Healthy Carrot Cake Bars (Paleo, gluten-free)

These Healthy Carrot Cake Bars are a fun, wholesome snack or dessert.

Light and fluffy cake is packed with carrots and spices, then coated with a dairy-free “cream cheese” icing.

And they’re gluten-free, refined sugar-free and Paleo!

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Why this recipe works

These healthy carrot cake bars are the perfect combination of snack and dessert.

They’re a little less sweet than traditional carrot cake, yet still have all the flavor. So they’re great as a mid-day pick-me-up or as a sweet treat after dinner.

Instead of regular flour, they’re made with almond flour which retains all the protein, fiber and healthy fats from almonds.

And instead of white sugar, it uses coconut sugar, an unrefined sweetener.

And it’s all made in one bowl!

Even the “cream cheese” icing has been given a makeover by using cashews, coconut cream, maple syrup and lemon juice. (Although the bars are just as good without the icing.)

As you can see in the nutritional info below the recipe, these gluten-free and Paleo carrot cake bars have less sugar and more protein than typical carrot cake.

What you need

Ingredients for the cake:

• 2-3 large carrots
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar – you won’t taste this, it’s just included to react with baking soda to give the bars some lift
• 2 cups superfine blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
• 1/4 cup arrowroot flour/starch
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• avocado oil spray or coconut oil spray for greasing the pan

Ingredients for the icing:

• 3/4 cup raw cashews
• 1/3 cup coconut cream (from a can of full-fat unsweetened coconut milk, chilled for at least 24 hours)
• 3 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Equipment for the cake:

• a large mixing bowl
• a box grater
• a cutting board
• a chef’s knife
• a vegetable peeler
• measuring spoons
• measuring cups
• a whisk
• a spatula (the kind for stirring, not flipping)
• an 8×8″ baking dish (or other 8-cup/2-quart baking dish)
• a thin knife or small offset spatula
• a fine-mesh sieve – optional, if almond flour is clumpy

Equipment for the icing:

• a small saucepan
• measuring spoons
• measuring cups
• fine-mesh sieve or colander
• a food processor or powerful blender
• a spatula
• a small offset spatula

How to make Healthy Carrot Cake Bars

Step 1

Heat the oven to 350° F.

Step 2

Peel and trim the carrots. Using the small holes of a box grater, grate the carrots until you have 1 cup. Set aside.

Step 3

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, coconut sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar) until well blended.

Step 4

If your almond flour is clumpy, place a fine-mesh sieve over the bowl. Add the almond flour and sift into the wet ingredients. If not, add the almond flour directly to the wet ingredients. Either way, then add the arrowroot, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, sea salt, ground cardamom (if using) and ground nutmeg.

Stir until everything is blended. The batter will be thick.

Step 5

Add the grated carrots and stir until the carrots are evenly distributed throughout the batter.

Step 6

Grease the baking dish.

Step 7

Add the batter to the baking dish. Smooth to an even layer with the back of the spatula. Or get your hands very slightly damp and use your hands to spread the batter out evenly.

Step 8

Bake for 22-24 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Step 9

Make the icing: fill the small saucepan 2/3 full with water and bring to a boil. Add the cashews and boil for 15 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve or colander, rinse with fresh water and drain again.

Step 10

Add the cashews to a food processor or blender and blend until fairly smooth, about 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl 1-2 times.

Add the coconut cream, maple syrup, lemon juice and vanilla and blend again until completely smooth, about 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl 1-2 times if necessary.

Step 11

Once the cake is completely cool, use a spatula or small offset spatula to spread the icing into an even layer on top. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight, until icing has set. Slice into 9 bars (and then slice those bars in half if you want 18 triangles), then serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Other recipes you might like

1. Paleo Carrot Cake with “Cream Cheese” Frosting
2. Paleo Lemon Bars
3. Paleo Blueberry Snack Cake
4. No-Bake Breakfast Bars (Paleo, vegan, nut-free)

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