Change up your usual zucchini bread treats with these amazingly good Cinnamon Frosted Zucchini bars! Covered in a thin glaze of cinnamon icing, these zucchini bars are easy to make and freeze wonderfully.
Love zucchini? Our Zucchini Orange Muffins are delightful. Perfect for breakfast or dessert! Or make some zoodles for dinner tonight!
Why this Recipe Works
Like you may have gathered by now, I’m a big fan of the moisture and flavor zucchini adds to baked goods.
These bars are more moist and sweet than a typical zucchini bread and remind me a bit of a soft baked cake bar in texture.
- The bars themselves are delicious enough to enjoy without the frosting.
- That said, please, please, please make the cinnamon frosting! It’s just too good to miss out on! With real cinnamon, butter and powdered sugar, it adds a thin layer of glazed sweetness (and the tiniest hint of spice)!
- With two cups of zucchini in the batter, you can totally justify these as a “healthy” breakfast option, too.
- These bars also taste wonderful with cream cheese frosting, in case you’re wondering!
While you’re at it, you might as well make Lemon Zucchini Cake, Zucchini Brownies and classic Zucchini Banana Bread too. You can stock your freezer full and have great tasting zucchini baked goods all year long!
Ingredient Notes
I’ve been swimming in zucchini lately so I always have plenty of it on hand for turning into bars. But, if you don’t grow your own, these bars are totally worth running out to the farmer’s market or supermarket.
- Zucchini, grated– if using zucchini that you already froze, be sure to squeeze out the excess moisture, THEN measure it.
- Butter– I always use unsalted butter in my baking, unless otherwise noted. If using salted butter, omit the kosher salt in this recipe.
- Sugars- a combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar keeps these bars sweet AND moist!
- Vanilla Extract- gives these bars a boost of flavor, like cookies! Be sure to choose a pure vanilla extract (not imitation) or make your own homemade vanilla extract to save money and give as gifts!
Easy Instructions
STEP 1. Cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour, cinnamon and baking powder. Fold in the shredded zucchini and mix until well blended.
STEP 2. Pour into greased jelly roll pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.
STEP 3. Add frosting.
Cinnamon Frosting Recipe
While the bars are baking, prepare the cinnamon frosting. You’ll need:
- Melted Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon
- Milk
To make the frosting:
Mix powdered sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, vanilla and milk until creamy. Add more milk, a tablespoon at a time, if necessary if the frosting seems too thick. You want it to be pourable but not watery!
Spread onto the cooled bars, slice and serve!
Want a little tang? Use our sour cream frosting and add a little cinnamon. Creamy and smooth!
For a crunchy finish, top these bars with some toasted pecans or walnuts!
Recipe FAQs
To grate zucchini, cut off the ends, slice the zucchini in half lengthwise and remove as many of the seeds as possible. Then use a large box grater to grate the insides into shreds. You can also use a food processor with grater attachment!
To freeze zucchini bars, store in a freezer safe container with a sheet of parchment paper between each layer of bars. You can also freeze them in individual portions double wrapped in foil and saran wrap.
Adding chopped walnuts or pecans would be delicious in our zucchini bar recipe! I would start with 1/2 cup-1 cup of chopped nuts.
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Cinnamon Frosted Zucchini Bars
Ingredients
For the Bars:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cups grated zucchini
For the Frosting:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and both sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until blended.
- Mix in flour, cinnamon and baking powder JUST until combined. Fold in zucchini.
- Pour into a greased jelly roll pan (15x10x1-inch) and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.
- While baking, prepare frosting. Mix powdered sugar, cinnamon, melted butter vanilla and milk until creamy. Add milk if necessary to get desired consistency.
- Cool zucchini bars and frost. Cut into squares, serve, and eat!
Notes
- Grated Zucchini: Use our guide on how to shred zucchini.
- STORAGE: To freeze zucchini bars, store in a freezer safe container with a sheet of parchment paper between each layer of bars. You can also freeze them in individual portions double wrapped in foil and saran wrap.
- Nuts. Adding chopped walnuts or pecans would be delicious in our zucchini bar recipe! I would start with 1/2 cup-1 cup of chopped nuts.
Nutrition
Hurry! Make a pan of Cinnamon Frosted Zucchini Bars to treat your family before all that garden zucchini is gone. Whether you serve them for breakfast or dessert, everyone will rave about them!
Looks delicous! Found you via Sweet as Sugar Cookie’s link up. Can’t wait to make these as my hubby has been bugging me for Zucchini Bars!
I love to bake in my jelly roll pan. Somehow I justify that the thinner the cake square, the more I can eat. These look delicious. Zucchini is so good with cinnamon. Thanks for sharing on A Well-Seasoned Life’s Sweet Indulgences Sunday.
These look fantastic!
I wish I had seen these before. I just went through the last of my zucchinni to make a Zucchini Frittata – I am thinking these would have been better to sooth my never ending sweet tooth. Thanks for linking to Fat Camp Friday, enjoy your weekend and see you next time! http://bit.ly/mTxy7l
I’ll be making these tomorrow morning! I just got 3 HUGE zucchinis from a friend’s garden and saw mine are finally coming in too! These look delicious! Thank you!
Looks SO yummy! Thanks for linking up. Just wanted to let you know I’ll be featuring you next week.
I am so making this, too bad my garden zukes have already given up for the summer, but I will surely make this next year. Thanks for sharing.
I’m on zucchini overload, so I’ll have to give these a try! I’d love to have one right now…
I’m posting zucchini recipes all week!
Hello Aimee! I found you through Basilmomma’s Blog Hop. Your Cinnamon Frosted Zucchini Bars look delish!
Have a great day! Sherri
http://www.FoodBasics101.com
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This looks soooo good. I would love it if you stopped by tomorrow for “Turning the Table Thursday” to share some of your recipes. (link opens at midnight EST on Weds)
Thanks,
Wendy
Around My Family Table
Thanks for linking up to Tuesday Confessional this week! You were featured, so grab a button and get your brag on! http://www.craftyconfessions.com/2011/07/as-i-write-this-i-am-having-major-sugar.html
I can’t wait to see what you wow us with next week.
~Macy
Your zucchini bars looks delicious! I have only one zucchini plant but I’ve already picked one and there are several more that are almost ready. I will have to try this!
Thanks so much for linking up to Tasty Tuesdays!
Alissa
Oh yum! These look delicious! I love zucchini and zucchini bread, but have never had it with cinnamon. This sounds so good!
Aimee, these bars look wonderful!
Yum! I really wish I would have made some room in my garden for some zucchini…your recipe looks delicious!
Yum!! I love zucchini and my favotie way to eat it is in dessert form!!! Shouldn’t surprise you!! 🙂 Thanks for linking up to 2 Maids a Baking!!
I can’t wait until my Mom’s garden has some zucchini!! I have so many yummy recipes planned for it this year! These bars look delicious.
oh my these look great! I love zucchini!
I am so making these! I would love it if you would link up to my Tuesday Confessional link party going on now: http://www.craftyconfessions.com/2011/07/tuesday-confessional-link-up-2.html. I hope to see you soon!
~Macy from Confessions of a SAHM
I know a lot of folks who don’t eat eggs (they’re allergic, for health reasons, or concerns about animal cruelty). Here’s an awesome site that gives tips on cooking and baking without eggs: http://EggFreeLiving.com