These healthier Carrot Cake Bars are made with almond flour, coconut flour, fresh carrots and maple syrup, and then topped with a 3-ingredient cream cheese frosting. They’re soft, moist, perfectly spiced and easy to make!
I’ve always been a huge fan of carrot cake, so when the craving hit for this classic dessert I knew I wanted to create a version that was healthier, but still felt like a sweet treat.
These Carrot Cake Bars are gluten-free and grain-free, made with wholesome ingredients and not too sweet. At the same time, they’re tender and moist (but still hold together well enough to be picked up and eaten with your hands) and are honestly SO delicious. I’ve made them multiple times now and each time they never lasted long in our fridge.
If you love everything carrot cake flavoured, my Carrot Cake Overnight Oats are also a must try!
Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour: this is one of my favourite gluten-free flours to use in baking. Since it contains fibre, fat, and protein, it also helps to make this cake more balanced and satisfying than traditional carrot cake. I typically use the Kirkland Brand from Costco. Because of its unique properties, this ingredient cannot be substituted.
- Coconut flour: another great naturally gluten-free flour. Coconut flour is also one of those flours that cannot be substituted.
- Carrot: of course you can’t have carrot cake without carrots! Finely grate your carrots using the smallest holes of a box grater, which gives the cake a more uniform texture. Don’t use pre-shredded carrots in this recipe.
- Spices: a combination of ground cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg adds the perfect warming flavour.
- Eggs: needed for binding the cake.
- Maple Syrup: instead of refined sugar, we’re using maple syrup which works perfectly with the other flavours.
- Cream cheese: the main ingredient for the simple cream cheese frosting! This frosting isn’t overly sweet, so feel free to add more maple syrup to suit your taste.
- Avocado oil: helps to make the cake nice and moist. A mild olive oil would also work. If you wanted to use melted coconut oil or butter, just make sure that you allow it to cool down before adding to the other wet ingredients to prevent it from seizing up.
- Walnuts/pecans: for some added texture and flavour.
- Baking powder and soda: helps give the cake some rise.
- Vanilla extract: a baking essential!
- Sea salt: a small amount of salt helps to bring out the other flavours.
How to make carrot cake bars
Below are pictures meant to provide a helpful visual overview of the recipe. Make sure to check out the full recipe with detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
Step 1: Whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.
Step 2: Whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, oil and vanilla.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and stir to combine. Then fold in the carrots, nuts and raisins.
Step 4: Pour the batter into a baking pan and spread out evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
Step 5: Make the frosting by combining the cream cheese, maple syrup and vanilla extract and beating until soft and smooth.
Step 6: Spread the cake with the frosting, sprinkle with extra nuts, slice and enjoy!
If you make Carrot Cake Bars, I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to leave a comment or review below, or tag me on Instagram.
Carrot Cake Bars (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
Carrot cake bars
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup finely grated carrot lightly packed (grated on the smallest holes of a box grater)
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans plus more for topping
- 1/4 cup raisins optional
Cream cheese frosting
- 8 oz softened cream cheese
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and sea salt.3/4 cup almond flour, 1/4 cup coconut flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp sea salt
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and stir to combine. Fold in the carrots, nuts and raisins.2 large eggs, 1/3 cup maple syrup, 1/4 cup avocado oil, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3/4 cup finely grated carrot, 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, 1/4 cup raisins
- Pour the batter into the baking pan and spread out evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese, maple syrup and vanilla in a mixing bowl and use a hand mixer to beat until soft and smooth.8 oz softened cream cheese, 2 tbsp maple syrup, 1/2 tsp vanilla
- Once the cake has cooled, spread it evenly with the cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with additional nuts if desired.
