Healthy carrot cake bars made with almond flour and sweetened with coconut sugar. They’re moist, delicious and perfect for the carrot cake lover in your life. Gluten-free and grain-free.
When I got a copy of my friend Lexi’s cookbook, Lexi’s Clean Kitchen, and saw this recipe for Carrot Cake Bars, I knew they had to happen.
The bars themselves taste just like regular carrot cake to me — moist, light and not too sweet — with bites of carrot and raisins. I would happily serve these on their own as a dessert, but the vanilla buttercream frosting definitely makes them more decadent and cake-like.
If you have a carrot cake lover in your life, definitely try these bars. They do not disappoint.
Lexi’s Clean Kitchen Cookbook
And you guys, can we just talk about her cookbook for one sec? It is HUGE and absolutely stunning! She has 150 paleo-friendly, clean recipes and in true Lexi’s Clean Kitchen fashion, each recipe has a gorgeous photo.
She also provides a guide to clean eating and her approach to paleo, which is focused on balance and finding a customized diet that works for you and your body. It’s the perfect cookbook for those just getting started with clean (or paleo) eating or those who have been eating this way for a long time, but need fresh ideas!
The cookbook includes a ton of nutritious, healthy meals from breakfasts to soups, hearty salads (yay!) and main course dinners. And then there is a section for sweet desserts and treats, which is where these carrot cake bars come in.
Carrot Cake Bar Ingredients
almond flour – I like using Bob’s Red Mill blanched almond flour. Make sure you are getting almond flour and not almond meal.
coconut sugar – I love using natural sweeteners like coconut sugar in baked goods.
baking powder, baking soda and sea salt– three baking essentials.
ground cinnamon – you can’t have carrot cake bars without cinnamon!
eggs – another key ingredient in these bars. The eggs help the bars rise.
unsweetened applesauce – this helps to keep the bars moist and tender.
vanilla extract – just to add a little vanilla flavor.
ginger – this ingredient is optional and you can either grate fresh ginger or use ginger powder.
grated carrots – the star of the show here!
chopped raw walnuts – feel free to sub in a different nut like pecans or almonds or skip the nuts all together.
raisins – I love the hint of sweetness the raisins add to these bars.
dark chocolate chips – This ingredient is optional, but if using I’ve been loving Lily’s chocolate chips lately but Enjoy Life is also a great option if you need diary-free chips.
vanilla buttercream frosting – I used the classic frosting recipe in Lexi’s cookbook (on page 288), but if you don’t have the cookbook yet, you can find a similar frosting recipe here or feel free to buy store-bought!
Notes + Substitutions
Almond flour – I haven’t tested this with another flour, but if you want to experiment, let me know in the comments below how it turns out!
Coconut sugar – If you don’t have coconut sugar on hand you can use cane sugar instead.
Walnuts – I prefer chopped walnuts, but you could play around with other nuts! I bet almonds or pecans would be delicious.
Raisins – If you aren’t a raisin fan, you can use dates or skip them all together.
Vegan – I haven’t tested this recipe without eggs, so I’m not sure how a vegan substitute like flax or chia eggs would work, but let me know in the comments if you decide to try it!
How to Store Carrot Cake Bars
When the cake is done baking, let it cool completely in the pan before frosting or cutting. Store the bars in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Healthy carrot cake bars made with almond flour and sweetened with coconut sugar. They’re moist, delicious and perfect for the carrot cake lover in your life. Gluten-free and grain-free. From Lexi’s Clean Kitchen.
1½cupsVanilla Buttercream Frosting, page 288 in the book if desired
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350° F and line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
In a bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until well blended.
Whisk in the eggs, applesauce, vanilla and ginger, if using, until smooth.
Fold in the carrots, walnuts, raisins, and chocolate chips, if using.
Pour the batter into the baking dish, smooth out the top, and bake for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.
While the cake is baking, make the frosting and set aside.
When the cake is done, let it cool completely in the pan before frosting or cutting.
Spread the frosting evenly across the top of the cake and garnish with extra chopped walnuts, if desired. Cut into 9 to 12 bars to serve.
Store the bars in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Almond flour – I haven’t tested this with another flour, but if you want to experiment, let me know in the comments below how it turns out!
Coconut sugar – If you don’t have coconut sugar on hand you can use cane sugar instead.
Walnuts – I prefer chopped walnuts, but you could play around with other nuts! I bet almonds or pecans would be delicious.
Raisins – If you aren’t a raisin fan, you can use dates or skip them all together.
Vegan – I haven’t tested this recipe without eggs, so I’m not sure how a vegan substitute like flax or chia eggs would work, but let me know in the comments if you decide to try it!
I made these tonight for a friend’s birthday (a fellow carrot cake lover!) and they were excellent! I used regular cane sugar as I didn’t have coconut and made cream cheese icing for them instead of the buttercream. Another #eatingbirdfood win!
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I made this and it turned out great but it needed 30 minutes. (Used plain flour) and regular cane sugar.
Do you have an icing that isn’t buttercream?
I have a Greek yogurt frosting, cream cheese frosting and chocolate frosting on the blog!
I made these tonight for a friend’s birthday (a fellow carrot cake lover!) and they were excellent! I used regular cane sugar as I didn’t have coconut and made cream cheese icing for them instead of the buttercream. Another #eatingbirdfood win!
So glad these bars were a hit! Thanks for making them and for coming back to leave a review, Kara. I appreciate it!
Can a chia seed or flax seed substitute be used instead of eggs?
I haven’t tried a began sub for the eggs, so I’m not sure how this recipe will turn out. Let me know if you decide to experiment and how it turns out!
Do you know how many calories per serving?
My daughter’s name is Lexi and I’m also paleo (Celiac)..thank you for sharing! Amazing and delicious! I share your site with many of my clients!
Kara
https://www.lifehubcenter.com