Description
Delight in these moist and flavorful Carrot Cake Bars topped with a rich browned butter cream cheese frosting. Perfectly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, and enhanced with pineapple and nuts for added texture, these bars make a wonderful dessert or snack, especially around the holidays or any special occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Bars:
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups finely grated carrots
- 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
For the Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, browned and cooled
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1–2 tablespoons milk or cream
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly blended.
- Incorporate Dry into Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring gently until just combined to avoid overmixing which can affect texture.
- Add Carrots, Pineapple, and Nuts: Fold in the finely grated carrots, drained crushed pineapple, and chopped walnuts or pecans if using, ensuring an even distribution throughout the batter.
- Bake the Bars: Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, indicating the bars are fully baked.
- Cool Completely: Remove the pan from the oven and allow the carrot cake bars to cool completely, which will make frosting application easier and prevent melting.
- Prepare Browned Butter: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt and brown the unsalted butter by cooking until it turns golden and fragrant, about 5–7 minutes. Carefully pour the browned butter into a bowl and chill until it solidifies but remains soft enough to beat.
- Make Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat the cooled browned butter with the softened cream cheese until smooth. Then add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, milk or cream, and a pinch of salt, beating until the frosting is creamy and spreadable.
- Frost the Bars: Spread the browned butter cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled carrot cake bars.
- Serve: Slice into bars and serve. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Notes
- For best flavor, prepare the bars a day ahead and refrigerate overnight to enhance the spice and moisture.
- Store the bars in the refrigerator for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
- You can omit the nuts or substitute raisins for a different texture and taste.
