If you’ve been reading IGE for any length of time then you probably know there are three foods that I just have to cross my arms and stomp my foot down about. That is to say, you’ll rarely find these ingredients in recipes here on the blog:
Bell peppers. Red, orange, yellow and green – roasted, raw, or otherwise (except for Sabra’s Roasted Red Pepper Humus!) You know how some people have the gene that makes cilantro taste like soap on their tastebuds? Bell peppers taste worse than that to me. Ben too! We are a match made in bell pepper-hater Heaven in that way. Or something.
Mushrooms: The thing about mushrooms is that, well, they’re liars. Mushrooms smell incredible sizzling in a little butter and garlic, which encourages me to sneak a little taste whenever I make them for Ben, but 100% of the time this results in an immediate and violent NOOOOOPE! It’s a texture thing, you see. When will I learn?
(BTW: my ground beef/mushroom mixture is totally exempt from this hatred. Still using that swap at least 3-4 times a month for tacos or spaghetti night!)
Cooked Carrots: Blame this on the weekly family pot roasts of yesteryear, complete with mushy, beef-flavored cooked carrots. Candied carrots are even worse. I. Can’t. Even.
All that being said, you might be surprised to know that I will totally make an exception for one of my worst ingredient offenders when it’s melted into sweet cake and topped with a luscious swirl of decadent cream cheese frosting (or maybe not – cream cheese frosting has a way of fixing pretty much everything.)
It’s Magic Carrot Cake Bars, y’all!
Despite being loaded with shredded fresh carrots, baked carrot cake has been, and always will be, one of my favorite sweet indulgences. The bright orange color, hint of spicy cinnamon, and ridiculous, signature cream cheese frosting completely contradicts any savory cooked-carrot complex I might have.
I have a great recipe for Carrot Cake Bars which swaps out some of the sugar and most of the oil called for in traditional recipes for Pineapple Chobani Greek Yogurt. Like magic, this simple swap results in a moist and sweet cake that’s lower in sugar and fat – though I make no such claims for the cream cheese frosting. When it comes to frosting – go big or go home, baby!
An extremely subtle pineapple flavor permeates the cake batter, and the yogurt is the only unusual add-in you’ll find in my Magic Carrot Cake Bars recipe. Sorry nut and raisin fans, these bars are all about the carrots…and cream cheese frosting!
Start the Magic Carrot Cake Bars with 1-1/2 cups sugar drizzled promptly into a mixing bowl.
Next add 1/4 cup vegetable oil and 4 eggs.Â
Then add zee stah, dahling – 6oz Chobani Pineapple Greek Yogurt. A lot of carrot cake recipes call for pineapple tidbits, so I thought this would be a very complimentary flavor. And it so was. Plus it allowed me to cut out sugar and tons of vegetable oil.
Mix the wet ingredients until smooth then add in the dry ingredients in three batches. This includes 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon each baking soda and salt.
Next, shred 4 cups peeled carrots, which is about 5 medium-sized carrots. Hand shred or use your food processor (or use store-bought!)
Fold the shredded carrots into the batter then spread into a nonstick sprayed, 9×13″ baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely!
Once the cake is completely cool, make the lip-smacking cream cheese frosting. This is my go-to CCF recipe. It never fails! Add 1/2 cup butter and 8oz 1/3-less fat cream cheese into a mixing bowl. Make sure BOTH ingredients are 100% room temperature for smooth, velvety frosting.
Next add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon vanilla.Â
Cream the ingredients until smooth then add 2 cups powdered sugar and cream until smooth. Add 3 more cups powdered sugar, creaming between each cup, until completely smooth. OMG THIS STUFF IS SO GOOD!
Slather the cake with frosting then spread, slice, and serve!
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Carrot Cake Bars
Description
Magic Carrot Cake Bars are lighter than traditional carrot cake yet still soft and perfectly sweet.
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 6oz Pineapple Chobani Greek Yogurt
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 4 eggs
- 4 cups peeled and shredded carrots (about 5 medium carrots)
- For the cream cheese frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
- 8oz 1/3-less fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 5 cups powdered sugar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees then spray a 9x13" pan with nonstick spray and set aside. Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl then set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, mix sugar, Greek yogurt, and canola oil until combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until combined before adding the next one.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in three batches, mixing until just combined before adding the next batch. Fold in shredded carrots.
- Transfer batter to prepared baking pan then bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely then frost with cream cheese frosting. Store leftover bars in the fridge.
- For the cream cheese frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and cinnamon together until smooth. Add 2 cups powdered sugar then cream until smooth. Continue adding 1 cup powdered sugar at a time, creaming until combined before adding the next cup. Spread over cooled carrot cake bars then slice and serve.
Notes
- ***Edited to add:Â some have said this makes more than enough frosting. Freeze extra frosting or cut back on the amounts if you do not like a thick layer of frosting!***
- Refrigerate frosted Magic Carrot Cake Bars first to make cleaner cut lines.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
It’s good? It’s good! Enjoy these dreamy bars!
Linda 12.07.2018
Your recipes look amazing! I’m not familiar with GF baking but want to make your carrot cake for a celiac friend. What flour should I get? Thanks!
Deb 09.10.2018
This looks amazing! Do you just add 1:1 gluten free flour to make it gf?
Abby 11.10.2017
I came across this recipe and wondered what flour you use if needing to make it gluten free? And would any of the recipe change then to accommodate for gluten free flour?
Kari 09.18.2015
I have been reading your blog for years and just stumbled on this page! I never could put my finger on why I love ALLLLLLLL of your recipes, then I read this page.
From one gluten free, bell pepper, blue cheese hating food lover to another….
THANK YOU!
Kristin 09.18.2015
You bet, Kari!!
June 17-23, 2013 Meal Plan | Wagner Household 04.10.2014
[…] Crock Pot Baked Beans Magic Carrot Cake Bars […]
Beth 10.18.2013
The carrot cake looks delicious! What kind of food processor do you have? Those carrots look just right. My little processor gets them too finely shredded.
Iowa Girl Eats 10.19.2013
I have a Cuisinart, and use the grating disc that comes with it!
Rene @thedomesticlady 10.10.2013
I made these again last night with a bunch of diced frozen carrots that I needed to use up. So far I have yet to use the correct flavor of yogurt but it always taste great :)
Summer 06.19.2013
Can you sub coconut flour instead of regular flour?
Iowa Girl Eats 06.21.2013
Hey Summer! I’ve never used coconut flour so I’m not sure how it would alter the final product. If you give it a go come back and let us know how it went!
Erin 06.17.2013
These were delish!! They were so moist and fluffy and the frosting- OMG! I did however not use the recommended 5 cups of powdered sugar, but it still turned out amazing!!! Can’t wait to try more.
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious 06.17.2013
I’m a huge carrot cake lover so this here i just screaming my name! And I love the use of Chobani pineapple – I bet that brought in so much flavor!
Monday Randomness: Two New Recipes | 06.17.2013
[…] So I opted for a low fat/low sugar option by Iowa Girl Eats, Carrot Cake Bars […]
Emily 06.16.2013
How do you think this recipe would work with white whole wheat flour? Obvi not the traditional carrot cake flour, but that’s what I happen to have at the moment.
Iowa Girl Eats 06.17.2013
I’m sure it would work! Might be a bit denser/heavier, but I don’t think it could hurt.
Karla 06.16.2013
Made this yesterday with store-bought shredded carrots. It is a very good cake. However the 5 cups of powdered sugar makes a ton of frosting (and I like frosting) but I threw some out. If you use it all, that would be one thick, thick layer! I added more cinnamon to batter and frosting. I would make this again.
Lindsey 06.16.2013
I made this yesterday for Father’s Day. It was amazing! My family loved it. It does make way too much frosting though so we had that on graham crackers today. YUM!!!
Karla 06.15.2013
Is it really 5 cups of powdered sugar?
Iowa Girl Eats 06.15.2013
Yep!
Karla 06.15.2013
Haha ok thanks for the quick response…am making them as we speak!
Iowa Girl Eats 06.15.2013
Yay – hope you love them!
JenT 06.15.2013
Mmm can’t wait to try this.
Not sure we can get Chobani yoghurt over here in the UK but planning on improvising with 0% greek yoghurt and maybe some fresh diced pineapple.
I understand your buttery frosting policy with no compromise but for those of us who really need to cut the fat or leave the room.. thinking of skipping the butter and using just more of the extra lowfat cream cheese. Hope you aren’t offended!
Jen Carlson 06.14.2013
I also hate bell peppers and it seems like everyone puts them in everything these days, it’s one of the reasons I love your blog so much! I have weird exceptions for food dislikes too, so like I hate any type of peppers and spicy things but I love buffalo sauce. I love carrot cake but have never made it at home so now I have a recipe to try!
Rebecca 06.14.2013
Cannot wait to try these, LOVE carrot cake! Also had to laugh because my husband hates bell peppers as well! Thanks for another recipe that I’m sure will become one of our favorites!
katie 06.14.2013
my boyfriend and i both also have the bell peppers taste worse than soap gene! makes life easier- at least when it comes to cooking
June 17-23, 2013 Meal Plan | Mama Friendly Meal Plans 06.14.2013
[…] Crock Pot Baked Beans Magic Carrot Cake Bars […]