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    Home ยป Paleo

    Healthy Carrot Cake Bars (Gluten Free, Paleo, Vegan)

    Published: Jan 28, 2022 ยท by Katie

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    These healthy carrot cake bars are made with freshly shredded carrots, ripe bananas and coconut flour. They're completely egg free and only sweetened with bananas - no sugar added. This carrot cake recipe is paleo, gluten free and vegan friendly.

    slice of carrot cake

    I've been making these carrot cake bars for Easter brunch the past few years and everyone loves them! They're my go-to recipe when I need a cake that tastes great, but is healthy enough to enjoy for breakfast or brunch.

    What makes this carrot cake healthy is that it's only sweetened with bananas, contains freshly shredded veggies (carrots) and is completely gluten free and dairy free.

    Why You'll Love These Healthy Carrot Cake Bars

    • paleo, vegan and allergy friendly - fits most dietary needs
    • gluten free and grain free - made with a combination of coconut and tapioca flour
    • low in sugar - only sweetened with bananas
    • egg free - made with flax eggs
    • easy to make - a simple, one bowl batter
    decorated and cut bars

    Ingredients

    The full recipe for the paleo carrot cake bars can be found in the recipe card below, but here's an overview of what you'll need:

    • flax eggs - instead of eggs, this recipe uses ground flax and water to make flax "eggs". Chia eggs (ground chia seeds and water) would be the best replacement.
    • ripe bananas - these bars don't contain any added sugar and are sweetened with bananas instead.
    • shredded carrot - you can use a cheese grater to shred the carrots.
    • coconut oil - this helps with the texture of the bars. The best substitute would be butter or palm shortening.
    • vanilla extract - for flavor in both the bars and the frosting
    • coconut flour - to keep these bars nut free and grain free I chose to make them with coconut flour. There isn't a substitute for this ingredient.
    • tapioca flour - needed for texture purposes in both the bars and the frosting. The best swap is arrowroot starch/flour.
    • baking powder - I like to make my own paleo baking powder, but any type will work.
    • spices - I added cinnamon and nutmeg, but feel free to leave them out or add additional spices like ginger and clove.
    • salt - to enhance all the flavors
    • palm shortening - the frosting is made with palm shortening. Butter is the best substitute. You could also leave out the frosting and just top these bars with cream cheese or yogurt.
    • maple syrup - to sweeten the frosting
    Ingredients in bars.
    Ingredients in frosting.

    How to Make Carrot Cake Bars

    These batter for these vegan carrot cake bars is made in one bowl and baked in an 8" x 8" glass pan. Here's what you need to do:

    1. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8" square glass pan with parchment paper and set aside.
    2. Next, make the flax eggs by mixing together ground flax and water.  Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to thicken.
    3. Peel the bananas and mash them in a large mixing bowl. Add in the shredded carrot, melted coconut oil, flax eggs and vanilla. Mix well.
    4. Next, add in the coconut flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix with a spatula until well combined.
    5. Scoop the batter into the lined baking pan and smooth it out in an even layer.
    unbaked bars in glass pan
    1. Place the pan in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
    2. After baking, remove the bars from the oven and cool them to room temperature in the baking pan.
    3. Once fully cooled, frost the bars.
    stack of carrot cake bars

    Frosting for Healthy Carrot Cake

    These paleo carrot cake bars are frosted with a low sugar buttercream.ย  It's made of four simple ingredients: palm shortening, maple syrup, vanilla and tapioca flour.

    The frosting is mildly sweet, but can be made sweeter by swapping the tapioca flour for powdered sugar.

    To make the frosting, whisk together all frosting ingredients in a small bowl. If necessary, melt the shortening for 5-10 seconds in the microwave. This makes the frosting creamier and easier to work with.

    Storage

    Since these carrot cake bars are moist, you will want to store them in the fridge.ย  They stay well up to a week.ย  The frosting solidifies at cold temperatures.ย  However, you can let these them rest at room temperature before serving and the frosting will soften.

    slice of carrot cake

    Tips for Making Carrot Cake Bars

    • Measure the ingredients by weight (when given): this ensures more accuracy and will give you better results when baking.
    • Use ripe bananas: using bananas that are yellow with a few to many brown spots work best for this recipe. Green and overripe bananas won't produce quite the same cake texture.
    • Don't swap out the coconut oil: this recipe works best with coconut oil. If you must swap, then use a butter or palm shortening. Do not swap with an oil that is liquid at room temperature.

    More Healthy Carrot Recipes

    • Moist and fluffy carrot muffins made with cassava flour.
      Carrot Cassava Flour Muffins (Paleo, Refined Sugar Free)
    • Paleo vegan donuts on wire cooling rack.
      Vegan Carrot Cake Donuts (Gluten Free, Paleo)
    • Carrot-&-Apricot-Crackers
      Carrot & Apricot Crackers (Paleo, Vegan)
    • Muffin with a bite out of it.
      Healthy Banana Carrot Muffins (Gluten Free, No Sugar)
    Print
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    slice of carrot cake

    Healthy Carrot Cake Bars (Gluten Free, Paleo, Vegan)

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
    • Author: Katie
    • Prep Time: 20 minutes
    • Cook Time: 45 minutes
    • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    • Yield: 16 bite-sized bars
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    These healthy carrot cake bars are moist and tender, only sweetened with bananas and topped with a simple vanilla frosting.ย  They're gluten free, paleo and vegan friendly.


    Ingredients

    Scale

    Carrot Cake Bars

    • 2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp ground flax + 6 Tbsp water)
    • 1 cup mashed banana (245g) about 2-3 ripe bananas
    • 1 cupย shredded carrot (85g)
    • ยผ cup melted coconut oil
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • ยผ cup + 1 Tbsp coconut flour (34g) spooned & leveled
    • ยผ cupย tapioca flour (32g)
    • 2 tspย baking powder
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • ยผ tsp nutmeg
    • ยผ tsp salt

    Frosting

    • โ…“ cup palm shortening
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • ยฝ tsp vanilla extract
    • 3 Tbspย tapioca flour


    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.ย  Line an 8x8 inch glass baking dish with parchment paper.
    2. For the bars: in a small bowl, make flax eggs by mixing together 2 Tbsp ground flax + 6 Tbsp water.ย  Let sit for 5 minutes to set.
    3. Peel bananas and mash in a large mixing bowl.
    4. Add in shredded carrot, melted coconut oil, vanilla and flax eggs.ย  Mix well.
    5. Add remaining bar ingredients to bowl and mix well.
    6. Pour batter your lined pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
    7. Remove from oven and cool bars to room temperature in pan*
    8. For the frosting: in a small mixing bowl, whisk together shortening, maple syrup and vanilla.ย  Add tapioca flour 1 Tbsp at a time.ย  Whisk until smooth**
    9. Spread frosting over cooled bars.ย  Optional: add desired toppings such as chopped nuts, bee pollen and/or sprinkles.
    10. Place bars in fridge for at least 10-20 minutes for frosting to set.
    11. Remove from fridge, cut into bars (recipe makes 16 bars) and serve!
    12. 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.ย  Once cooled the bars will set and be easy to cut.ย ย 

    **May need to warm the shortening for 5-10 seconds in the microwave to soften

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag us โ€” we can't wait to see what you've made!

    pinterest image for carrot cake bars
    « Paleo Vanilla Cupcakes (Nut Free)
    Cinnamon Cassava Muffins (Paleo, No Sugar Added) »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rose Martine

      January 08, 2020 at 10:25 pm

      YUMMY!!!!! Thanks for sharing your recipe! Iโ€™ve heard about your blog a couple of times and will now spend my afternoon reading ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
      • Katie

        January 09, 2020 at 6:42 am

        Thank you Rose! I hope you find some recipes you like ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    2. Hannah Flack

      March 14, 2020 at 12:08 am

      This recipe is AMAZING. I will eat this for the rest of my life! So good and easy-peasy.

      Reply
      • Katie

        March 14, 2020 at 6:49 am

        Thank you Hannah! I'm so happy to hear that - you just made my weekend ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    3. Katie

      January 27, 2022 at 3:35 pm

      My family and I love these vegan carrot cake bars. Hope you all do too!

      Reply
    4. Cat

      September 20, 2022 at 6:45 am

      In my case it didnt work out. It didint grow at all and after 45 minutes had still dough consistence.. I'm gonna try another one maybe 3 bananas was too much. Maybe more coconut flour?
      Does it have to be baked in glass ? I Have a normal metal square cake tin.

      Reply
      • Katie

        September 21, 2022 at 1:10 pm

        Did you measure the ingredients by weight? Measuring by weight will ensure that you have the right quantities and the bars will bake properly. The baking dish may play a small role in the way it bakes, but the ingredient quantities are more important.

        Reply
      • Laura Vargas Joppeck

        February 27, 2025 at 7:03 pm

        I had the same problem! Will have to try and measure next time.

        Reply
    5. Irene

      May 06, 2023 at 10:44 pm

      Can we use something else other than shortening?

      Reply
      • Katie

        May 07, 2023 at 6:38 am

        Any type of butter should work, coconut oil too.

        Reply
    6. Lily

      June 06, 2023 at 9:37 pm

      Would 2 real eggs work in place of the flax ones?

      Reply
      • Katie

        June 07, 2023 at 7:15 am

        It should, but I haven't tested it myself.

        Reply
      • Elizabeth

        August 04, 2024 at 5:39 pm

        Did you try with eggs? Would love to know how it turned out.

        Reply
    7. Megan

      July 20, 2024 at 6:01 pm

      Could we substitute protein powder for the coconut flour or tapioca? Wanting more protein!

      Reply
      • Katie

        July 21, 2024 at 8:03 am

        Possibly. But it depends on the protein powder you're using and how much. I wouldn't expect any swap to work at a 1:1 ratio.

        Reply
    8. Laura Kasha

      February 23, 2025 at 6:02 pm

      can you eliminate the coconut oil or use a nut or seed butter instead?

      Reply
      • Katie

        February 24, 2025 at 7:27 am

        Coconut oil is important for the texture. A nut/seed butter may work as a replacement, but I haven't tried it myself.

        Reply
    9. Kathy Plyter

      February 25, 2025 at 2:31 pm

      @Laura Kasha, Thank you for asking, as that was question also. If you, or any one else tried a substitute for the oil, will you please leave a comment here? I will also!
      Thank you Katie for this recipe. It looks to be delicious ๐Ÿ’–

      Reply
    10. Holly

      April 13, 2025 at 6:48 pm

      Is there a substitute for the tapioca starch? I don't need gluten free; would wheat flour work as a substitute?

      Reply
      • Katie

        April 14, 2025 at 10:37 am

        Tapioca starch/flour is added for texture purposes. I use it in many of my recipes because it helps with the texture of grain free baked goods. The best swap would be another type of starch like arrowroot starch or potato starch. That being said, you may be able to leave it out for this recipe, but it will change the texture of the bars.

        Reply
    11. Sharon

      April 17, 2025 at 3:31 pm

      Katie, it would be great if you had a cookbook with all these wonderful recipes, since your recipes get lost with all the other emails coming into my email box! ๐Ÿ™

      Reply
      • Katie

        April 18, 2025 at 7:15 am

        I hope to have a cookbook some day! My kids will all be in school next year, so that will give me more time to focus on my blog and things like recipe books.

        Reply
    12. N

      June 13, 2025 at 5:24 pm

      This recipe is lovely! (I made just the cake, no icing, because I didn't have the icing ingredients, but the cake stands on its own beautifully). I was worried I would want more sweetness, but the ripe banana is more than enough, and the texture is moist, dense, and pleasant, and didn't stick in my throat the way many coconut flour recipes do. The flavor reminds me most of a banana bread, so I may try stirring dark chocolate chips into it next time. My mom isn't gluten free or sugar free, but tried it and was surprised by how much she enjoyed it. Will make again for sure!

      Reply
      • Katie

        June 14, 2025 at 2:18 pm

        I'm so glad you and your mom enjoyed the recipe! Chocolate chips are a great addition if you aren't adding the frosting ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply

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    I'm Katie and I have a passion for baking healthy treats using real, whole food ingredients. On my blog you'll find a variety of sweet and savory recipes, all gluten free and dairy free. My mission is to make baking nutritious, delicious, simple and family friendly.

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