The BEST Zucchini Bars

4.50 from 38 votes

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 bars. This is one of the best zucchini recipes I can think of!

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 24

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A square piece of zucchini cake with cream cheese frosting sits on a white plate, reminiscent of classic zucchini bars, with another piece blurred in the background.

If your garden is overflowing with zucchini or you grabbed one too many at the farmers market, these Zucchini Bars are one of the best ways to use it up! 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 the best zucchini bar recipe that I’ve made!

Two square pieces of frosted zucchini carrot cake, reminiscent of classic zucchini bars, sit on white plates against a plain white background.

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.

Unlike zucchini bread, these bars are a little lighter and are ready to serve after a generous swipe of cream cheese frosting. The shredded carrots, oats, and walnuts add texture and flavor without makimg the bars taste like a health food. Even people who claim they don’t like zucchini come back for another piece!

Why You’ll Love These Zucchini Bars

Super moist and tender
Great way to use fresh zucchini
Thick homemade cream cheese frosting
Easy one-bowl batter
Perfect for potlucks and bake sales
Soft enough to stay fresh for several days
Freezes beautifully

Why This Recipe Works

The combination of shredded zucchini, carrot, and vegetable oil creates incredibly moist bars that stay soft for days.

Using both baking soda and baking powder gives the bars enough lift while still keeping them tender.

The oats absorb some of the vegetable moisture so the bars don’t become gummy and while the walnuts are optional they do add a nice texture.

Ingredients

See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all ingredients and quantities.

Zucchini – No need to peel the zucchini. The peel softens completely while baking and adds little flecks of color throughout the bar. Don’t squeeze the moisture out of the zucchini! This gives the bars some of their moisture!

Carrot – The carrot doesn’t make these taste like carrot cake. It will flecks of orange color, moisture, and a subtle sweetness that just melts into the background of the bars.

Oats – The oats give the crumb a little more body and does absorb some of the moisture from the vegetables. It won’t give the bars a chewiness though.

Substitutions and Variations

Substitute the shredded carrots with more shredded zucchini.
Substitute the walnuts with peacans.
Add white chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips to the bars when you’re folding in the shredded vegetables, oats, and walnuts.
Top the bars with a traditional vanilla frosting, cream cheese whipped cream frosting, or a maple cream cheese frosting.

NOTE: This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations

How to Make the Best Zucchini Bars

A glass bowl of beaten eggs is being mixed with a hand mixer; empty eggshells and a bowl of shredded zucchini are nearby on a white countertop, ready for making delicious zucchini bars.

Step 1: Mix together the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

A glass bowl of flour, a whisk, cracked eggs in a carton, and a bowl of shredded zucchini are arranged on a white marble surface—everything you need to start making delicious zucchini bars.

Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

A mixing bowl with batter and a hand mixer, a bowl of shredded zucchini for delicious zucchini bars, and cracked eggshells on a marble countertop.

Step 3: Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.

A glass bowl of mixed zucchini bars batter with a spatula, surrounded by eggshells, walnuts, and oats on a white countertop.

Step 4: Fold in the zucchini, carrot, oats, and walnuts.

Rectangular baking pan filled with uncooked zucchini bars batter sits on a white surface beside cracked eggshells and a bowl of shredded coconut.

Step 5: Spread into a prepared baking pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of her bars comes out clean.

A rectangular sheet cake with white frosting on a baking tray, surrounded by a fork, plate, walnuts, and a blue plaid cloth—perfectly capturing the cozy charm of homemade zucchini bars.

Step 6: Let the bars cool completely. Whip up the frosting and spread it on the cooled bars.

A spatula holds a slice of frosted cake with visible nuts, above a plate and a baking pan containing more zucchini bars in the background.

Tips for Success

Shred the zucchini and carrots yourself.
Don’t overmix the dry ingredients. Once the flour disappears, stop mixing.
Let the bars completely before adding the cream cheese frosting. Warm bars will melt the frosting.
Toast the Walnuts. This is optional, but toasting the nuts first gives the bars even more flavor. To toaste the walnuts, place them on a sheet pan in a single layer and toast in a 350 degree F oven for 7 to 8 minutes. Stir them half way through and keep a close eye on them to make sure they don’t burn.

A square slice of frosted carrot cake with visible nuts and carrot pieces sits on a white rectangular plate, reminiscent of homemade zucchini bars in its moist texture and inviting appearance.

How to Store and Freeze

Store the zucchini bars covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Serve them chilled or let them sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.

You can freeze the unfrosted bars. Let them cool completely before wrapping them tightly in the pan with two layers of plastic wrap and a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

The cream cheese frosting can be frozen, but it may separate so I would recommend freezing that in its own freezer-safe bowl and remixing it once it’s thawed before adding it on the bars.

Recipe FAQs

Do I have to use 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. Get yourself a large jelly roll pan if you can.

Do I have to use shredded carrots?

No. You can substitute the carrots for more zucchini.

Do I have to add nuts in these zucchini bars?

Of course not. They can absolutely be nut free bars.

Why are my bars gummy?

There are a few culprits. It could be that there’s too much moisture from the vegetables, it’s underbaked, or you can into the bars while they’re still warm.

88 Comments

Lesa sowns says:

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This recipe is amazing! I used half coconut and half avacado oil. Kept everything else the same and baked the same time! Mine turned out perfect! This is literally a to die for recipe!!!

Janet says:

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Cooked 10 minutes longer than said. Turned out delicious!

Genny says:

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Omg these are amazing! To make them healthier I substitute 1 cup applesauce for 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup ground flax seed for 1/4 cup flour and 1 tbsp chia seeds for 1 egg. It’s amazing and a new family favorite!