Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are as easy as 1-2-3 and disappear just that quickly! The incredible taste of your favorite carrot cake but in bar form! Looking for a quick treat? Make sure to try my 5 Minute Fantasy Bar and Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars too!
Carrot Cake Bars
I have been craving, CRAVING like mad, my Nana’s To Die For Carrot Cake. But I didn’t want to make a cake (I’ve been feeling lazy), so I made bars instead. Absolutely a good call you guys.
So much easier with all the amazing flavor. Winning!
What Size Pan for Carrot Cake Bars?
My Nana used to always make her cake in a 9×13 baking dish. I took it one step further and made it in a 10 x 15 jelly roll pan. The bars take a little less time to bake and slathering the frosting on top is a breeze.
I won’t even tell you how many little fingers came in for a taste at this stage.
Can Carrot Cake Bars Be Made Into A Layered Cake?
Yes! This recipe is the same one I use in my famous Carrot Cake recipe. It’s the carrot cake with pineapple that will have everyone asking for the recipe. The directions for baking are just a little bit different. So, if you prefer, you can absolutely turn these bars into a layered cake.
What Kind Of Frosting Goes on Carrot Cake?
I say the answer to that question is unequivocally cream cheese frosting. This cream cheese frosting that I used on these bars is my favorite. It’s super simple, fabulously rich, and utterly delicious.
It goes perfectly on these carrot cake bars.
Once you get that frosting spread you can leave it as is or dump on some sprinkles or even make little carrots for the top…
My boys think I’m extra-special when I do stuff like this. You can also find those candy carrots that come out around Easter and pop them on top for decoration if you like.
These carrot cake bars are perfectly sweet and so incredibly moist, you won’t believe how quickly they disappear. This recipe makes so many bars, but somehow, it’s just never enough.
When you don’t want to mess around with a layered cake but you’re craving carrot cake – make these bars instead!
Try these other great carrot recipes!
- To Die For Carrot Cake
- Carrot Apple Zucchini Bread
- Zucchini Carrot Oatmeal Cookies
- 5 Minute Rainbow Carrot Pecan Salad
How To Make Carrot Cake Bars
Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cake:
One
- 1¼ cups unsweetened applesauce or oil, this is what my Nana used
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
Two
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Three
- 2 cups grated carrots
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 cup chopped nuts optional
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup crushed pineapple not drained! {use the pineapple in JUICE not syrup}
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ½ c butter, softened
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 lb powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine #1 ingredients. Add #2 ingredients. Stir in #3 ingredients.
- Pour into a lightly greased or parchment lined 10x15-inch jelly roll pan.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely!
For the frosting:
- Beat the butter and cream cheese until nice and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until nice and smooth.
- Spread on top of the cooled cake bars and serve.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published March 24, 2015, updated March 28, 2019.
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Kristi says
I’m not a fan of coconut or pineapple, can these just be left out or will it mess up the recipe?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I think this probably isn’t the carrot cake recipe for you then Kristi 🙂
Peggy Lawrence says
I started to check out the St. Patrick’s Day recipes, then I realized that my dear brother-in-law, whose parents came over from Ireland to Ellis Island and settled and raised the family in NYC won’t eat corned beef and cabbage, soda bread, Irish stew? None of it.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
LOL! I don’t actually have any of those recipes on my blog – yet 😉 So feel free to click over 🙂
jOSIE aLLMAN says
Trish I love your recipes they are always so easy. And not so fancy I always have
it calls for on hand.
I look forward what the next one will be ..
Keep um coming… thanks
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
You are so sweet. That is how I like to cook and bake – easy peasy 🙂 Hope you’re having a lovely weekend!
Rosie says
When using oil instead of applesauce, do I use the same amount of oil as the applesauce?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
The same amount Rosie – enjoy!
Ann says
The carrot cake bars look fantastic! I wondered if I am making them for a smaller group could I halfthe recipe for a13x9 pan? Do you have any suggestions?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
That would work just fine! Just use an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
An 8×8 pan would actually be closer to half. You could do the 9×13 but the bars won’t be as thick. Reduce the baking time if you go with the 9×13.
Bev says
made then for a big family outing. Left out the nuts and added a cup of raisins so taste is more like grannies carrot cake. Worked great
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Sounds delicious! Thanks Bev!
Gayatri Mantra says
That looks amazing!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thanks so much!
Angie says
I’ve made the bars twice and they are absolutely delicious. I am baking them at 3:50 and they seem a little GOoey each time in the center and I have a Maready increase the cook time to about 33 minutes. Have you experienced this or heard others who have had to cook longer? I am using oil in that applesauce.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I would just increase the baking time by a couple minutes. The oil shouldn’t make too much of a difference.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
That shouldn’t be happening at all. What size jelly roll pan are you using? I just baked them again for this video and took them out at 27 minutes and they were perfectly cooked. Oil might add a minute or two but it shouldn’t make that much of a difference. It’s possible that the oven temp is off but honestly, as long as you check with a toothpick you should be okay.
Missy says
Same happened to mine. I just continued baking until it stopped juggling and was firmer to touch in middle. I had to add quite a few minutes and was worried my pineapple was too juicy but eventually it firmed up and did not over bake. Was moist and flavorful. I used oil and also added raisins to the recipe. Didn’t even frost.(used 9×13 glass)
SuziCat says
OK I MADE these and they’re seriously good.
PROS: The replacement of the oil with applesauce is divine. They’re moist and cakey, not chewy like brownies. Mine had chunks of walnuts and pineapple (I had to use a potato smasher to try to crush my pineapple chunks, which was what I had in the pantry.) With all the goodness of the ingredients, I’d say they’re also healthy. I’ve been eating them for breakfast for the past 3 days so I hope so!
CONS: One thing, in my experience, was that they WEREN’T AS EASY & FAST AS 1-2-3. Altogether, this took me almost half a day from start to finish. I’m glad I started in the morning because I took them to a party that night. Grating the carrots (I used my Kitchen Aide mixer with grinder attachment), mixing it all up, baking, cleaning it all up and waiting a LONG time for them to cool, even on a wire rack, before frosting, decorating, then more clean up – NO I wouldn’t call this easy or fast. SO BE FOREWARNED.
(I’d REALLY like to know how you prepped it in 10 minutes then baked and cooled and frosted and decorated them in 35 minutes – that would be magic!)
But, DANG they’re GOOD.
Thank you for an awesome “keeper” recipe 🙂
Karen says
Seriously? You must not bake often. Nothing should take half a day to make except maybe a decorated party cake. This recipe shouldn’t take more than 15- 20 min to put together, baking and cooling time about an hour and 5 min to frost.
Lisa@The Cutting Edge of Ordinary says
What size can of pineapple does this recipe use? I know it says 1 cup, but crushed pineapple comes in two different size cans.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
You just need 1 cup so any can that has 1 cup in it will work. A 20 oz can is the size I usually buy and then I have leftovers for snacks 🙂
Cindy says
can anyone describe the texture of these bars? Is it like cake, or more chewy like cookie bars?
Gary says
So delicious! I made your recipe (without coconut, because some of my coworkers are allergic). They said it was the best they ever had. Thanks so much. Awesome!
jenny groen says
Hello! I am hoping to make these tonight but am a little confused by what “a cup of coconut” means. Can anyone help me please? Does it mean coconut oil? I am heading to the store soon so I greatly appreciate any help. New baker 😉
Thank you for your help!
Jenny
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
A cup of shredded coconut Jenny 🙂 I edited it in the ingredients as well – thank you!
Carol at Wild Goose Mama says
Who could go wrong with this? Wonderful potluck bars. Everyone loves loves carrot cake flavor and THE frosting. Jelly roll pan is a good idea.
Susan McQueary says
I love the bar idea but if I don’t have a jelly roll pan can I still use a 9×13 pan?
Erin @ Miss Scrambled Egg says
I want all of these bars. I love the substitution of applesauce in this dessert. 🙂 YUM!