Homemade Zucchini Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

If you ask me, zucchini bars are one of summer’s best treats.

These soft, cake-like squares turn garden-fresh zucchini into something truly special. The moist, lightly spiced base brings just the right amount of sweetness, while the cream cheese frosting adds that perfect finishing touch.

I’ve made these bars countless times when my neighbors share their overflow of summer squash, and they’re always met with happy faces and recipe requests. The zucchini practically melts into the batter, making even vegetable skeptics come back for seconds.

It’s a wonderful way to use up extra zucchini while creating something that feels more like dessert than a veggie dish.

What Kind of Zucchini Should I Use?

For baking, medium-sized zucchini (about 6-8 inches long) are your best bet since they’re tender and have smaller seeds than larger ones. If you’ve got garden zucchini that have grown to baseball bat size, avoid using them as they tend to be woody and have large, bitter seeds. When grating your zucchini, there’s no need to peel it – the skin adds nice flecks of green to your bars and contains extra nutrients. Just be sure to give it a good wash, trim off the ends, and squeeze out any excess moisture after grating to prevent your bars from becoming too wet.

Options for Substitutions

Need to make some swaps? Here are some helpful substitutions for this recipe:

• Zucchini: You can swap zucchini with grated yellow summer squash or carrots. Just make sure to squeeze out excess moisture before using, just like you would with zucchini.
• Coconut oil: Not a fan of coconut oil? Use an equal amount of vegetable oil, melted butter, or applesauce (for a lower-fat option, though the texture might be slightly different).
• Brown sugar: White sugar works too – just add 1 tablespoon of molasses for that same rich flavor. Or use coconut sugar as a 1:1 replacement.
• Cream cheese: For the frosting, mascarpone cheese makes a good substitute. If you’re dairy-free, try dairy-free cream cheese alternatives, though the texture might be slightly different.
• Plain flour: For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. Whole wheat pastry flour also works, but might make the bars slightly denser.
• Eggs: For each egg, you can use 1/4 cup mashed banana or 1/4 cup applesauce, though this might change the flavor slightly.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest challenge when making zucchini bars is dealing with excess moisture – make sure to squeeze out as much liquid as possible from your shredded zucchini using a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth, or you’ll end up with soggy bars that won’t set properly. Getting the cream cheese frosting right can be tricky too – always use room temperature cream cheese and butter, as cold ingredients will leave you with lumpy frosting that’s hard to spread. For the perfect texture, avoid overmixing the batter once you’ve combined the wet and dry ingredients, as this can lead to dense, tough bars instead of light and fluffy ones. A helpful tip is to line your baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides – this makes it much easier to lift out the bars for frosting and cutting later.

What to Serve With Zucchini Bars?

These sweet zucchini bars make a perfect afternoon treat, and they pair wonderfully with a hot cup of coffee or tea. If you’re serving them for dessert, try adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side – the cold, creamy ice cream is so good with the spiced zucchini cake and cream cheese frosting. For a casual brunch spread, I like to serve these bars alongside some fresh fruit like strawberries or peaches to balance out the sweetness. You could also pair them with a glass of cold milk, which helps cut through the richness of the cream cheese frosting.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: Since these zucchini bars have cream cheese frosting, they need to be kept in the fridge. Place them in an airtight container and they’ll stay fresh for up to 5 days. I like to separate layers with parchment paper to keep the frosting looking nice and prevent the bars from sticking together.

Freeze: You can freeze these tasty bars for up to 3 months! Place them in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers. Just remember that the texture of the cream cheese frosting might change slightly after freezing, but they’ll still taste great.

Make Ahead: Want to prep these in advance? You can make the bars and store them unfrosted in an airtight container at room temperature for a day. When you’re ready to serve, whip up the cream cheese frosting fresh and frost them then. This way, you’ll get the best texture and taste!

Thaw: When you’re ready to enjoy frozen bars, just transfer them to the fridge overnight. Let them sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before serving for the best taste and texture.

Preparation Time	15-20 minutes
Cooking Time	30-35 minutes
Total Time	45-55 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3200-3500
• Protein: 30-40 g
• Fat: 180-200 g
• Carbohydrates: 450-480 g

Ingredients

• 2 cups freshly shredded zucchini
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 3 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
• 2 blocks of cream cheese (8 ounces each)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Step 1: Prepare the Oven and Baking Pan

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

While the oven is heating, take a 10 x 15 inch sheet pan and spray it with nonstick spray.

Coconut oil works great for this purpose, but you can use any nonstick spray you have on hand.

Set the pan aside.

Step 2: Prep the Zucchini

Take your grated zucchini and place it in a large kitchen towel.

Hold the towel over the sink and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.

This will help ensure your bars have the right texture and aren’t too moist.

Step 3: Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.

Whisk these dry ingredients together until they are well combined, ensuring any clumps are broken up.

Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients

In a large separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, melted coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.

Gradually fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet mixture until everything is combined.

Add the prepped zucchini, folding it into the batter until it’s evenly dispersed.

Step 5: Bake the Bars

Pour the batter into your greased sheet pan and spread it out evenly.

Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the bars are set and no longer jiggly in the center.

Once baked, take the pan out and let the bars cool completely before frosting.

Step 6: Make and Apply the Frosting

While the bars are cooling, prepare the frosting.

Beat the cream cheese and butter together in a bowl until creamy.

Gradually add in the sugar, beating until fully combined, then mix in the vanilla extract.

Once the bars are completely cool, spread the frosting over them evenly.

For a delightful twist, pop the frosted bars in the fridge and serve them cold for an enjoyable treat!