Carrot Cake Oat Bars
The bakery trick here is blooming cinnamon in browned butter, which gives a home-oven batch the toasted depth of a pastry case without extra equipment. I fold in finely grated carrots so the bars…
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cups unsalted butter
- 2 eggs large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots
- 1/2 cup raisins
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides so the cooled bars lift out easily.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Keep cooking, swirling often, until the milk solids turn amber and smell nutty, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the cinnamon; the residual heat blooms the spice.
- Whisk the oats, flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a second bowl, whisk the browned butter mixture with the brown sugar and eggs until smooth.
- Pour the butter mixture into the oat mixture and stir just until no dry flour remains. Fold in the grated carrots and raisins. Do not squeeze the carrots; their moisture is what keeps these bars soft after refrigeration.
- Press the batter firmly and evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until the center is set and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the pan on a rack for at least 30 minutes, then use the parchment to lift the slab out. Let it cool completely before cutting into 9 bars; this gives the oats time to set and prevents crumbly portions.
- Store the bars in an airtight container with parchment between layers. Keep them at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate for up to 4 days, bringing one to room temperature before eating.
Watch the Carrot Cake Oat Bars cooking video
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