Zucchini Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting — Moist Spring Dessert

It’s still summer, and that means zucchini is everywhere — so zucchini bars to the rescue.

These zucchini bars make me a little bit of a hypocrite — I’m excited for fall and already have fall decor out, but I’m not ready for pumpkin yet. I’m still swimming, eating ice cream and using up summer produce, including making these bars.

Think zucchini bread, but in bar form — easier to slice, share and stash in the fridge.

These bars are denser than a classic cake — closer to banana bread in texture — and they’re especially delightful straight from the fridge. They’re finished with a rich, creamy cream cheese frosting that’s silky and not-too-sweet.

A touch of warm spice, a whole lot of zucchini, and a snack that’s essentially dessert but works for breakfast too.

These are my kind of bars.

Growing up, my mom used zucchini mostly in savory ways — her breaded parmesan rounds were a favorite and still are. I didn’t even try zucchini bread until college, which seems wild now given how many ways zucchini shows up in my baking.

I’ve always steered clear of nuts in baked bars and cookies unless they’re a deliberate, toasted garnish. So these zucchini bars are nut-free and straightforward: tender, slightly spiced, and full of vegetable goodness without any choking surprises.

Over time I developed my own takes on zucchini baked goods — everything from coconut chocolate chip zucchini bread to chocolate zucchini cupcakes, double chocolate cookies and chewy oatmeal zucchini cookies. While I love chocolate in many forms, these bars shine without it.

Perfect for the end of summer when zucchini is abundant and you’re ready for one more simple, satisfying recipe before the seasons change.

Zucchini Bars with Cream Cheese Icing

Yield: 10

Total Time: 1 hour hr

These zucchini bars are denser than cake and topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting. There’s a little spice, plenty of zucchini, and they work as snack, dessert or an indulgent breakfast.

4.91 from 82 votes

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Ingredients

• 2 cups freshly grated zucchini
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 cup loosely packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup coconut oil melted
• 3 large eggs lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

cream cheese frosting

• 2 8-ounce blocks cream cheese
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10 x 15 inch sheet pan with nonstick spray or oil. Squeeze the grated zucchini in a clean kitchen towel over the sink to remove as much liquid as possible.
• In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar, melted coconut oil, eggs and vanilla until combined. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, then fold in the grated zucchini until evenly distributed. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake 30–35 minutes, or until the bars are set and not jiggly in the center. Let cool completely before frosting.

cream cheese frosting

• Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, then add the vanilla and mix until fluffy. Spread over the cooled bars. Chill if you prefer them cold — they’re especially good straight from the fridge.

Notes

Recipe adapted from a classic zucchini bars version.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

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Just dying for that first bite.