The Best Zucchini Bars Step By Step Recipe

These zucchini bars are so delicious that you might not want to share. They’re super soft and fluffy and they’re loaded with flavor. Top them with a dollop of sweet cream cheese frosting.

Y’all, do you know the trick of using sour cream for baking?

I sure didn’t until I was watching my mother-in-law making up a batch of pancakes, but instead of using water, she used sour cream.

Say what??

In no uncertain terms, she told me to use sour cream in my baking for more flavor and richness. Yes, ma’am.

I have listened to her for 20 years and use sour cream everywhere I can in my cakes, cookies, bread, pancakes, zucchini bread, and zucchini bars.

In fact, I do this so often that Nate can head to Cub Foods, walk right to the Kemps sour cream (in the fridge in the back and middle of the store–if you ever use the Stillwater, MN location :)), and be back out the door in minutes. It’s a handy dandy skill, he has.

Zucchini Bars Key Ingredients:

• Grated Zucchini. If you have a food processor, use it to process your zucchini into small bits rather than using the shredder for grated zucchini. So handy! You don’t need to press out the liquid, I’ve taken that liquid into account for this recipe. Just throw it in!
• Sour Cream. Use Kemps® Sour Cream to pack in more flavor, moisture, and richness to each bite. Kemps is 100% family farmer-owned and has the perfect texture and taste to make your taste buds do a happy dance when they take a bite!
• Flour. I have successfully used gluten-free flour with these bars many times. This is a great recipe for your favorite gluten-free flour.

Add-ins to try in your zucchini bars:

• chocolate chips
• coconut
• pineapple tidbits
• chopped nuts
• dried fruit
• tsp nutmeg or cloves. 
• couple teaspoons vanilla extract

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting Key ingredients:

Cream cheese frosting is a classic pairing for zucchini bars. But have you tried lemon cream cheese frosting paired with them?

So good.

The zesty, lemon-y, cream cheese frosting is the BEST with these zucchini bars. The ultimate. All you need to do is add a bit of lemon juice and zest to amp up the flavor. I mean, so good!

• Butter. Be sure to have your butter at room temperature 
• Cream Cheese.
• Powdered Sugar.
• Lemon zest.

How to make Zucchini Bars:

1. Preheat the oven and prepare a cake pan.
2. In a large bowl use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the wet ingredients together.
3. Stir the dry ingredients into the mixture.
4. Fold in the zucchini and any additional add-in’s.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
6. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack until ready to frost.
7. Beat the cream cheese and butter together.
8. A bit at a time, add the powdered sugar to the mixture beating well after each addition.
9. Add the lemon juice and zest. Beat again.
10. Spread the frosting onto the cooled bars. Serve or chill.

Side note that I think is cool…Y’all know that I live in Stillwater, MN. I love this town! Cub Foods began here in Stillwater, MN and has its headquarters about ¼ mile from my house. I’m a geek about that :).

See ^^^, Stillwater MN :).

Zucchini Bars with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

| 24 servings

Prep Time | 10 minutes mins

Total Time | 35 minutes mins

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

These sour cream zucchini bars are packed full of yummy flavor and topped with creamy, zesty lemon cream cheese frosting

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup Kemps Sour Cream I used regular but you can use their light sour cream, if preferred.
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups shredded zucchini

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• dash salt

Check out our Kitchen Reference Guide for help with unfamiliar terms.

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Grease a sheet cake pan or 9 by 13 inch pan.
• Beat the sugar, sour cream, and eggs together for 2 minutes.
• Stir in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
• Fold in the shredded zucchini and any additional add-in’s.
• Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

• Beat the cream cheese and butter together for about 3 minutes.
• A bit at a time, add the powdered sugar beating well after each addition.
• Add the lemon juice and zest. Beat again.
• Spread the frosting onto the cooled bars. Serve or chill.

Notes

I use a sheet cake pan for these bars but a 9 by 13 would work, as well. 

Nutrition

Calories: 258kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 3gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 119mgPotassium: 97mgFiber: 1gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 346IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 1mg

Other delicious bars to try:

Midwest Lemon Bars

Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Jelly Bars

Easy Old-fashioned Date Bars – just like Grandma’s, not too sweet.