Enjoy all the classic flavor of carrot cake in a simple, wholesome format with these Healthy Carrot Cake Bars. Made with a blend of coconut flour, fresh carrots, and ripe bananas, these bars are unbelievably moist and tender. This recipe is entirely plant-based, using flax eggs as a binder and bananas as the sole sweetener—no added sugar required! It’s the perfect paleo, gluten-free, and vegan treat.
These bars have become a staple in my house for everything from a healthy dessert to a satisfying brunch item. They deliver that comforting, spiced carrot cake taste but are crafted with such clean ingredients that you can feel great about eating them any time of day.
What truly sets this recipe apart is its commitment to whole-food ingredients. By relying on fruit for sweetness and using a nutrient-dense, grain-free flour base, these bars are a delicious way to nourish your body.
Key Features of These Carrot Cake Bars
- Perfect for Any Diet: Naturally vegan, paleo, and gluten-free, these bars cater to various dietary needs without sacrificing flavor.
- Wholesome, Grain-Free Flours: A smart combination of coconut and tapioca flour creates a wonderfully soft and moist crumb.
- Sweetened Only by Fruit: Ripe bananas provide all the sweetness, making these bars completely free from any added or refined sugars.
- Completely Plant-Based: We use flax eggs as a simple and effective binder, keeping this recipe 100% vegan and egg-free.
- One-Bowl Wonder: The batter comes together quickly in a single bowl for minimal mess and easy cleanup.
Ingredients You Will Need
While the full, printable recipe is available below, here’s a quick overview of the key ingredients and potential substitutions.
- Flax Eggs: The perfect vegan binder. Made by mixing ground flaxseed with water. Ground chia seeds can be used as a direct substitute.
- Ripe Bananas: This is the only sweetener in the bars! The riper, the sweeter. Look for bananas with plenty of brown spots for the best flavor and texture.
- Shredded Carrot: Use a standard box grater to freshly shred your carrots for optimal moisture.
- Coconut Oil: Crucial for the bars’ rich, moist texture. For best results, use a solid-at-room-temperature fat like grass-fed butter (if not vegan) or palm shortening.
- Vanilla Extract: A splash is used in both the bars and the frosting to add warmth and depth.
- Coconut Flour: This unique, highly absorbent flour is essential to the recipe. There is no substitute for coconut flour.
- Tapioca Flour: Helps lighten the texture of the bars and thicken the frosting. Arrowroot starch is the best alternative.
- Baking Powder: Provides the lift. Any standard baking powder will work, or you can use a homemade paleo version.
- Spices: A classic blend of cinnamon and nutmeg gives these bars their signature taste. Feel free to add ground ginger or cloves as well.
- Salt: Balances and enhances all the flavors.
- Palm Shortening: The base for our simple, dairy-free frosting. Unsalted butter (if not vegan) is the best substitute. Alternatively, skip the frosting and serve with a dollop of yogurt or dairy-free cream cheese.
- Maple Syrup: Used to lightly sweeten the frosting.
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Carrot Cake Bars
This straightforward recipe uses one bowl for the batter and a standard 8″ x 8″ baking pan.
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang to easily lift the bars out later.
- Make Flax Eggs: In a small bowl, stir together the ground flaxseed and water. Set it aside for at least 5 minutes to thicken into a gel-like consistency.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas thoroughly with a fork. Add the shredded carrots, melted coconut oil, thickened flax eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir until everything is well combined.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add the coconut flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to the bowl. Use a spatula to mix until the batter is uniform and thick.
- Bake: Transfer the batter into your prepared pan and spread it into an even layer with your spatula. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is firm and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool Completely: Remove the pan from the oven. It is crucial to let the bars cool completely to room temperature in the pan before frosting and slicing.
For the Simple Dairy-Free Frosting
This recipe features a light, creamy, and low-sugar frosting made from just four ingredients. It has a mild sweetness, but if you prefer a traditional buttercream, you can replace the tapioca flour with powdered sugar.
To prepare, simply whisk the palm shortening, maple syrup, vanilla, and tapioca flour together in a small bowl until smooth and creamy.
Pro Tip: If your palm shortening is very firm, you can microwave it for 5-10 seconds to soften it, which makes it much easier to whisk into a smooth frosting.
How to Store Your Bars
Because these bars are very moist, they must be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep well for up to a week. The frosting will firm up when chilled; for a softer texture, simply let the bars sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Baker’s Tips for Success
- Measure with a Scale: For the most accurate and consistent results, especially when working with grain-free flours, measure your ingredients by weight whenever possible.
- Choose the Right Bananas: The ripeness of your bananas is key to the sweetness of the bars. Use yellow bananas with a generous amount of brown spots for the best outcome. Avoid green or entirely blackened bananas.
- Coconut Oil is Key: Do not substitute the coconut oil with an oil that is liquid at room temperature (like olive or avocado oil). The recipe relies on a fat that is solid when cool to achieve the correct structure.
Easy Carrot Cake Bars (Vegan, Paleo, Gluten-Free)
These healthy carrot cake bars are moist and tender, only sweetened with bananas and topped with a simple vanilla frosting. They’re gluten free, paleo and vegan friendly.
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 16 bite-sized bars
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Bars
2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp ground flax + 6 Tbsp water)
1 cup mashed banana (245g) about 2-3 ripe bananas
1 cup shredded carrot (85g)
¼ cup melted coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup + 1 Tbsp coconut flour (34g) spooned & leveled
¼ cup tapioca flour (32g)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
Frosting
⅓ cup palm shortening
2 Tbsp maple syrup
½ tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp tapioca flour
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8 inch glass baking dish with parchment paper.
For the bars: in a small bowl, make flax eggs by mixing together 2 Tbsp ground flax + 6 Tbsp water. Let sit for 5 minutes to set.
Peel bananas and mash in a large mixing bowl.
Add in shredded carrot, melted coconut oil, vanilla and flax eggs. Mix well.
Add remaining bar ingredients to bowl and mix well.
Pour batter your lined pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool bars to room temperature in pan*
For the frosting: in a small mixing bowl, whisk together shortening, maple syrup and vanilla. Add tapioca flour 1 Tbsp at a time. Whisk until smooth**
Spread frosting over cooled bars. Optional: add desired toppings such as chopped nuts, bee pollen and/or sprinkles.
Place bars in fridge for at least 10-20 minutes for frosting to set.
Remove from fridge, cut into bars (recipe makes 16 bars) and serve!
Store carrot cake bars in fridge.
Notes
For best results, measure ingredients by weight.
It’s important to cool the bars in the glass pan, as they will continue to cook. Once cooled the bars will set and be easy to cut.
May need to warm the shortening for 5-10 seconds in the microwave to soften
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
