Zucchini Dessert Bars are among my favorite zucchini recipes. The cake is moist from the fresh zucchini and brown sugar, and the cinnamon with nutmeg lend delicious flavors. Baked in a 9″ x 9″ dish, this easy cake is great as a dessert, snack, or take it to work and share. Employee of the year!
End of summer is what I call Zucchini Season.
It’s hot, kids are heading back to school, and everyone’s got zucchini in their gardens.
You can get zucchini year round, of course, so you can enjoy recipes like Easy Cheesy Baked Zucchini and Zucchini Snickerdoodle Bread any time you want.
It’s also a great way to throw something healthy into a dessert…you know, next to the sugar and butter.
Making Zucchini Dessert Bars
Grab a large bowl and a small/medium bowl for mixing everything together.
You’ll also need a 9″ x 9″ baking dish, then preheat your oven to 350°.
Ok, melt the butter and let it cool while you measure other ingredients.
You don’t want to add hot melted butter to raw eggs or the eggs start to cook.
Next, add the eggs, melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract to the large bowl and whisk until thoroughly blended.
In the small bowl, add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.
Stir the dry ingredients until the color is consistent and you’re sure everything is blended.
Add the dry ingredients and pecans to the large bowl and mix until everything is consistently wet.
There should be no dry spots, but also, don’t over mix.
Lastly, fold in the shredded zucchini.
Ready the baking dish.
Prep your baking dish with shortening, butter, or non-stick spray.
If you plan on serving the cake on a different dish than you bake it in, you need to get it out whole.
After spraying, place a square of parchment paper on the bottom of the dish, then spray it again to help it pop out easier.
If you plan on leaving the cake in the dish for serving, the parchment paper isn’t needed.
Pour the batter into the dish and spread it around so it’s level.
Bake for 38 – 42 minutes, then allow to cool on a wire rack.
Do I frost it or what?
As pictured, I frosted my Zucchini Dessert Bars today with Brown Butter Frosting. So good!
Cut the bars first, then frost. This way the frosting looks pretty and undisturbed.
You can reduce the frosting recipe by half for this 9″ x 9″ dessert, as the recipe is designed for a 13″ x 9.” It’s a bit much.
The Brown Butter Frosting is a favorite of mine, but these bars are delicious with a variety of topping.
For instance, dollop each bar with Cool Whip. Easy peasy! Or, a simple sprinkling of powdered sugar.
Or serve with a cream cheese, vanilla, or other buttercream frosting.
Wait! Hold everything…how about serving them still warm with ice cream? Yes!
We all have our favorites…what’s yours?
Leave me a comment below if you make this and share what frosting you used.
Zucchini Dessert Bars
Materials
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup butter, melted
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 3/4 cup pecans, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups zucchini, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In large bowl, mix eggs, melted butter, both sugars, and vanilla.
- In small bowl, thoroughly blend flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.
- Stir dry ingredients and pecans into large bowl with wet ingredients until no dry spots remain. Do not over mix.
- Fold in shredded zucchini.
- Spray 9" x 9" baking dish with non-stick spray. Pour batter into dish and spread evenly. Bake 38 - 42 minutes.
- Frost with your favorite frosting or a dollop of Cool Whip on each serving. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Zucchini Dessert Bars
Follow me on Pinterest and sign up for emails for the latest recipe out of my kitchen.
More importantly, have fun baking, enjoy your friends and family, and have a blessed day.
Copyright © Sweet Ordeal. All content and images are copyright protected. Do not use any images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, make sure to re-write the recipe in your own words and only list ingredients making sure to link back to this post for the original recipe and directions.