Hummingbird Cake Bars (+Video)
Hummingbird Cake Bars are a classic southern cake recipe made into an easy bar form. The cinnamon cream cheese frosting takes it over the top!
A TWIST ON A CLASSIC RECIPE
I am sharing a classic recipe with a twist today! Hummingbird Cake is a well-loved and well-known southern recipe. It’s a great way to use up ripe bananas! And it comes from one of my dear friends, Jennifer, who blogs at Bake or Break. Jennifer has written one of my new favorite baking cookbooks. It’s called Quick Shop & Prep 5 Ingredient Baking. So, the idea is that you have all of these basics already in your pantry and fridge. Jennifer calls it ‘The Baker’s Pantry.’
EASILY MADE WITH PANTRY STAPLES
You have items like eggs, milk, flour and butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract and spices. When you always have these on hand, all you have to do is pick up a couple extra ingredients at the store to make the most awesome-est baked goods.
Jennifer has allowed me to share a recipe from her book today. It’s her take on Hummingbird Cake. The recipe is called Hummingbird Bars. It’s tender enough to be a cake but dense enough that you can easily eat it with your hands (no fork needed!)And the cinnamon cream cheese frosting? It is perfect for the flavors in the bars.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- unsalted butter
- sugar
- light brown sugar
- egg
- vanilla extract
- ripe bananas
- crushed pineapple
- chopped pecans
- cream cheese
- ground cinnamon
- powdered sugar
HOW TO MAKE HUMMINGBIRD CAKE BARS:
TO MAKE THE BARS: Preheat the oven to 350f degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix well.
Mix in the bananas and pineapple
Reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.
Stir in the pecans.
Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow cake to cool completely.
TO MAKE THE CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING: Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese, butter, cinnamon and vanilla until thoroughly combined.
Gradually add the powdered sugar.
And mix until smooth.
Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cooled cake.
Sprinkle the top with pecans.
Cut into bars and serve! Makes 24 bars.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Hummingbird Cake Bars (+Video)
Ingredients
For the bars:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 cup chopped pecans
For the cinnamon cream cheese frosting:
- ½ block cream cheese (4 ounces) softened
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick) softened
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
TO MAKE THE BARS:
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla, and mix well. Mix in the bananas and pineapple
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Stir in the pecans.
- Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely.
TO MAKE THE CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese, butter, cinnamon and vanilla until thoroughly combined.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cooled bars. Sprinkle the top with pecans.
- Cut into 24 bars and serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
These ae the best bars I have ever eaten..And I’m 88 yearss old.
Made these today! So easy and using everyday pantry ingredients! My family absolutely loved every bite, thanks so much for this delicious recipe.
This recipe sounds like a winner! Am going to try this for my dad’s birthday. Can I check if I will be able to use fresh pineapple chunks? And if so, should I add more sugar? Thank you!
CONFECTIONERS sugar is powdered sugar. Handy side note for all us baking dummies out there who just used white sugar in the icing. ???????? oops.
They just became one of my favorite. Could eat them every day.
Yay!!! Love it!
Looks delish! Enter me for the cookbook please?!
Warm cookies from the oven are always my favorite. There are SO many others that I love though. =)
Pinpointing your favorite dessert is like choosing your favorite child. I just can't do it! I love them all.
Love simple chocolate cake and whipped cream
love the original cake, but these look much simpler to whip up, and delicious!
These Hummingbird bars look amazing!!! from Pam McGlone
My favorite dessert would have to be anything sweet. Sorry but i can't pick just one.
Nothing better than vanilla cake and chocolate frosting…yum!
Vienna R.
vienna12205@yahoo.com
German Choc cake is my favorite all time dessert but boy do I love Hummingbird Cake too. Can't wait to make these bars! Already started a grocery list!
brownies:) thank you for this chance:)
I'm a pumpkin fanatic so I'm going to say anything pumpkin…pie, cake, cookies, DOUBLE LAYER pumpkin pie, etc., etc. Thanks for the giveaway!
My favorite dessert is anything with coconut! A bakery in my area makes an awesome Hummingbird Cake -with coconut added. �� I would love to win this cookbook and add it to my collection.
Would love to win this cookbook! I'm all about few ingredients & easy to prepare =)
Love following The Country Cook and I think my most favorite dessert is strawberry pretzel salad! Is that a dessert or salad? Either way, it's the yummiest!!
I love desserts.
My absolute favorite dessert is coconut cake and chocolate cake.
Elizabeth
elizwed15@hughes.net
German Chocolate Cake!
My favorite dessert is any kind of fruit crisp. I love the oatmeal, brown sugar & butter topping! This cake, however, looks amazing and might be my new favorite!
Can this be baked in a jelly roll pan ? 10 by 15 inches. How long to bake if we can?