These moist and fluffy zucchini bars with cream cheese frosting are the perfect way to use up fresh summer zucchini. They have a soft, cake-like texture, a hint of warm cinnamon flavor, and just the right amount of sweetness.
Made with shredded zucchini, carrots, and oats, these Amish zucchini bars are already packed with flavor, and then we top them off with a rich cream cheese frosting that makes them extra special.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love These Zucchini Bars
- Ingredients
- The Best Way to Use Garden Zucchini
- Easy Zucchini Bars Recipe
- Frosted Zucchini Bars
- Variations
- Can I Use Frozen Zucchini to Make These Amish Zucchini Bars?
- Can I Freeze Zucchini Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting?
- An Abundance of Summer Zucchini
- More Amish Dessert Bars Recipes
- 📖 Recipe Card
Why You'll Love These Zucchini Bars
- Soft and moist: Shredded zucchini keeps these bars tender and moist.
- Perfect for using extra zucchini: A great way to use up a garden harvest.
- Cream cheese frosting: The tangy frosting pairs perfectly with the lightly spiced zucchini bars.
- Freezer-friendly: Make a batch now and enjoy them later.
Ingredients
- Sugar sweetens the bars, adding flavor and moisture.
- Canola or Vegetable Oil provides moisture and richness.
- Applesauce adds moisture and helps to reduce the amount of oil needed. It also adds natural sweetness. (This can be replaced with more oil or butter.)
- Eggs act as a binding agent.
- Vanilla Extract enhances the flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour provides structure and texture.
- Salt enhances the flavors.
- Ground Cinnamon adds a warm, spicy flavor.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder act as leavening agents, helping the bars rise.
- Rolled Oats add texture and a slightly nutty flavor.
- Chopped Walnuts or Pecans (optional) add crunch and nuttiness to the bars. (This ingredient is optional and can be omitted for nut-free bars.)
- Shredded Zucchini adds moisture and nutrition, and helps create soft, tender bars.
- Shredded Carrot adds sweetness, moisture, and texture. It also adds a pop of color and additional nutrients.
For the cream cheese frosting:
- Cream Cheese provides the creamy base for the frosting, adding richness and tanginess.
- Butter adds richness and enhances the flavor.
- Powdered Sugar sweetens and thickens the frosting, creating a smooth texture.
- Vanilla Extract adds flavor.
- Salt enhances the overall flavor and balances the sweetness.
The Best Way to Use Garden Zucchini
If you have zucchini growing in your garden, you know how quickly it can multiply! These zucchini bars are one of my favorite ways to use extra zucchini because the shredded squash adds moisture and creates a soft, tender texture.
This post contains affiliate links...
Easy Zucchini Bars Recipe
Whenever I make these bars, I like to begin by shredding my vegetables and chopping the nuts so that everything is ready to add.
This zucchini bars recipe with cream cheese frosting is very easy to make. However, you will need to shred zucchini and carrots.
Simply wash and shred the zucchini. It does not need to be peeled.
Large zucchini often produces some liquid when it is shredded. And it's okay to add some of the liquid along with the zucchini. Although, you may want to drain some of it, as we don't want a lot of extra liquid.
Once you have the vegetables shredded, the bars will come together very quickly.
Frosted Zucchini Bars
These delicious and moist zucchini bars pair so well with cream cheese frosting. It adds the perfect touch!
But if you don't care for cream cheese frosting, perhaps you'd enjoy them with brown butter frosting. Or you can spread them with whipped buttercream, or your favorite frosting.
And if frosting is not your thing, then feel free to eat them without. They're delicious either way. Although I highly recommend adding the frosting 🙂 .
Variations
- You can add other mix-ins like chocolate chips, raisins, or dried cranberries for additional flavor and texture.
- Experiment with different spices such as nutmeg or ginger for a different flavor profile.
- If you're looking to make the bars vegan, you can substitute the eggs with flax eggs or commercial egg replacers, and use vegan cream cheese and butter for the frosting.
Can I Use Frozen Zucchini to Make These Amish Zucchini Bars?
Yes, you can use frozen shredded zucchini to make these bars. Every summer, I shred and freeze extra zucchini to use after the harvest is over.
I put a heaping 2 cups of shredded zucchini in freezer bags and lay them flat on a cookie sheet to freeze. And then I have zucchini to use throughout the year.
You will need to thaw and at least partially drain the zucchini before adding it to the batter.
Can I Freeze Zucchini Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting?
Yes, you can freeze these zucchini bars with cream cheese frosting.
You may know by now, that I am a huge fan of freezing baked goods to keep them fresh. However, these zucchini bars need to be refrigerated and will keep well in the refrigerator for up to a week.
But if your pan of bars will not get eaten within a week, I would recommend placing some of them into the freezer for later use.
After the bars are cooled and iced, slice them into squares and place them into an airtight container with parchment between layers. Then store them in the refrigerator or freezer.
Once frozen, remove them from the freezer to thaw at least a half-hour before serving.
An Abundance of Summer Zucchini
It's zucchini season again! I picked my first zucchini from the garden last week, and of course, my first thought was to make these zucchini bars.
If you've ever grown zucchini, you know how quickly it can go from a small squash to more zucchini than you know what to do with. Thankfully, zucchini is perfect for baking because it adds so much moisture and tenderness to baked goods.
Every summer, I make several zucchini recipes while the garden is producing, including zucchini casserole, these zucchini bars, chocolate zucchini cake, muffins, and my Amish zucchini bread with pineapple. But these cream cheese frosted carrot zucchini bars are always one of my favorites.
More Amish Dessert Bars Recipes
Perhaps you'd like to try more of my bar recipes...
If you try this Amish recipe for zucchini bars with cream cheese frosting, I'd love it if you left a comment and star rating below. Thank you!
Visit my shop to purchase my Amish cookbook
Check out my YouTube channel at MyAmishHeritage
📖 Recipe Card
Amish Zucchini Bars Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 ½ c. sugar
- ½ c. canola or vegetable oil
- ½ c. applesauce (or you can substitute this with another ½ c. oil)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- ¼ tsp. baking powder
- ¾ c. rolled oats (old-fashioned)
- 1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
- 2 c. shredded zucchini
- ½ c. shredded carrot (1 med. carrot)
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 (8 oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese
- ½ c. softened butter (1 stick)
- 2 ½ c. powdered sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp. salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, oil, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well.1 ½ c. sugar, ½ c. canola or vegetable oil, ½ c. applesauce (or you can substitute this with another ½ c. oil), 3 large eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Add the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix only to combine.2 c. all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon, 2 tsp. baking soda, ¼ tsp. baking powder
- Add the oats, nuts, shredded zucchini, and carrots. Stir to combine.¾ c. rolled oats (old-fashioned), 1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans, optional, 2 c. shredded zucchini, ½ c. shredded carrot (1 med. carrot)
- Spread the batter onto a greased 10" x 15" jelly roll pan.
- Bake at 350° for about 23 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with only a couple of crumbs.
- Cool the bars then frost with the cream cheese frosting. Cut into bars and serve.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to a week. Or you can also place the bars into an airtight container and freeze them for later.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In a mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth.1 (8 oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese, ½ c. softened butter (1 stick)
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Mix on low until the powdered sugar is incorporated. Then beat well for a couple of minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.2 ½ c. powdered sugar, 2 tsp. vanilla extract, ⅛ tsp. salt
- Spread the frosting onto the cooled bars.
Anna
So delicious!
Rhonda Antonsen
These were simple to make and so yummy! I used cinnamon applesauce for the applesauce. I feel like like the applesauce is what makes them so moist. I liked the addition of carrots in this recipe. It makes for a great combination. I will be adding this to my recipe collection.
Anna
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed them.
Rose Kostelecky
I made these yesterday. So easy. Absolutely delicious! I will definitely be making them again!
Anna
So glad you enjoyed them!
Jean
When it says rolled oats. Are you meaning the quick oats or old fashioned oats?
Anna
I'm sorry, I guess I was thinking that rolled oats usually means old-fashioned oats. The old-fashioned is what I use.