Description
Delight in these moist and flavorful Spiced Ginger Carrot and Zucchini Bars topped with a tangy Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting. Packed with fresh grated vegetables and warm spices, they make a wholesome treat perfect for snacks or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup tightly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups grated carrot
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups regular flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Frosting
- 1 8 oz package reduced-fat cream cheese
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Wet Ingredients: Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, canola oil, honey, and vanilla extract. It’s normal if some small clumps of brown sugar remain as they will dissolve while resting. Gently fold in the grated carrot, zucchini, and chopped walnuts to combine.
- Prepare and Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, ground ginger, and baking soda thoroughly using a whisk to ensure even distribution of the leavening agents and spices.
- Mix Batter and Prepare for Baking: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Be careful not to overmix to keep the bars tender. Spread the batter evenly into an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking pan, smoothing the surface in preparation for baking.
- Bake and Cool the Cake: Bake the bars in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before frosting to ensure proper setting.
- Prepare and Apply the Frosting: Once cooled, beat the reduced-fat cream cheese, icing sugar, and lemon zest together in a medium bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Spread or pipe the lemon cream cheese frosting generously over the cooled bars. Cut into 36 bars and serve.
Notes
- Grate the carrot and zucchini finely to ensure even texture and moisture distribution in the bars.
- Don’t skip cooling the bars completely before frosting to prevent melting.
- Use reduced-fat cream cheese to keep the frosting lighter but still creamy.
- Chopped walnuts add a nice crunch but can be omitted for nut-free version.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- These bars freeze well; wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (based on 36 bars)
- Calories: 130 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 75 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
Keywords: carrot bars, zucchini bars, ginger spice bars, lemon cream cheese frosting, healthy dessert, moist bars, vegetable dessert, reduced-fat frosting
