Description
These Vegan Carrot Cake Bars are a delicious and healthy plant-based dessert option. Made with grated carrots, a blend of all-purpose and almond flour, natural sweeteners like maple syrup and brown sugar, and warmed spices, they offer a perfect balance of sweetness and spice. The bars are moist and flavorful, easy to prepare, and can be optionally enhanced with nuts and raisins. Perfect as a snack or a guilt-free dessert, they are dairy-free and vegan-friendly.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup coconut oil (melted)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups grated carrots (packed)
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Optional Add-ins
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- ¼ cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make removal easy.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the unsweetened applesauce, maple syrup, brown sugar, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract until you achieve a smooth, well-combined mixture. Then stir in the grated carrots thoroughly.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, almond flour, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to evenly distribute the spices and leavening agents.
- Mix Wet and Dry: Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients bowl and stir gently until just combined, avoiding overmixing to keep the texture tender.
- Add Nuts and Raisins: Fold in the chopped walnuts or pecans and raisins if you’re using them, distributing them evenly without crushing.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, indicating the bars are cooked through.
- Cool and Slice: Allow the bars to cool completely in the baking dish before lifting them out using the parchment paper and slicing into 9 bars.
Notes
- For a simple vegan frosting, blend ½ cup soaked cashews, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 2–3 tablespoons plant-based milk until smooth and spread on cooled bars.
- Store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days to keep them fresh.
- You can substitute walnuts with pecans or omit nuts entirely for a nut-free option.
- Make sure the bars cool completely before slicing to prevent crumbling.
