Carrot Cake Bars

Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Bars

2 sticks butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 cup carrots, grated (I grate mine in a food processor, but you can buy them grated/shredded or grate them by hand.)

1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons (yes, really!) flour

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (if you don’t have this, you do not have to go out & buy it - just leave it out; they will still be delicious!)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup toasted & chopped pecans, optional (To toast pecans, spread on a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Pecans are finished toasting when your kitchen smells buttery and pecan-y.  You’ll know.)  

Frosting

1 stick butter, softened

8 ounces (one “brick” package) cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup toasted & chopped pecans, optional 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x9 or 8x8 baking pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper if you have it.  

In large, microwave-safe bowl, melt butter.  Whisk in brown sugar and vanilla until smooth (mixture will appear grainy but whisk to break up any lumps of brown sugar).  Whisk in egg and egg yolk until mixture is smooth and creamy.  Sprinkle flour, ginger, cinnamon, and salt over the butter/sugar mixture and fold in until just combined (no streaks of flour visible).  Fold in grated carrots and pecans if using.  

Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top.  Bake for 25-35 minutes - until center is set (not jiggly!) and edges are golden brown.  Cool completely before frosting.  

While bars are baking, make frosting:  butter and cream cheese should be well softened, so if you planned ahead and took them out of the fridge this morning, well done! If not, soften in short bursts in the microwave - make sure to take the cream cheese out of the foil wrapper first!  Beat butter and cream cheese together in a stand mixer/with a hand mixer/by hand until smooth and no pieces of either butter or cream cheese are visible.  Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat well.  

When bars are completely cool, frost with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with pecans, if using.  Cut into small or large bars; no judgment.