These are the best zucchini bars! They taste like a moist spice cake with a cream cheese frosting. You'll find cinnamon, shredded zucchini and carrots, and walnuts in these zucchini bars. This is one of the best zucchini recipes I can think of!
Zucchini Bars
The best, folks. I got this zucchini bars recipe from my aunt and I have to tell you these are amazing. My aunt named this recipe literally "the best zucchini bars." I can't argue.
This is a healthy zucchini bars recipe, too. It has to be. It has zucchini AND carrots. I'm kidding! I know it's not healthy. The bar is cinnamony, moist, nutty, and heavenly. The cream cheese frosting I whipped together was the perfect complement to these bars. It's the same frosting I use on my cinnamon rolls. SO perfect.
You can see the bits and pieces of shredded zucchini and carrots in the zucchini bars. I think this is why my husband was hesitant to eat them. The man freaks out anytime a vegetable is involved in baking.
I tried to just say that they were spice bars, but that was a big FAIL. The bits of colorful veggies gave it away. So, I'm not sure how many pieces he ate of this, but myself, mom, and my uncle scarfed these zucchini bars with cream cheese frosting right down.
This zucchini bars recipe makes a huge pan of bars! You can serve a large family dessert with this recipe or eat a dozen yourself. Get yourself a large jelly roll pan.
If you don't have a jelly roll pan, I would recommend using two square pans but pay close attention that the bars aren't too thin. They bake up to be about an inch thick. They come to the top of the jelly roll pan when I bake them.
Questions About the Zucchini Bars Recipe
- Do I have to add nuts in these zucchini bars? Of course not!
- Do I have to use shredded carrots? No. You can substitute the carrots for more zucchini.
- Can I leave the cream cheese frosting off of the zucchini bars? Noooo. They're so good with the frosting.
How to make the best zucchini bars
The Best Zucchini Bars
Ingredients
Zucchini Bars
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups shredded zucchini
- 1 small carrot shredded
- ¾ cup rolled oats
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup salted butter room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Bars
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Grease a 17x11x1 or 15x10x1 pan.
- In a large bowl, add oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix with a hand mixer for 1 minute until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Whisk to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients. Mix with a hand mixer on low until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
- Fold in the shredded zucchini and carrots.
- Fold in rolled oats and walnuts.
- Spread out on prepared pan. Place in the oven and bake for 24 minutes. Let cool completely and frost.
Frosting
- In a large bowl, combine butter and cream cheese. Beat with the hand mixer until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Add in vanilla and powdered sugar. Mix on low until the powdered sugar is well incorporated. Turn mixer on high and mix for an additional minute or two.
- Spread on cooled bars with an offset spatula.
Nutrition
(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.)
Deb says
Thank you for this recipe! It was incredibly good! I wished I would have had the walnuts to add!
Nancy D says
Just made these with first zucchini from my garden! So good. Didn’t have cream cheese so I softened some butter and added powdered sugar to make a frosting with a dash of lemon flavoring and a tablespoon lemon juice. Meeting my nephew (with our COVID 19 masks on) to give him some and will pack some for my son and hubby’s lunches. Great recipe! I will try applesauce or mashed banana for some or all of the oil next time! Thank you so much!
Tracy says
I swapped out the sugar with swerve, and didn’t have any walnuts so used cashew and raisin trail mix. Turned out great, thank you!
Mary says
Hey, wondering if I substitute with applesauce and bananas, do I need to use the same amount of sugar? 2 cups is alot!
Miranda C. says
Hi Mary- If you use nice, ripe bananas, you should be able to get away with less sugar. Try using 1 1/2 cups or even just 1 cup for less sweet bars. One cup of honey in place of the sugar would work as well! Let me know how they turn out. Enjoy!
Carmen W says
I couldn't snap a pic, because my 2 teens devoured 1/2 the pan!
Miranda says
Best news ever! 😀
Gina says
Do you think I could use yellow squash instead of zucchini? ?
Miranda C. says
Yes! You definitely can
Vicki Gerardi says
If you use zucchini only - how much would you add to substitute the carrot plese?
Miranda C. says
Replace the shredded carrot with 1/2 cup more shredded zucchini.
Mary E. Ginter says
How deep does the pan have to be?
Miranda C. says
I would use a pan with at least one inch high sides
Former overweight says
Good Lord, could you pack in any more fat or sugar?
Miranda C. says
These are definitely meant to be a treat! Not a diet dessert. 🙂
Joyce H says
Delicious they truly are the best. Could use a little more cinnamon.
Melissa says
Super easy added more zucchini in place of Carrots, no nuts and oops used ready made cream cheese frosting,
Added some cinnamon!! Debated on pan, I used 17x12