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Uh hello, Carrot Cake Cookie bar of my dreams, or wait is that a cake bar of my dreams? I’m not sure which one to call them so I’ll just call them delicious. You need to make these Carrot Cake Bars IMMEDIATELY!
Carrot Cake Cookies with Pineapple
These bars take all the flavors of a perfect carrot cake with pineapple and put them in a layered bar. Perfection. Cinnamon oatmeal base, carrot and pineapple filling, crumbly topping, and a cream cheese drizzle. All in one tasty bar. YES PLEASE!
If you know me or follow me you KNOW, I’m a massive fan of coffee house cookie bars at home. I like to make Rhubarb Bars all season long. And also all winter long because I freeze all the rhubarb from my garden to use all winter long.
I couldn’t leave well enough alone with the rhubarb bars and tried them with strawberries and OH YUM, they’re amazing. Then, of course, I had to try blueberry bars, equally tasty. Now I’ve done it again with carrot cake bars! Each of these recipes uses variations of the original rhubarb bars recipe.
For these carrot cake bars, I’ve changed up my cookie bar recipe just a bit. I’ve reduced the overall sugar in the filling because pineapple is sweet. I’ve also added a little cinnamon, and of course, that cream cheese drizzle is new too.
One thing I love about these carrot cake cookies is that it doesn’t require anything fancy or special ingredient-wise: just essential pantry items, carrots, and cream cheese. Plus you get a nice big batch for sharing or sending in lunches or nibbling on when no one is home. Only with a cup of coffee mind you.
All in all if you like carrot cake with pineapple, you’re going to love this fun take on that recipe. Well, you know what? My husband doesn’t even like carrot cake, and he loves these bars, so basically everyone should try them! And if you’re looking for a beautiful cake try my Carrot Cake Roll, you won’t be disappointed!
Carrot Cake Bars
Ingredients
Base and Topping Layer
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups oatmeal
- 1 1/3 cups brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt , if using unsalted butter
- 1 cup butter, cold
Carrot Cake Filling
- 1 16 ounce can pineapple chunks
- 3 cups grated carrot
- 2 TBSP sugar
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
Cream Cheese Drizzle
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 TBSP sugar
- 1 TBSP milk
Instructions
Base Layer and Crumble Topping
- pre-heat oven to 350˚
- mix flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together
- cut cold butter in small pieces and work into the flour mixture until it looks like crumbs, be sure you don't leave any big chunks of butter
- set aside one cup of the crumbs, press the rest in a 9X13 baking pan
Carrot Cake Filling
- drain the pineapple and save the juice, no need to drain it completely you just want most of the juice drained off
- in a saucepan over medium heat lightly crush the pineapple with a potato masher, alternately you can chop about half of it with some scissors, you just want it a little broken up
- let it cook while grate the carrots, then add the carrots to the pan, stir in the sugar and let it cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, if it's too dry add a splash of the pineapple juice
- measure 1/2 cup of the pineapple juice and whisk it into the flour until smooth
- pour the pineapple juice flour mixture into the saucepan on the stove, cook and stir until the mixture is thick and bubbly
- the pour the bubbling carrot-pineapple mixture over the base layer, spreading evenly
- sprinkle with reserved crumbs
- place in preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until set and firm
- cool
Cream Cheese Drizzle
- mix the softened cream cheese and sugar together
- add milk a teaspoon at a time until it's drizzling consistency either for using a bag OR using a fork and bowl method
- put in a piping bag or use a fork and drizzle over the cooled carrot cake bars
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