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Home » Cookies-Bars

Published: Jul 12, 2012 · Updated: Sep 16, 2022 by Carole Jones · 76 Comments

Carrot & Zucchini Bars with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

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A zucchini recipe that uses shredded carrots and zucchini together, so you know that these bars are going to be super moist and tender!  Think of them as if your favorite zucchini bread and carrot cake had a baby.  My kids call these zucchini brownies, but I’m not sure that fits since there is no chocolate.  The slather of yummy cream cheese frosting over each bar really makes these fabulous, but don’t you dare skip my secret ingredient in the frosting….
 Carrot and Zucchini Bars with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
 
I’ve been blogging for over 4 years now and the whole experience never fails to surprise me.
 
In less than 5 days, my post last week, Parmesan Chicken Bake became the most viewed recipe of all my 240 posts spanning 51 months.  I completely have Pinterest to thank, but it is still so mind-boggling to me how one simple post can take my blog to where I never thought possible.
 
I guess I should work on more chicken recipes 🙂

With my garden beginning it’s annual boom of goodies, I am overcome with zucchini and needed some new zucchini recipes. I couldn’t wait to try these bars.  I am in love with all baked goods with shredded carrots or zucchini.  They are always so moist which makes it hard to step away from them. A few extra miles on the treadmill are worth every bite. The lemon cream cheese frosting just puts these zucchini bars over the top!  Think about these as if your favorite zucchini bread had a baby with your favorite carrot cake.

 Carrot and Zucchini Bars with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

These gems whipped together extremely quickly, and I didn’t even use a single appliance to make them.  A quick grate on the box grater instead of the KitchenAid and I mixed everything together in a bowl, even the frosting.  This is my kind of easy zucchini recipe!

Looking for more zucchini recipes for all that summer bounty?  Go grab my favorite Zucchini Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting!
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Zucchini Recipe for Carrot Zucchini Bars with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

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Zucchini brownies that are really blondies.  Loaded with fresh zucchini and carrots that make them super moist then topped with a yummy frosting.

  • Yield: 20 bars 1x

Ingredients

Scale

Zucchini Bars

  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 C brown sugar
  • 1/2 C canola oil
  • 1/4 C honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 C shredded carrot (about 2 large carrots)
  • 1 C shredded zucchini (about 2 small zucchinis)
  • 1 1/2 C flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 C chopped pecans, optional

Frosting

  • 8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 C powdered sugar
  • zest of one lemon
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick spray.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, oil, honey and vanilla until smooth.  Switch to a rubber spatula and mix in the carrot, zucchini and pecans.  Add all the dry ingredients and mix together just until they are incorporated.  Pour into your greased pan and bake for 22-25 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly touched.  Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
  3. Prepare the frosting by beating together all the ingredients until well blended.  You can frost the whole pan before cutting to make it easy, but I really like cutting the bars first and individually frosting each bar.
  • Author: Carole Jones

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 bar
  • Calories: 206
  • Sugar: 19g
  • Sodium: 160mg
  • Fat: 9g
  • Saturated Fat: 2g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 5g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 27g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 3g
  • Cholesterol: 25mg

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @thecarolejones on Instagram and hashtag it #mykitchenescapades

 

Categories: Cookies-Bars Tags: Carrot, Zucchini

Filed Under: Cookies-Bars
76 Comments

About Carole Jones

Carole Jones is an Arizona-based cookbook author & food blogger. She's authored The 30 Minute Cooking From Frozen Cookbook and the self-published Take 5: Chicken e-cookbook. For the past 15 years, Carole has shared her culinary adventures cooking and baking for her six brutally honest children here on My Kitchen Escapades. Hot, crusty bread is Carole's love language, but her two adorable grandchildren are a close second. Yes, second. Don't judge.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. ScrapCrazyyyy! says

    July 12, 2012 at 9:49 pm

    they look yummy!!!

    Reply
  2. rdnance3 says

    July 19, 2012 at 3:06 am

    They are fabulous! Made them yesterday and they are even better today and they got cold!! YUM!!

    My family loves them!

    Thanks!

    Reply
  3. Anonymous says

    July 19, 2012 at 7:08 pm

    Would yellow squash have the same taste?

    Reply
    • GayleMarie says

      October 15, 2015 at 5:54 pm

      I don’t think you’d have good luck with yellow squash. First of all it is MUCH more watery than zucchini. That could cause a major problem with the wet/dry ingredient ratio, AND yellow squash is NOT a NORMAL ingredient for baked goods. I think it would be a disaster.

      Reply
      • Carole says

        October 15, 2015 at 7:11 pm

        Thanks Gayle

        Reply
    • Jeanette Jacoby says

      August 22, 2016 at 2:40 pm

      I think you could use Yellow squash. Its pretty much a zuch. but yellow. I use them in zuch bread with no problem.

      Reply
  4. Carole says

    July 19, 2012 at 7:37 pm

    I honestly don’t know, because I have never tried it. If you do, come back and let me know!

    Reply
  5. Keri says

    July 24, 2012 at 12:04 am

    These are wonderful! I’m eating them right now. (I’m on my 2nd one actually and eyeing one more…)I made it exactly as described and baked 25 minutes to perfection. Thanks!

    Reply
  6. karayork says

    July 24, 2012 at 8:48 pm

    This is a great recipe to incorporate more veggies into my 18 month old’s diet! If it tastes anything like the batter when it’s done in 20 minutes, it’s delish! 🙂

    Reply
  7. Joan says

    August 07, 2012 at 1:43 am

    These are incredible…YUM

    Reply
  8. Anonymous says

    August 20, 2012 at 12:10 am

    made today but without the frosting. Was very moist. Great for morning with my coffee! Thank you!

    Reply
  9. Anonymous says

    September 27, 2012 at 4:14 am

    These are wonderful! I will make these again and again! They will be a permanent recipe in my fall recipe book. Thank you.

    Reply
  10. Janet says

    October 10, 2012 at 4:42 pm

    I made them with yellow squash and they turned out great!

    Reply
  11. nicky says

    October 21, 2012 at 11:49 am

    i just made this as a cake in a round silicon pan. it was brown on top and fork came out clean after 22 mins but as i tipped it out the insides were all liquidy and spilt out, i used uncle bobs all purpose gluten free baking flour. any ideas why?

    Reply
  12. Carole says

    October 21, 2012 at 12:36 pm

    Nicky: since the recipe called for a large 9×13 pan and you used a much smaller round pan, you would need to add quite a bit more baking time since the cake will be so much thicker. Also, with your GF baking mix, that might also effect the end result. I would try it again but use the correct pan size.

    Reply
    • Rachael Emery says

      September 23, 2014 at 10:52 pm

      I did the same thing as Nicky tonight, used an 8×8 (all I had) and used GF flour. I cooked it longer and it was done but it is too moist. I am looking for advice on GF baking. Anyone? Should I eliminate/reduce the oil? I also will try the larger pan to see if that helps even out the moisture. The flavor is amazing, just need help working out the GF conversion. Also my 2+ year old LOVED them. While yes it has veggies this def falls in the dessert category . 🙂

      Reply
      • Carole says

        September 24, 2014 at 9:13 am

        Rachael – I wish gluten free baking was as simple as substituting GF flour for regular flour, but it never is that easy. I have never tried to make a GF version of this recipe, so I really can’t give you advice but my experiences with GF baking has taught me how difficult it is to convert recipes successfully -Carole

        Reply
        • Chris says

          August 03, 2015 at 2:10 pm

          Hi-
          I bake GF all the time. The correct pan size is important as well as the need for a little more protein in the batter. Add either a tsp unflavored gelatin with the dry ingredients or a little powdered flax seed. Also, make sure the zucchini has been well pressed to remove the moisture. You may also want to add just a 1/4 c more flour mix. This recipe would probably make great cupcakes!

          Reply
          • Carole says

            August 03, 2015 at 5:36 pm

            Thanks so much Chris for all your great tips! -Carole

  13. Mahek says

    February 24, 2013 at 12:44 pm

    thanks for this recipe will try it…

    Reply
  14. Texoma Natural Health Links says

    April 26, 2013 at 3:39 pm

    I’d like to make them into muffins

    Reply
  15. Anonymous says

    April 29, 2013 at 12:41 am

    What would be the carrot measurement if you decided to use all carrots and omit the zucchini. They look delicious, can’t wait to try!!

    Reply
  16. Anonymous says

    May 21, 2013 at 6:01 pm

    . Flavor is mild- not sure what it’s missing. I would definitely double the salt or use salted butter to enhance rathe than oil. Not very carrot tasting at all. Like the lemon cream cheese frosting though. Good suggestion!

    Reply
  17. Anonymous says

    May 23, 2013 at 1:51 pm

    can I use applesauce in place of eggs?

    Reply
  18. Anonymous says

    May 23, 2013 at 1:52 pm

    okay to make as muffins?

    Reply
  19. Carole says

    May 23, 2013 at 3:38 pm

    You could try subbing in applesauce for eggs, but your result will be quite different texture wise. Let me know how it goes!

    I think these would be perfect as muffins!

    Reply
  20. Big momma says

    June 30, 2013 at 9:24 pm

    Made it with coconut oil and then put an orange glaze on! Yummmmmm!!

    Reply
    • amy says

      August 03, 2015 at 10:40 am

      How much coconut oil did u use?

      Reply
      • Carole says

        August 03, 2015 at 10:43 am

        Hi Amy! I didn’t use coconut oil for this recipe but you could certainly make that substitution if you would like -Carole

        Reply
  21. amanda lang says

    July 01, 2013 at 2:38 am

    These were delicious! I loved them, but my husband was not a huge fan-maybe they weren’t sweet enough for him? I am going to take the rest to work tomorrow and get some more opinions 🙂

    Reply
  22. Sarah says

    July 07, 2013 at 4:32 am

    Has a definite ‘floury’ taste..made sure I did the correct measurement. I didn’t have vanilla so I went without it, do you think that would cause the difference in taste?

    Reply
  23. Carole says

    July 07, 2013 at 12:54 pm

    Absolutely Sarah. Vanilla helps balance and round out all the flavors in the bars.

    Reply
  24. Anonymous says

    July 11, 2013 at 10:18 pm

    do thnk this would work in a jelly roll pan?

    Reply
  25. Carole says

    July 11, 2013 at 11:18 pm

    Absolutely! I don’t know if there is enough batter for a half sheet sized jelly roll pan but a smaller one would work. Be sure to reduce your cooking time!

    Reply
  26. Martha says

    July 23, 2013 at 9:41 pm

    Yum, yum….these are soooooo good. Using yellow zuchinni will not make the taste any different, just may make it a lighter colored batter. I highly recommend making these bars…so easy to make, so moist to eat.

    Reply
  27. www.mlgainey.tumblr.com says

    July 26, 2013 at 5:19 am

    I made these without the frosting, and they were so good that I will make the entire recipe very soon. They were moist, delicious, and gorgeous with flecks of orange and green.

    Reply
  28. Anonymous says

    August 18, 2013 at 3:12 pm

    Mine is the oven, will let you know how they turn out, can’t wait!

    Reply
  29. Anonymous says

    October 13, 2013 at 6:32 pm

    Would this work with coconut flour? Trying to make a gluten free version

    Reply
  30. Stephanie says

    June 29, 2014 at 11:13 am

    These are amazing! I made them this morning. After popping them in the oven, I read through the comments and got a little worried they’d be lacking flavor, not so at all! The only thing different I did was squeeze lemon juice into the frosting, since my lemon was acting up and I was only able to get half the amount of zest. They are moist and perfect. Not lacking anything at all. Even my toddler begged for more! An hr later, there’s only half a pan left! Thank you for sharing this beautiful recipe.

    Reply
    • Carole says

      June 29, 2014 at 11:45 am

      Thanks so much Stephanie! We love these so much and don’t quite understand the comments about lacking flavor either 🙂 -Carole

      Reply
      • Joann says

        February 04, 2015 at 1:28 pm

        Can I freeze them…they look amazing!!!

        Reply
        • Carole says

          February 04, 2015 at 1:29 pm

          Joann – Absolutely! But don’t frost them until you are ready to serve them -Carole

          Reply
  31. Pauline Breau says

    October 11, 2014 at 1:37 pm

    Figured that these would fit for Thanksgiving supper that i’m making tomorrow.They are cooking in the oven and it smell delicious. ‘!!Thanks:-)

    Reply
    • Carole says

      October 11, 2014 at 2:13 pm

      Pauline- these would be perfect for Thanksgiving! Thanks for coming back and letting me know

      Reply
  32. Catherine says

    November 04, 2014 at 10:50 pm

    Wow. Made these last night and we can’t stop snacking on it ! Even picky 9yr old. I subbed half the oil for applesauce and added some cinnamon to the cake and frosting. Will definitely be making this again!

    Reply
    • Carole says

      November 05, 2014 at 1:02 pm

      Catherine – so glad you found a recipe that was a big hit with everyone because I know those are hard to find! Come back again soon to find another -Carole

      Reply
  33. Layla says

    January 24, 2015 at 10:54 am

    Could I sub whole wheat flour?

    Reply
    • Carole says

      January 25, 2015 at 12:23 pm

      If you do, be sure it is whole wheat pastry flour. It works better in these types of recipes

      Reply
  34. Deb says

    September 21, 2015 at 8:11 am

    These were delicious! The color is gorgeous with the flecks of orange from the carrots and the green zucchini. The lemon zest makes the cream cheese frosting. It’s the perfect combo with a citrusy zing! I did use coconut oil in place of the vegetable oil, which gave the cake a very nice flavor. Cake is extremely moist. Everyone loves it, including me!

    Reply
    • Carole says

      September 21, 2015 at 8:52 am

      I’m so glad Deb! They are still a favorite of mine as well

      Reply
  35. Rebecca says

    November 18, 2015 at 6:52 pm

    These are fantastic. My coworkers loved them! I did half regular veg oil, half coconut oil, and added a liitle cardamom. So so so delicious. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Carole says

      November 18, 2015 at 7:39 pm

      You are so so so welcome Rebecca 🙂 I love your variations and will have to give that a try next time I make these killer bars!

      Reply
  36. danae says

    December 21, 2015 at 11:15 am

    can I use brown sugar instead of honey? has anyone tried that? or maybe agave, I just don’t like the honey flavor

    Reply
    • Carole says

      December 21, 2015 at 11:55 am

      You could definitely use agave instead of honey Danae!

      Reply
  37. Shelley says

    March 14, 2016 at 6:26 pm

    Made this yesterday. Really good. Tasted moist, light and healthy. Baked 5 extra minutes but came out perfect. Will absolutely do again.

    Reply
    • Carole says

      March 14, 2016 at 10:11 pm

      They are one of my favorites Shelley!

      Reply
  38. Lisette says

    March 23, 2016 at 6:33 pm

    CanI make this in a bundt pan? Looks so good!

    Reply
    • Carole says

      March 24, 2016 at 6:53 am

      Hi Lisette! I don’t know if there is enough batter for a bundt pan. Maybe increase the recipe

      Reply
  39. Sharon says

    April 13, 2016 at 2:16 am

    I made these for our bible study group last night – they were an absolute hit – guys went back for seconds and thirds! Will definitely make them again. Quick question – I used a 8×13 pan and cake came out quite thin – how can I make it slightly thicker – only other pan I have is 9×9 which I don’t think will work – any suggestions ?

    Reply
    • Carole says

      April 13, 2016 at 9:45 am

      Glad you liked them Sharon! You could use a square pan but they will be significantly thicker.

      Reply
  40. CEDAR says

    August 19, 2016 at 5:56 pm

    I live at just over 5 000 ft. Are there any adjustments for high altitude?

    Reply
    • Carole says

      August 21, 2016 at 4:30 pm

      Howdy! I don’t have experience with high altitude baking so I won’t be much help. If you normally make an adjustment for cakes or bars, then I would use something similar for this recipe. Good luck!

      Reply
  41. Gloria says

    August 11, 2017 at 12:48 pm

    I see that the instructions call for adding the pecans with the zucchini and carrots. I am not seeing in the recipe the amount of pecans to add. Help please. These sound delicious and I would like to make them for company coming over in a couple of days.

    Reply
    • Carole says

      August 11, 2017 at 1:12 pm

      Hey Gloria! Thank you for pointing that out to me. I didn’t add the pecans to my cake because I have some nut haters in my family. I ended up just sprinkling a few pecans over the top of half of the frosted bars. I would use about a 1/2 cup of chopped pecans. I will go add that to the recipe. Enjoy your time with your company!

      Reply
  42. Kim Slater says

    August 27, 2017 at 12:34 pm

    I made them with 1 cup Gluten Free flour and 1/2 cup of Almond flour.
    They turned out amazing !

    Reply
    • Carole says

      August 28, 2017 at 1:50 pm

      Awesome that you made them work for you Kim!

      Reply
  43. Michelle says

    April 15, 2018 at 7:25 pm

    I want to make this as a cake in a sheet cake pan. I’m thinking I just need to double the recipe and lengthen the bake time. What do you think?

    Reply
    • Carole says

      April 16, 2018 at 9:22 am

      Hello Michelle! I think you are right about the doubled recipe. Be cautious with adding too much baking time. Just keep checking the center of the cake and as soon as it bounces back after being lightly touched, it is done.

      Reply
  44. Terry T. says

    December 01, 2020 at 2:15 pm

    Thank you Carole for this absolutely delicious recipe. I was already more than a fan of sweet potatoes but some in my family were not until this. The dessert-like richness is divine! I followed the recipe exactly and the only thing I can even think of to try next time is to see if I could fluff up the sweet potato mixture just before topping with praline just to make them look, well, fluffier and maybe get a slightly lighter feel to them. I had a snack by combining jalapeno cheddar sourdough/cornbread sausage stuffing and this sweet potato dish and boy-what a treat! That combo of spicy-sweet-savory and praline-sweet was out of this world!!!!!

    Reply
  45. Bea says

    January 30, 2023 at 10:39 pm

    Question. The nuts are they only for topping or do you add to the batter?

    Reply
    • Carole Jones says

      January 31, 2023 at 12:16 pm

      Hi Bea! Correct, the nuts are only for the topping but you could certainly add them into the batter as well if you would prefer it that way.

      Reply

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