Healthy Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
These healthy carrot cake bars combine the natural sweetness of carrots with a creamy frosting for a guilt-free treat. Perfect as a gluten-free dessert or snack, they’re packed with wholesome ingredients!
Equipment
- 8-inch square baking dish
- Parchment paper
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup blanched almond flour (we used Bob’s Red Mill)
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (or ½ teaspoon ginger powder), optional
- ⅓ cup grated carrots
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts plus more for garnish
- ¼ cup raisins
- 3 tablespoons dark chocolate chips , optional
- 1 ½ cups healthy cream cheese frosting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and sea salt until evenly combined.
- Add in the eggs, applesauce, vanilla extract, and grated ginger. Whisk until smooth and well incorporated.
- Gently fold in the grated carrots, chopped walnuts, raisins, and chocolate chips, if using. Be careful not to overmix, as you want the batter to stay light.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, smoothing out the top with a spatula for an even layer.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the dish completely on a wire rack before applying frosting.
- Once cooled, spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the bars and garnish with additional chopped walnuts if desired.
- Slice into 9 squares and enjoy!