These Zucchini Bars are tender, lightly spiced dessert bars topped with a rich, creamy Cream Cheese Frosting! A delicious way to sneak in zucchini, these bars are the perfect way to put all that zucchini to good use!
Is your garden overflowing with zucchini yet? It seems like every year there is an abundance.
If you’re like us, you probably find yourself realizing that there are only so many times you can grill it up or make zoodles before it’s time to find more ways to make good use of all of that zucchini!
Whether you want to make muffins (like these easy Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins) or cake (like our favorite Easy Chocolate Zucchini Cake) or even bread (like this irresistible Zucchini Carrot Cake Bread), there are so many ways to sneak zucchini into your baking!
These Zucchini Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are based off of our Frosted Chocolate Zucchini Bars. And while those bars still remain a favorite, we sometimes find ourselves wanting something without a lot of chocolate.
With a simple vanilla base, these super easy zucchini bars are spiced with a bit of cinnamon and a hint of nutmeg. But don’t worry, no zucchini flavor here!
While the bars are good on their own, we couldn’t resist adding another layer of flavor!
Topping them off is a layer of silky cream cheese frosting. Another simple flavor that has a big impact.
And since we’re all about dirtying as few bowls as possible, this recipe only dirties two.
Easy, delicious, and minimal dirty dishes! You’ll want to add these bars to your go-to recipe collection!
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosted Zucchini Bars
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until there are no longer any clumps of brown sugar.
Add in the milk, plain Greek yogurt, melted coconut oil, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir until combined.
Stir in the shredded zucchini. (If your zucchini is really wet, place it on a clean kitchen towel and lightly squeeze out some of the moisture.)
Spread batter in the prepared baking dish.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a couple of crumbs.
Remove the baking dish to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the bars are cooling, prepare the frosting.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat together the softened cream cheese, room temperature butter, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth.
Slowly beat in the confectioner’s sugar until creamy.
Spread the frosting over the completely cooled bars. (Make sure that the bars are cool!)
Cut into pieces, and enjoy!
Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Tips for Making Zucchini Bars
- You can use sour cream in place of the plain Greek yogurt.
- If you notice that your zucchini seems really wet when you first start shredding it, shred the zucchini onto a clean kitchen towel and then lightly squeeze the zucchini in the towel. You don’t want to squeeze out all of the moisture, just enough that it isn’t dripping wet.
- If you want more of a cake thickness and a thicker layer of frosting, use a 9×9 inch baking dish.
Love baking with zucchini? More zucchini recipes to try!
- Bakery Style Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Cinnamon Streusel Zucchini Banana Bread
- Frosted Chocolate Zucchini Bars
Zucchini Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
These Zucchini Bars are tender, lightly spiced dessert bars topped with a rich, creamy Cream Cheese Frosting! A delicious way to sneak in zucchini, these bars are the perfect way to put all that zucchini to good use!
Ingredients
For the Bars
- 1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 Cup sugar
- 1/4 Cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 Cup milk
- 1/2 Cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 Tablespoons melted coconut oil (measured in the liquid state), melted and cooled butter or canola oil would also work
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Cup shredded zucchini (Shred zucchini onto a paper towel or clean kitchen towel to soak up some of the moisture before using)
For the Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 Cups confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and brown sugar until there are no longer any clumps of brown sugar.
- Add the milk, plain Greek yogurt, melted coconut oil, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir until combined.
- Stir in shredded zucchini.
- Spread batter into prepared baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a couple of crumbs.
- Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the frosting while the bars are cooling. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat together the softened cream cheese, room temperature butter, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth.
- Slowly beat in the confectioner's sugar until creamy.
- Spread cream cheese frosting over the completely cooled bars.
- Cut into pieces, and serve.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 157Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 149mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 0gSugar: 16gProtein: 2g
Nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and may not always be accurate. Nutrition values can vary greatly based on brand used. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.
