Carrot Cake Blondies
One of our most-cherished family recipes is my Granny’s Carrot Cake. No matter the time of year, it is the perfect addition to any family gathering. I think my love for her perfect carrot cake recipe is most likely what drew me to these delicious carrot cake blondies.
Why You’ll Love These Carrot Cake Blondies!
- They taste just like carrot cake! – Carrot cake lovers, rejoice! You can enjoy all the carrot cake flavors of your beloved veggie cake, but in a handheld blondie form!
- They have a fudgy texture! – We all love blondies because they have that moist, fudgy texture of a chocolate brownie, but with a completely different set of flavors!
- The frosting sets it off! – One of my favorite parts of carrot cake is the cream cheese frosting. Don’t worry, I didn’t skip that when I made my carrot cake blondies recipe!
Ingredients Needed For Carrot Cake Blondie Bars
Don’t let the ingredient list discourage you!
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There are a lot of ingredients, but that’s because you have different batters to mix up for the blondies themselves and then there’s the star of the show – the cream cheese frosting.
Blondies
- 1 Stick of Butter – Use unsalted butter (or, omit the salt as a separate ingredient), and you’ll be melting it first thing. If you melt the butter in a saucepan, you can brown it slightly. This gives it a slightly nutty flavor that is perfect for the blondie batter!
- 1 1/2 Cups of Brown Sugar – Blondies are a lot like brownies, but they have a beautiful molasses and vanilla flavor instead! Using brown sugar will get you that flavor. Either dark or light brown sugar will work just fine.
- 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract – The vanilla extract is key to these carrot cake bars. Blondies are just vanilla brownies!
- 1 Teaspoon of Almond Extract – Almond extract really complements this recipe well! Don’t skip it!
- 1 Egg + 1 Egg Yolk – The moisture, leavening agent, and binder of the recipe! Large eggs incorporate best into batters when they are warm, so set them out ahead of time if you can.
- 1 Cup of Carrots – You can’t make carrot bars without carrots! You’ll need a full cup of finely grated carrots. Do it yourself, or buy a bag of pre-shredded carrots. I will say, though, that fresh carrots grated using a box grater have a stronger flavor! You can taste the difference in this dessert!
- 1 1/2 Cups of Flour – All-purpose flour works best, but you can also use white whole wheat flour! Typically, wheat flour soaks up more moisture than all-purpose flour, so start with 1 1/4 cup first and see if you’ll need more.
- 1/2 Teaspoon of Ginger – It’s time to add some spices! Use either ground ginger or freshly grated ginger. They have very different flavors, and each tastes delicious!
- 1/2 Teaspoon of Cinnamon – Ground cinnamon pairs so well with carrot.
- 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt – Just a pinch, to balance out the sweetness. If you used salted butter, don’t add any more salt!
- 1/2 Cups of Pecans – A bit of crunch! Walnuts work well, if you can’t find pecans.
Frosting
- 1/2 Stick of Butter – Cream cheese frosting really uses buttercream frosting as its base. So pull out your butter ahead of time and let it come up to room temperature! Use unsalted butter, or omit the salt as a separate ingredient.
- 8 Ounces of Cream Cheese – The cream cheese needs to be just as soft as the butter, so set it out on the counter as well. (Psst… did you forget to set out your butter and cream cheese? Just fill a bowl with boiling water, let it sit for a minute, then pour out the water and overturn the empty bowl over the butter and cream cheese. The residual heat will soften the ingredients right up!)
- 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt – Again, if you used salted butter, don’t add more salt as a separate ingredient.
- 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract – Vanilla really adds a depth to your frosting flavor!
- 2 Cups of Powdered Sugar – A word to the wise: don’t try to mix in all of this confectioner’s sugar at once, or your whole kitchen will have a proper dusting.
For The Topping
- 1/2 Cup of Pecans – You’ll top these carrot cake brownies with a sprinkling of chopped pecans. Other toppings you might try are caramel sauce or shredded coconut!
How To Make Carrot Cake Blondies
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and line a square baking pan with parchment paper. You could also spray the bottom of the pan with cooking spray.
- Melt the butter using the stove or the microwave. I like to use the stove, because then I can brown the butter somewhat, and that brings out a nutty flavor.
- In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract. You can use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed to handle this, and all the mixing to come.
- Add the egg and egg yolk, whisking until the batter is smooth.
- Add grated carrots. Use a spoon to fold the carrots into the batter until evenly distributed and well coated.
- Add the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt), and mix until all of the ingredients are completely blended together.
- Pour batter into baking pan, and use a spatula to spread it out in an even layer.
- Bake for 30 minutes. You need the edges to be slightly brown and the center to be set. Let the blondies fully cool before doing any frosting.
- While the blondies are baking, mix up your cream cheese frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip together the butter, cream cheese, and salt until light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla, mix again, and then start adding the powdered sugar, one cup at a time.
- Frost the cooled carrot cake bars with the cream cheese icing, and then sprinkled the top of the frosting with chopped pecans.
- Use the parchment paper to remove the blondies from the pan, cut into squares, and eat up.
Storing Leftover Carrot Cake Blondie Bars
If you have leftover carrot cake blondie bars, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
If you need to stack them in layers, use wax paper or parchment paper to keep the frosting from sticking to the bottom of the blondies on top.
Carrot Cake Blondies
One of my favorite parts of carrot cake is the cream cheese frosting. Don't worry, I don't skip that when I make these carrot cake blondies!
Equipment
- Parchment Paper
- Baking Pan
Ingredients
Blondies
- 1 Stick Stick Butter
- 1 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Teaspoon Almond Extract
- 1 Egg + 1 Egg Yolk
- 1 Cup Carrots
- 1 1/2 Cups Flour
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ginger
- 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Cups Pecans
Frosting
- 1/2 Stick of Butter
- 8 Ounces Cream Cheese
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Cups Powdered Sugar
Topping
- 1/2 Cup Pecans
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and line a square baking pan with parchment paper. You could also spray the bottom of the pan with cooking spray.
- Melt the butter using the stove or the microwave. I like to use the stove, because then I can brown the butter somewhat, and that brings out a nutty flavor.
- In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract. You can use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed to handle this, and all the mixing to come.
- Add the egg and egg yolk, whisking until the batter is smooth.
- Add grated carrots. Use a spoon to fold the carrots into the batter until evenly distributed and well coated.
- Add the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt), and mix until all of the ingredients are completely blended together.
- Pour batter into baking pan, and use a spatula to spread it out in an even layer.
- Bake for 30 minutes. You need the edges to be slightly brown and the center to be set. Let the blondies fully cool before doing any frosting.
- While the blondies are baking, mix up your cream cheese frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip together the butter, cream cheese, and salt until light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla, mix again, and then start adding the powdered sugar, one cup at a time.
- Frost the cooled carrot cake bars with the cream cheese icing, and then sprinkled the top of the frosting with chopped pecans.
- Use the parchment paper to remove the blondies from the pan, cut into squares, and eat up.
Another Delicious Blondie Recipe
If your family loves Blondies, these Birthday Cake Blondies will not disappoint!
