The Best Zucchini Bars
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.
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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.)
The flavor was SO good but the oats stayed hard.. so there are small hard pieces in each bite 🙁
Make sure to use rolled oats and not Irish oats or Steel cut oats. These are very different types! Old fashioned, rolled oats are best! I hope this helps
This was the BEST!!!!! Made it yesterday. And making more today. Just loved it. Took some to our neighbor. So we need more. This is addicting.
Really yummy!!!!!!
PS. If you have someone who says they don't like zucchini bread. Don't tell them it has zucchini in it. They will love it....
15 x 11 pan overflowed into my oven!
Oh no! Hopefully they still tasted great!
I think the baking soda amount in this recipe is incorrect. It is too much.
Thanks for the tip- I'll take a look at the recipe and re-assess!
Super yummy!
These zucchini bars are fabulous. I love the texture the oatmeal adds - especially when combined with the zucchini, carrots, and nuts. And, the frosting is a must!
I’m not sure if it’s the altitude (7000 feet) as I’ve made this exactly as written and it continues to sink in the middle every time, I’m even getting as much moisture out the zucchini before folding it in. Love the oatmeal in it but wish I could figure out why it’s falling, ughhh! I baked in a stoneware bar pan.
The altitude definitely may be playing a part. Try adding 1/4 cup more flour to the batter and also increasing the oven temperature by 25 degrees. This should help them set better in the center and not sink!
I’m not sure re and f it’s the alternative (7000 feet) and I’ve made this exactly as written and t continues to sink in the middle every time, I’m even getting as much moisture ut f the zucchini before folding it in. Love the oatmeal in it but wish I could figure out why it’s falling, ughhh! I baked in a stoneware bar pan.
Hmmm my first suggestion would be to check the date on your baking powder and baking soda. If they are expired, they will not help the bars rise and this could cause the sinking. Next, try baking in a 375 degree oven for about 5 minutes less. The higher heat can help quickly rise the bars and get the structure set faster. I hope this helps!
I’m sorry but I made the recipe as written and this bar is really lacking in flavor. I think it needs more cinnamon and maybe some nutmeg or something. The consistency of the bar and the frosting is good though
Hi Laura- I'm so sorry the bars didn't have enough flavor for you! I hope you make them again and let me know how they taste with some extra spices.
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