These healthy carrot cake bars take your classic carrot cake and turn it into a bar form for a healthy snack or dessert! It’s full of spices, perfectly moist, and absolutely delicious!
They are lighter and healthier than a piece of cake and they have a great consistency with added texture thanks to raisins and walnuts. Of course, you can leave them out if they aren’t your thing. They are delicious either way.
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While I am a huge fan of cream cheese frosting, to lighten these up I went with a greek yogurt frosting, which is just yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla. It’s the perfect topping for these bars, especially once chilled!
Make them for Easter or to have a delicious treat on hand during the week.
Why we love this healthy carrot cake recipe
- made from simple ingredients and so delicious!
- seriously easy to make – they couldn’t be easier to whip up, even if you aren’t that great at baking.
- lightly sweetened – we are using just 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and a brown banana.
- gluten-free – but I promise no one would even know!
Is carrot cake healthy?
Cake is usually prepared with a decent amount of sugar and fat and can be calorie-dense. Carrot cake does have carrots, which are full of carotenoids (antioxidants high in cancer-fighting properties), vitamin A, calcium, potassium, and fiber, but it is still cake. Of course, all foods can be enjoyed in moderation.
When making it at home, you have full control over the quality and quantity of the ingredients. Our version is lightly sweetened with maple syrup and not full of sugar and fat.
Ingredients
- 1:1 gluten-free flour – I used Bob’s Red Mill.
- cinnamon
- ginger
- nutmeg
- baking soda
- baking powder
- salt
- brown/ripe banana – this helps add some natural sweetness and keep them moist. I promise you can’t taste it though!
- milk – any kind will work.
- egg
- coconut oil
- maple syrup – for a touch of sweetness.
- vanilla extract
- fresh carrots, shredded – an essential for carrot cake!
- raisins – they add a little chewiness and natural sweetness. You can leave them out if you don’t like them.
- walnuts – for a little crunch. Again, you can leave them out if you don’t like them.
How to make carrot cake bars
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8×8 pan with a little ghee/butter/oil.
- Mix your dry ingredients. Add your flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
- Mix your wet ingredients. In a separate medium-large bowl, mash your banana until smooth. If needed, melt your oil. Add your egg, milk, melted oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract and mix well to combine. Add your dry mixture to your wet mixture and mix well. Fold in carrots, raisins, and walnuts.
- Bake. Pour the carrot cake batter into your prepared baking dish and bake for 28-32 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
- Make your frosting. Place in the fridge to let the frosting chill until the carrot cake bars cool.
- Frost bars. Once the bars are cooled, add frosting and evenly spread it over the bars. I like to sprinkle a little cinnamon on top. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes to let chill.
- Enjoy! Slice into 9 pieces and enjoy!
How to grate carrots
To grate your carrots, use a box grater on a small-medium hole. You don’t want your carrot pieces too large, but also not too small that they disappear. I suggest peeling them before grating as the outside skin can be a little bitter. You can also shred them in a food processor.
Carrot cake greek yogurt frosting
Instead of your classic cream cheese frosting, we are using a greek yogurt frosting. It’s lighter yet still full of flavor and also packs a little protein. You will need:
- Greek yogurt
- vanilla extract
- maple syrup
Simply mix together the ingredients until combined and adjust according to taste. If you prefer a cream cheese frosting, follow this recipe.
Storage
- fridge – first, let the bars cool completely. Add to an airtight container or wrap your baking pan with tin foil or plastic wrap. Store in the fridge for up to a week.
- freeze – if freezing, I suggest not icing them as the icing consistency will change. Let cool completely and place individual bars on a large plate or baking sheet. Place in the freezer and let freeze for 2 hours or until hardened. This will help ensure they freeze individually and won’t stick together. Transfer to a large bag (we love these reusable silicone bags) and freeze for up to 3 months. You can also wrap each one individually after they have cooled. Thaw by placing them in the refrigerator and then let them come to room temperature. Warm up the microwave if desired.
Substitutions
- 1:1 gluten-free flour – all-purpose flour will work instead, but the recipe will no longer be gluten-free.
- brown/ripe banana – I have not tried this, but you could try apple sauce instead.
- milk – dairy or non-dairy will work.
- egg – I have not tried it but a flax egg will work the same.
- coconut oil – butter or ghee should work instead.
- maple syrup – any kind of liquid sweetener would work such as honey or agave. If you did want to swap out for a dry or granulated sugar, you would need to add a little more liquid to help ensure they stay moist.
- raisins – leave them off if you don’t like them.
- walnuts – pecans or almonds will work instead of walnuts.
- greek yogurt frosting – use dairy-free yogurt if needed. You can also swap out your favorite frosting recipe if you prefer.
More healthy dessert recipes
- best banana bread bars
- oatmeal chocolate chip muffins
- peanut butter chocolate chip bars
- homemade caramel popcorn
- cinnamon sugar candied nuts
- pumpkin chocolate chip bars
If you love quick and easy meals and want to learn how to build a balanced plate, check out our FREE How to Build a Balanced Plate Guide!
Carrot Cake Bars
ingredients
- 1 cup 1:1 gluten-free flour (148 grams)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 medium brown banana (100 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (softened/melted)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 heaping cup finely shredded carrots (125 grams)
- 1/4 cup raisins (40 grams) – optional
- 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped (45 grams) – optional
- 1/2 batch greek yogurt frosting
instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8×8 pan with a little ghee/butter/oil.
- Mix your dry ingredients. Add your flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
- Mix your wet ingredients. In a separate medium-large bowl, mash your banana until smooth. If needed, melt your oil. Add your egg, milk, melted oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract and mix well to combine. Add your dry mixture to your wet mixture and mix well. Stir in carrots, raisins, and walnuts.
- Bake. Pour the carrot cake batter into your prepared baking dish and bake for 28-32 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
- While the bars bake, make your frosting. Place in the fridge to let the frosting chill until the carrot cake bars cool.
- Frost bars. Once the bars are cooled, add frosting and evenly spread it over the bars. I like to sprinkle a little cinnamon on top. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes to let chill.
- Enjoy! Slice into 9 pieces and enjoy!
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It’s just amazing, can’t say anything anymore!
So glad you enjoyed them, Anya! Thanks for trying them!
This cake was easy to put together and came out delicious. I added pecan instead of walnuts and it turned out great!
Yum, sounds so good! Thanks for trying them, Sarah!
They are great and a great snack
Glad I got to make them for you!
Loved it! Tastes exactly like carrot cake.
So glad you enjoyed it, Kendall! Thanks for trying it!
I loved this recipe! Super quick and easy. I did opt to go with homemade cream cheese frosting and it did not disappoint.
Love a good cream cheese frosting! Glad you enjoyed it Denise and thanks for trying it!
You did it again Kelly! So good. And I loved the yogurt “frosting”. It was perfect.
So glad you enjoyed them, Grace! Thanks for trying them!
love the banana and carrot combo!! Delicious!
So glad you enjoyed them, Nancy!
They were great and good for u too
Glad you enjoyed them!!