few crumbs attached (not wet batter).

Can I make carrot cake bars in advance?

You can make these bars up to one day in advance with the icing. I find that they become even more soft and moist after a day or two in the fridge as the moisture from the icing hydrates them.

STORING AND FREEZING

How do I store carrot cake bars?

Store carrot cake bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Can I freeze carrot cake bars?

Yes, you can wrap the bars (without the icing) in plastic wrap and then store in a ziptop freezer bag for up to 3 months.

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Video

Carrot Cake Bars

Christina Marsigliese, Food Scientist MSc.

Imagine if carrot cake were a brownie, then this would be it! If you love carrot cake, then you will love these Carrot Cake Bars that are dense and moist, fragrant with cinnamon, a hint of orange and topped with cream cheese icing.

5 from 9 votes

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 24

Servings 16 squares

Ingredients

Carrot cake bar batter:

½ (113g) cup salted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 cup (220g) packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange zest (optional, but really nice)
1 cup (142g) all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon (see FAQ above for tips on how to add more spices)
¼ teaspoon baking powder
heaped ¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (100g) finely shredded carrots

Cream Cheese Icing

2 tablespoon (28g) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoon (30g) cream cheese, softened
⅔ cup (80g) powdered confectioner's sugar, sifted
2 teaspoon (10ml) whole milk
pinch of salt
toasted pecans for topping

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 8x8-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang at each side and secure the sides down on the edge of the pan with ¾-inch binder clips.
Combine cooled melted butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Mix in egg until evenly incorporated, smooth and glossy, then mix in egg yolk and vanilla. I like to grate in a bit of orange zest at this point as well, and that is completely optional.
Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly. Add it to the bowl with the butter mixture and fold it in gently. Just before it is all incorporated and while a few streaks of flour still remain, add the shredded carrots and fold them in just until combined.
Smooth out the surface with a small offset spatula and bake for 22-25 minutes until lightly browned around the edges and golden on top. Do not over-bake.
Make the cream cheese icing. Combine soft butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium bowl and use an electric hand mixer to mix until smooth. You can also use a wire whisk. Mix in milk and salt until combined. Add a little more milk if necessary to achieve a soft spreading consistency. Spread the icing evenly over the cooled bars using a small offset spatula and sprinkle toasted pecans over top. Slice and serve immediately or refrigerate if serving later.

Carrot Cake Bars

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

INGREDIENTS FOR CARROT CAKE BARS

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS: HOW TO MAKE CARROT CAKE BARS

EXPERT BAKING TIPS