Healthy Carrot Cake Bars Recipe
Enjoy the deliciously sweet and spicy taste of carrot cake this holiday season with these Healthy Carrot Cake Bars. Just 30 minutes in the oven is all you need for this tasty dessert!
Servings: 9
Calories: 244kcal
Equipment
- 9x9 square pan
- Hand Mixer
- Cheese grater or food processor
- Mixing bowls
- Wooden spoon or rubber spatula
- parchment paper
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
For the bars
- cooking spray
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup nut milk
- ½ cup applesauce
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup carrots freshly shredded
- ¼ cup pecans additional for topping
- 1¾ cup cassava flour
For the frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 5.3 oz Two Good vanilla yogurt one serving
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
- In a mixing bowl, beat together brown sugar, maple syrup, nut milk, applesauce, vanilla extract, and eggs. Your batter is going to be very wet.
- Using a cheese grater or food processor, shred carrots. I highly advise against using pre-shredded carrots in this recipe.
- Fold shredded carrots into the batter with a rubber spatula or mixing spoon.
- Next, add the rest of the dry ingredients. Beat until thoroughly mixed.
- Pour batter into the pan and sprinkle with pecans.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. You can also use a fork or a knife in place of the toothpick.
- While the bars are baking, gather frosting ingredients in a mixing bowl. Then, using a hand mixer, beat everything together. Set aside.
- Remove bars from the oven when cooked and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Top with icing and serve!
Notes
These carrot cake bars are grain free and also dairy free without the icing.
DO NOT use pre-shredded carrots from the store in this recipe! They are too thick and won’t release moisture properly during the baking process. Freshly shredded carrots are ESSENTIAL.
If the carrot cake bars have frosting on them, they will need to be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
If you don't like applesauce, you could substitute canned pumpkin. Don't worry about changing the taste. It won't affect the bars too much!
Nutrition
Serving: 1 bar (with frosting) | Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 263mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 21g