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Carrot Cake Blondies are what happens when you take a blondie and combine it with carrot cake! Made with shredded carrots, spices, and cream cheese frosting, these carrot cake cookie bars are perfect for spring.
Two facts: I love blondies, and I love carrot cake. So, why not combine the two and make an ultimate dessert bar? I can promise you the match is made in heaven.
Blondies, as you probably already know, are all about the brown sugar and butter. Carrot cake is all about freshly shredded carrots, cinnamon spice, and cream cheese frosting. Why wouldn’t you combine those things? I think these might be my new favorite carrot cake creation.
Of course, these are amazing all year, but especially during the spring season for Easter and other celebrations. They’re part blondie, part cookie bar, and part carrot cake. Basically, all the good things wrapped up in one dessert!
Table of Contents
Carrot Cake Cookie Bars Ingredients
- Baking powder: while many cookie bars use baking soda, mine blondie recipe has always used baking powder.
- Salt and Vanilla Extract: for flavor
- Ground cinnamon and ground ginger: the flavors of carrot cake!
- All-purpose flour and Egg: typical for blondies
- Softened unsalted butter: learn how to soften butter quickly
- Brown sugar: this keeps them so moist and flavorful
- Shredded carrots: be sure to shred your own – don’t buy the prepackaged shredded carrots.
How to Make Carrot Cake Bars
1. Dry Ingredients: Whisk the baking powder, salt, spices, and flour in a bowl.
2. Mix: In a separate bowl, cream the sugar and butter in a large bowl. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Stir in the dry ingredients followed by the shredded carrots. The dough will be very sticky.
3. Press and Bake: Press the dough into a prepared 8×8” baking pan and bake the bars for 25 to 30 minutes or until they are still a little jiggly in the center. Cool the bars completely before frosting.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Melted butter: learn why I use unsalted butter
- Softened cream cheese: make sure it’s room temperature
- Powdered sugar: typical for frosting
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon: adds a nice warm flavor to the frosting!
1. Mix: In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla and cinnamon and mix until smooth.
2. Frost: Once the carrot cake blondies are cooled, smooth the frosting over the top.
Recipe Tips
Carrots: If you’re going to make carrot cake anything, I highly recommend using fresh carrots that you grate yourself. Pre-shredded carrots are often dried out and, well, not great.
Measuring: For the flour, use the spoon and level method. For the shredded carrots, be careful not to pack them too tightly in the measuring cup.
Optional decorations: If you want to get fancy, sprinkle some finely chopped walnuts over the top of the frosting. Or, add a light dusting of cinnamon.
Make these for all the spring events – Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or graduation parties. I can guarantee they’ll be a hit. If you love carrot cake cookies or cake, you will love these carrot cake blondies!
Other Carrot Cake Recipes
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Carrot Cake Blondies Recipe
Ingredients
Blondies:
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 ½ cups (186g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (94g) shredded carrots (see note)
Frosting:
- ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, melted
- 4 ounces (113g) cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups (226g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and flour in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Cream brown sugar and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Mix in dry ingredients. Stir in carrots.
- Press into prepared pan (dough is sticky, spray your hands with cooking spray to avoid it sticking to your hands).
- Bake for about 25-30 minutes. (Be careful not to overcook – the center will still be jiggly when you take these out of the oven and they will finish cooking and firming up as they cool. They stay super soft though!)
- Cool completely in pan before frosting.
- Make your frosting: beat cream cheese and butter together with an electric mixer. Slowly mix in powdered sugar. Add vanilla and cinnamon and mix until smooth. Frost bars in pan.
Recipe Notes
Recipe Nutrition
Carrot Cake Blondies are the best of both worlds – carrot cake and blondies! I especially love the cream cheese frosting.
I’ve heard easter bunnies love blondies 😉 But I think I like them more, so he is gonna have to watch out!
These look delicious Dorothy! That cinnamon cream cheese icing sounds to die for!
I’m more than ok with all of the carrot cake recipes around this time of year — I’ll eat all of it! These blondies look amazing, Dorothy! 🙂
Thanks Marcie!!
These sound super yummy! My husband really likes carrot cake (the only cake he actually likes….the top tier of our wedding cake was carrot), so I think I’ll have to give these a try! 🙂
Yes! My husband too (well, that and PB). I can always get him to eat a slice. 🙂
I love the idea of carrot cake blondies, Dorothy, and yours look gooey and perfect! So smart to add cinnamon to the frosting, too…I’m sure that puts them over the top!
Totally! Thanks Samantha!
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