Carrot Cake Bars
Carrot Cake Bars are soft and moist, full of warm spices, and topped with a sweet maple frosting. This dessert is easy to make in a quarter sheet pan or 9×13 pan to feed a crowd for Easter or any other holiday or special occasion.
Love carrot cake? Try these Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bars, Carrot Cake Cupcakes, Carrot Cake Roll, or Carrot Cake Cookies too.
Carrot Cake Bars
Carrot Cake Bars are the perfect treat when you’re craving cake, but want something light and snackable. This classic carrot cake keeps it simple—just fresh carrots and warm spices, no frills needed.
I bake mine in a ¼ sheet pan for thin, easy-to-grab slices. If you’d like to add texture with nuts, drained crushed pineapple, coconut, or other mix-ins, switch to a 9×13-inch pan and keep mix-ins to a total of ½ to 1 cup for the best results.
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NOTE: If adding pineapple, try to drain off any excess juice as to not weigh down the batter, and use no more than ½ cup. Using crushed pineapple is preferred.
Traditionally carrot cake is topped with cream cheese frosting, but this time I decided to go with a super simple maple frosting and was surprised by how well it paired with the spiced carrot bars. If you like a lighter frosting, you can half my recipe for whipped cream cheese frosting.
Why You’ll Love These Carrot Bars
- Quick & Easy – Carrot Cake Bars bake faster than a traditional cake, making it perfect for a last-minute treat.
- Sheet Pan Convenience – No layering or decorating—just bake, slice, and enjoy!
- Great for Sharing – This recipe makes 15 squares, which means there’s plenty to go around for family and friends.
- Moist & Flavorful – Thanks to the carrots and a little sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt or applesauce), every bite is tender and delicious.
- Great for Any Occasion – Whether it’s a casual snack, potluck, or holiday spread, these bars fit right in!
Ingredients You Will Need
NOTE: Full ingredient amounts and instructions are in the printable recipe card at the end of the post.
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- All-Purpose Flour – Make sure to stir, spoon, and level when measuring with cups or use a scale to weigh it. It’s important to use the proper amount of flour for baking.
- Granulated Sugar
- Light Brown Sugar
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Ground Cinnamon*
- Ground Nutmeg*
- Ground Ginger*
- Oil – Adds moisture without weighing down the cake. You can use any neutral oil, like canola or vegetable oil.
- Sour Cream – Adds moisture and tenderizes the crumb. Can substitute with plain Greek yogurt or applesauce for a healthier alternative.
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Shredded Carrots – I prefer to use a food processor with the shredding attachment, but you can shred or grate them by hand with a box grater. Or simply use the food processor to chop the carrots up finely. (NOTE: If you don’t peel the carrots they may may create a bitter taste, unpleasant texture, and are more likely to turn green after baking.)
***Do not shy away from the spices! These carrot cookies are meant to have those warm and comforting flavors. If you’re not a fan of ginger and nutmeg you can try a little ground cloves or allspice. Or simply swap them out for more cinnamon. Use what you love in a generous amount. If you don’t have individual spices, you can substitute pumpkin pie spice instead.
How to Make Sheet Pan Carrot Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a quarter sheet pan or 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until almost combined.
- Then fold in the shredded carrots until just incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Bake at 350˚F for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs and the cake springs back when touched. Cool completely.
Make the Maple Frosting
You only need 3 ingredients to make this easy maple frosting recipe:
- Butter – I would recommend using salted butter for this frosting since the maple syrup and powdered sugar are sweet, but you can also use unsalted butter and add ¼ tsp of salt.
- Pure Maple Syrup – NOT the artificial kind. The real deal. This imparts the best maple flavor without using any extract.
- Powdered Sugar – Also known as confectioners’ sugar.
- Place the butter and pure maple syrup into a large bowl. Beat together with an electric hand mixer until smooth and combined.
- Add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Once the frosting is made, you may need to stir it by hand with a wooden spoon to remove any air bubbles.
Frosting the Carrot Cake Bars
- Dollop then spread the frosting evenly over the cooled carrot sheet cake with an offset spatula.
- I like to do a quick bakery swirl with my spatula to make the top look fancy without having to pipe anything.
Serving and Storing
- TO SERVE: Cut carrot cake bars into 15 pieces (3 rows by 5 rows). Then use a serving spatula to lift the bars out of the pan.
- TO STORE: Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap or foil. Store at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. The carrot bars will last a few additional days if stored in the refrigerator. For longer storage, freeze the bars.
- TO FREEZE: Allow frosting to crust over, then wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container or bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, let the bars thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
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Recipe Notes
- Weigh ingredients for accuracy. It’s easy to pack or overmeasure a lot of these ingredients which will effect the final result, as baking is a science. Your baking will be so much better if you weigh the grams! I use this kitchen scale. (affiliate)
- Feel free to add your favorite mix-ins. But switch to a 9×13-inch pan or it may overflow. Add raisins, nuts (pecans or walnuts), coconut, or whatever your heart desires. Add no more than ½ to 1 cup of mix-ins, total.
- Use room temperature butter for the frosting. This is colder than a lot of people think. If your butter is too warm, you may need to add extra powdered sugar, which will make the frosting too sweet.
FAQs
Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, or allspice. You can use pumpkin pie spice if you don’t have each individual ingredient.
Carrot cake is most often paired with cream cheese frosting. But maple frosting, coconut frosting, or caramel frosting are also great choices.
Aim for finely shredded pieces. The finer you shred the carrots, the more evenly they will be distributed throughout the batter (for the perfect texture), and the more evenly they will bake.
Carrot Cake Bars
Ingredients
Carrot Sheet Cake
- 1 ¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour, (stir, spoon & level)
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, gently packed
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ½ cup (118 ml) oil, (canola/vegetable)
- ½ cup (120 g) sour cream, (or plain Greek yogurt or applesauce) room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (170 g) shredded carrots, (loosely packed/measured)
Maple Frosting
- 1 cup (226 g) *butter, (2 sticks) room temperature
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) pure maple syrup
- 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a quarter sheet pan or 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- CARROT SHEET CAKE: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until almost combined. Then fold in the shredded carrots until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Bake at 350˚F for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs and the cake springs back when touched. Cool completely.
- MAPLE FROSTING: Place the butter and pure maple syrup into a large bowl. Beat together with an electric hand mixer until smooth and combined. Add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once the frosting is made, you may need to stir it by hand with a wooden spoon to remove any air bubbles.
- Dollop then spread the frosting evenly over the cooled carrot sheet cake with an offset spatula. I like to do a quick bakery swirl with my spatula to make the top look fancy without having to pipe anything.
- Cut carrot cake bars into 15 pieces (3 rows by 5 rows). Then use a serving spatula to lift the bars out of the pan.
Notes
- You may use salted or unsalted butter for the frosting, but I would add ¼ tsp of salt to unsalted butter to help cut the sweetness a little bit.
- TO STORE: Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap or foil. Store at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. The carrot bars will last a few additional days if stored in the refrigerator. For longer storage, freeze the bars.
- TO FREEZE: Allow frosting to crust over, then wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container or bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, let the bars thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Nutrition
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