This carrot bread is just like banana bread but carrot cake! This is a super soft bread filled with spices, carrots, and topped with cream cheese icing. This bread has all of the soft, moist texture of banana bread and all of the flavors of a classic carrot cake.
This carrot bread is tender and soft, but packs a great flavor with all of the carrot cake spices. It even has a cream cheese frosting to complete it. This carrot bread recipe is perfect for an Easter brunch or any other spring celebration! You can even have it for a birthday dessert if you love it as much as my husband does!
For more breakfast recipes try, Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls, Blueberry Coffee Cake, and Chocolate Pancakes.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Perfect texture- This carrot bread is a moist bread that feels so good to eat.
- Carrot cake flavor- Carrot cake is a family favorite flavor that works perfectly in a bread! You will love this delicious recipe.
- Easy recipe- This simple carrot bread recipe is the best way to make a homemade carrot bread because it breaks it down into easy to follow steps!
Ingredient Notes
Here are some notes on the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- Unsalted butter- Melt the butter for the bread before you need it so it has time to cool.
- Milk- Any kind of milk will work.
- Eggs- Pull the large eggs out 2 hours before baking.
- Brown sugar- I used light brown sugar.
- Powdered sugar- Make sure this is sifted to get a smooth icing.
- Cream cheese- Pull this out 2 hours before baking to get to room temperature.
- Grated carrots- Make sure to grate these fresh as grated carrots dry become dry and hard if left out for too long. Use the fine side of a box grater to grate carrots for this.
Step By Step Instructions
Here is how to make and bake this carrot bread. This recipe uses a stand mixer with paddle attachment.
STEP 1: Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Then, spray a 9X5 inch loaf pan with baking nonstick spray. Line the bottom and two sides with parchment paper and spray again.
Tip: leave enough of the parchment paper coming up the side to grab and use as handles when removing the loaf.
STEP 2: Dry ingredients. Mix the all purpose flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl.
STEP 3: Beat butter. In a separate bowl, use your mixer to beat the room temperature melted butter, brown sugar, and sugar on high speed for 2 minutes.
STEP 4: Combine. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, eggs, and shredded carrots to the butter mixture and mix on medium speed until combined.
Then, add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined.
STEP 5: Bake. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes. It is done when a cake tester ( or toothpick) inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
STEP 6: Cool. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
STEP 7: Beat butter for icing. Use a small bowl and hand mixer to beat the butter and cream cheese on high speed until smooth.
STEP 8: Complete icing. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Then, add the vanilla extract and milk and stir it until it is creamy.
Pour the frosting over the carrot bread.
Expert Baking Tips
- Properly measure the flour- Make sure the flour is spooned and leveled. If you stick the measuring cup directly into the flour, it will compact the flour. Compacted flour can cause the cake to be dry.
- To easily remove the bread from the pan. Make sure to first spray the pan with baking nonstick spray. Then, line the bottom with parchment paper, so when it is time to remove the cake, it can be easily lifted out of the pan.
- Make sure to not over mix the batter, so it doesn't get tough.
- Keep the bread on a cooling rack and place a cookie sheet underneath, then pour the cream cheese glaze on top.
FAQ
Yes it can! It can be made into a 8X8-inch square pan or 9X9-inch square pan.
Yes it can! It will make 12-18 muffins! Bake for 18-20 minutes.
If your bread is dry you either added too much flour (be sure not to compact your flour) or it was overbaked.
Storing and Freezing
Store the carrot bread in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days. It needs to go in the fridge because of the frosting.
Freezing
Wrap the individual slices in plastic wrap or use an airtight storage container. Keep it in the freezer up to 30 days.
Other Spring Recipes To Try
Make sure to leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @stephaniesweettreats. To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.
📖 Recipe
Carrot Bread
Ingredients
Carrot Bread
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon Ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon Pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup Unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ¾ cup Brown sugar packed light or dark
- ¾ cup White granulated sugar
- ¼ cup Sour cream room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- 2 Large eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ cups Grated carrots about 6 medium carrots
Cream Cheese Icing
- 2 oz Cream cheese room temperature
- 2 tablespoon Unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup Powdered sugar sifted
- ¼ cup Milk
Instructions
Carrot Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9X5-inch loaf pan with baking nonstick spray. Line the bottom and 2 sides of the pan with parchment paper and spray again.
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and pumpkin pie spice.2 cups All-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon Baking soda, 1 teaspoon Salt, 2 teaspoon Ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon Ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon Ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon Pumpkin pie spice
- Using a mixer, beat the melted butter (make sure it is cooled to room temperature), brown sugar, and sugar on high speed for 2 minutes.½ cup Unsalted butter, ¾ cup Brown sugar, ¾ cup White granulated sugar
- Add sour cream, vanilla, eggs, and grated carrots. Mix on medium until combined.¼ cup Sour cream, 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, 1 ½ cups Grated carrots, 2 Large eggs
- Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let the bread sit in the hot pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool completely before icing.
Cream Cheese Icing
- In a small bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese on high speed.2 oz Cream cheese, 2 tablespoon Unsalted butter
- Add the sifted powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Add in vanilla and milk and mix until creamy.1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, ½ cup Powdered sugar, ¼ cup Milk
- Pour the icing on top of the bread.
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