These zucchini carrot bars are super moist and fluffy and a genius way to enjoy a tasty treat AND eat your vegetables.
Zucchini Carrot Cake Bars
I've had this Carrot Zucchini Bars Recipe tucked away for a while, but after a few weeks of making it on repeat for the family, I decided it was time to share it with you!
Some people see zucchini as another steamed low-carb veggie for dinner, but I like to think of it as a veggie that can make both blackened zucchini tacos, lemon poppyseed zucchini muffins, and this snack cake. No matter how you use it, zucchini takes on the flavors of whatever dish it's in and adds excellent moisture and texture.
I promise, with a capital P, you can't taste the zucchini in these bars, it bakes into the cake and reminds me a lot of a carrot cake with golden raisins and lots of spice from the grated fresh ginger. Forget about the zoodles and low-carb recipes; this is what zucchini was really made for!
Ingredients
You’ll find the measurements in the printable recipe card below, but before you jump there, check out the ingredients I use and why each one of them is necessary for these epic carrot zucchini bars:
- All-purpose flour: you can swap it for gluten-free flour in a 1:1 ratio.
- Baking powder: for fluffy, airy texture.
- Baking soda: combined with the baking powder, gives these bars a great texture.
- Salt: just a pinch!
- Eggs: to bind the ingredients.
- Fresh ginger: optional for flavor.
- Carrots: we’ll add them shredded.
- Shredded zucchini: adds moisture and nutrition, and you don’t even notice it is there!
- Brown sugar: for sweetness, moisture, and a golden brown glow.
- Golden raisins: optional for extra nutrition.
- Butter: you can use coconut oil instead.
- Honey: more sweet moisture!
- Vanilla: for delicious cake-like flavor!
- Flax seed meal: add extra for nutrition; you can omit it.
Shredding Zucchini and Carrots
Make sure you have a sturdy, stand-up grater; it makes shredding the veggies safer than a hand-held grater. If you happen to own a food processor, you can make this step even easier. Attach the grater plate and have at it, perfectly grated veggies in no time.
How to Make Carrot Zucchini Bars
Every time I make these carrot zucchini bars, they saturate my kitchen with spicy, delicious smells and come out so soft and moist with pieces of golden raisin and flecks of carrot; so so so good. Check out how easy it is to make:
- Prep
While the oven preheats, grease a baking pan and shred the veggies. - Make the batter
In one bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, and add ginger, carrot, zucchini, brown sugar, raisins, butter, honey, and vanilla. Then, combine both mixtures until you have a cohesive batter. - Bake
These bars are ready after 22-25 minutes in the oven when a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. - Serve
Allow it to cool down before slicing into squares. Enjoy!
Want to see the magic happening? Check out this video recipe for carrot zucchini bars:
Topping the Bars
You can use cream cheese frosting to top these carrot zucchini bars, but I like to keep it simple and let the bars shine on their own with a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top.
Carrot Zucchini Bars
Watch how it’s made:
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, optional
- 1 ½ cups shredded carrot, about 2 large carrots
- 1 cup packed shredded zucchini, about 1 medium zucchini
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup golden raisins, optional
- ½ cup butter, or coconut oil
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons flax seed meal, optional
Instructions
Prep:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a large 13×9 inch baking pan.
Make the batter:
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and a pinch of salt.
- In another large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add in the ginger, carrot, zucchini, brown sugar, raisins, butter or oil, honey, and vanilla.
- Combine the wet mixture into the flour mixture until you have a cohesive batter.
Bake:
- Pour the mixture inside the greased baking pan and bake, for 22-25 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool.
- Once cooled, cut into 24 squares.
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Tiffany says
I printed this recipes years ago – like Momables-years ago – I haven’t made it in at least 10 years . I made it again last night and it’s been a hit with 4/5 of my family. The other one hasn’t tasted it yet. These bars come out so moist, and reminds me of my mom’s applesauce cake from my childhood. The kids sprinkled powdered sugar on it (also reminiscent of that applesauce cake), but I have.eaten about half of it myself just plain. So good!