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Baked, Brewed, Beautiful

Healthy Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Bars

in Baked on 05/16/22

sliced carrot cake bars on a plate

These carrot cake bars are incredibly moist, delicious, sugar-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

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Guest Post By: Romana Levko, Author of Tastylicious

carrot cake bars with icing and dusted cinnamon
  • Love carrot cake? Then, you must try these moist, delicious, and healthy carrot cake bars.
  • These carrot cake bars are also gluten-free, sugar-free (optional), and dairy-free.
  • Pair these carrot cake bars with a nutty, medium roast pour over coffee to bring out its nutty, cinnamon flavors.

These carrot cake bars are incredibly moist, delicious, sugar-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free. If you love carrot cake as much as I do, you won’t be able to resist the temptation of enjoying a nice slice of this healthy dessert.


They are packed with carrots, almond flour, nuts, ground cinnamon, and, of course, my favorite ingredient that gives the bars the perfect texture— shredded coconut. Oh, and the best part about them is the top cheese swirl layer (it’s insanely creamy and sweet).

You must be wondering, why not just make a carrot cake? Why bake bars? You’ll have to trust me with this choice. This way, you can make them in advance and stock up your freezer. Another benefit is that there’s much less mess when making them, and they are so easy to pack up for a quick snack or to-go lunch.

Quick Links To Info In This Post

Healthy Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Bars Recipe
Ingredients Checklist
Cooking Instruction & Tips
Variations to Try
Storing & Freezing Hacks

Perfect Coffee Pairing Recommendation

Here’s What You Need

Don’t let the ingredient list scare you! Yes, you will need 13 ingredients. But all of them are easy to find at almost any grocery store, so you shouldn’t have any trouble purchasing them.

So, to bake these carrot cake bars, you should prepare the following ingredients:

  • Almond flour — this gluten-free flour ideally fits in this recipe, and I do not recommend substituting it with anything else.
  • Eggs — if you want to make these carrot cake bars vegan, then you can simply replace eggs in the recipe with flaxseed eggs (for one regular egg, combine 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water).
  • Plant-based milk — you can use any type that you prefer, but make sure to check the label for any gums or other unnecessary ingredients in the milk.
  • Walnuts — or almonds, pecans, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, etc.
  • Baking powder — I don’t like to use baking soda in my recipes, so adding a bit of extra baking powder will be enough.
  • Ground cinnamon — if you don’t like the taste of cinnamon in carrot cake, it’s okay to leave this ingredient out of the recipe.
  • Carrots — you can use either pre-grated carrots or grate them yourself on a box grater.
  • Coconut oil — I don’t use canola oil, sunflower oil, or corn oil, and I don’t advise you to use them either, which is why coconut oil is the perfect option here.
  • Shredded coconut — I love, love, and love what shredded coconut does to the texture of these carrot cake bars.
  • Vanilla extract — this ingredient gives a little boost to the flavor of this dessert.
  • Sweetener — if you’ve never baked sweets without sugar, this is your sign to try it. 
  • Plant-based cream cheese — I used almond cream cheese, and it’s ideal for the cheese swirl layer.
  • Salt — will balance out the flavor and improve the texture of the carrot bars.

Cooking Instructions

When it comes to baking these carrot cake bars, everything is hassle-free and incredibly simple. All you need to do is separately mix the dry and wet ingredients, then combine them and bake the bars. That’s it!

carrot cake bars sliced on white plate

Here’s what the cooking process looks like:

  1. Mix the dry ingredients: In a bowl, combine almond flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, sweetener, and salt.
  2. Mix the wet ingredients: whisk the eggs with the milk, grated carrots, shredded coconut, coconut oil, and vanilla extract.
  3. Combine the dry and wet ingredients together and spread the dough in the baking dish.
  4. Mix the cheese swirl ingredients: cream cheese, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and sweetener.
  5. Spread the cheese layer on top of the dough, make a swirl, and bake.

That’s it! Let your oven do the rest.

Variations to Try

Aside from the main ingredients, there are a few extra ones that you can mix and match to get the most of these carrot cake bars. For example, you can try adding fresh or dried fruit to this dessert. My favorite options are chopped pineapple, grated apple, raisins, dried apricots, and dates.

sliced carrot cake bars on a plate

Another thing that I recommend you try is to experiment a bit with the spices you add. For this recipe, I kept everything simple, but it’s always a good idea to add some ginger or nutmeg.

Storing and Freezing Tips

These carrot cake bars can be left on the counter at room temperature for 1-2 days. But keep in mind that they should be placed in an airtight container. If you need them to last longer, simply place the bars in the refrigerator. This way, they will last up to 5 days.

My favorite part about these carrot cake bars is that they are freezer-friendly, meaning you can store them in your freezer fully cooked, and then whenever craving them, just thaw them either in the refrigerator or in the microwave. These carrot cake bars can last in your freezer for up to 3 months.

Coffee Pairing Recommendation

Because these sweet and salty bars boast of a mostly nutty and cinnamon flavor palate, they would pair perfectly with a medium roast coffee boasting of similar tasting notes.

Think Sumatran coffee here, and give Blue Bottle’s Giant Steps a try. It’s a medium-dark blend with tasting notes of cocoa, marshmallows, and graham cracker.

carrot cake bars on a blue background

As for how to prepare your medium roast coffee, we highly recommend going with the pour over technique. The reason being that preparing coffee this way allows you to taste the coffee bean’s original flavors more so than most other brew methods. It’s also not as sweet (as long as you don’t add sugar, that is!), which will slightly cut the sweetness of the bars to bring out the best flavors in both.

Healthy Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Bars

These carrot cake bars are incredibly moist, delicious, sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, and they go great with coffee!

Total Time45 minsYields10 ServingsDifficultyBeginnerRating

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carrot cake bars sliced on white plate

Batter Ingredients
 2 cups almond flour
 3 large eggs
 3 tbsp plant-based milk
 ½ cup chopped walnuts
 2 tsp baking powder
 1 tsp ground cinnamon
 1 cup grated carrots (the smaller, the better)
 2 tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut
 ½ cup coconut oil (melted)
 1 tsp vanilla extract
 1 cup powdered monk fruit sweetener (optional)*Note: You may replace with equal parts white sugar
 ½ tsp salt
Cheese Layer Ingredients
 8 oz almond cream cheese (room temperature)
 ¼ cup coconut oil (melted)
 ½ tsp vanilla extract
 3 tbsp powdered monk fruit sweetener Note: You may replace with equal parts regular powdered sugar.

Batter Instructions:
1

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking dish with parchment paper.

2

In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, sweetener, and salt.

3

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, grated carrots, shredded coconut, coconut oil, and vanilla extract.

4

Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ones. Spread the dough evenly over the baking dish.

Cheese Layer Instructions:
5

In a medium bowl, combine the ingredients for the cheese layer: cream cheese, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and sweetener. Spread it over the carrot cake dough, and using a toothpick, make a swirl.

6

Bake for around 30-35 minutes (until the edges turn golden brown). Let it cool down completely before cutting and serving.

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Ingredients

Batter Ingredients
 2 cups almond flour
 3 large eggs
 3 tbsp plant-based milk
 ½ cup chopped walnuts
 2 tsp baking powder
 1 tsp ground cinnamon
 1 cup grated carrots (the smaller, the better)
 2 tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut
 ½ cup coconut oil (melted)
 1 tsp vanilla extract
 1 cup powdered monk fruit sweetener (optional)*Note: You may replace with equal parts white sugar
 ½ tsp salt
Cheese Layer Ingredients
 8 oz almond cream cheese (room temperature)
 ¼ cup coconut oil (melted)
 ½ tsp vanilla extract
 3 tbsp powdered monk fruit sweetener Note: You may replace with equal parts regular powdered sugar.

Directions

Batter Instructions:
1

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking dish with parchment paper.

2

In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, sweetener, and salt.

3

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, grated carrots, shredded coconut, coconut oil, and vanilla extract.

4

Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ones. Spread the dough evenly over the baking dish.

Cheese Layer Instructions:
5

In a medium bowl, combine the ingredients for the cheese layer: cream cheese, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and sweetener. Spread it over the carrot cake dough, and using a toothpick, make a swirl.

6

Bake for around 30-35 minutes (until the edges turn golden brown). Let it cool down completely before cutting and serving.

Healthy Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Bars Recipe
IngredientsDirections
 

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Best Affogato Recipe

Ingredients:
2 shots of espresso
½ cup vanilla bean ice cream
Salted brownies for garnish (optional)
Chocolate shavings (optional)

Instructions: 
1. Scoop vanilla bean ice cream into a 4 ounce glass and place in freezer while you prepare the espresso.

2. Pull the espresso shots. Immediately, pull glasses of ice cream out and pour the espresso over the ice cream.

3. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings and salted brownie crumbs. Garnish the glass's rim with a one-inch square of salted brownies.

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Affogato Recipe (Espresso & Ice Cream)
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Credits:
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Videography: Cheyenne Elwell on a D5200 24.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera
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Iced Oat Milk Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe 

* Make a delicious non-dairy version of the famous fall pumpkin spice latte.
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* You can also enjoy this drink warm by following the modified recipe below

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Iced Oat Milk Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe

Pumpkin spice mixture:
½ cup oat milk (barista blend if possible)
⅓ cup brown sugar (white is okay too)
2 tsp pumpkin puree
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice 
1 tsp vanilla extract
Latte
2 shots of espresso
1 cup oat milk 
1 tbsp pumpkin spice mixture
½ cup whipped cream (optional)
2 ice cubes (if enjoying cold)

Pumpkin spice mixture:
1. In a small sauce pan, add oat milk, sugar, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice. Bring to medium heat and whisk ingredients together until sugar is dissolved. Do not let it boil.
2. Once the mixture starts to steam and the sugar is completely dissolved, remove the pan from heat and stir in the vanilla. Strain through a fine mesh filter into a glass jar for easy storage.
Latte:
3. Pull your espresso shots, and pour inside your desired coffee mug. Add the strained pumpkin spice mixture to the espresso and stir well.
4. If enjoying warm (skip to next step if enjoying iced), steam your milk using a steam wand, milk frother, or mason jar (see post above to make foam without a frother) until foamy. Pour velvety milk on top of the espresso mixture.
5. For iced pumpkin spice lattes, add 2 to 3 ice cubes or cold brew coffee cubes to your mixture.
6. Top with whipped cream, if desired, and dust with pumpkin pie spice. Enjoy!

New videos every Thursday. 

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Videography: Cheyenne Elwell on a D5200 24.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera
Recipe: A Cheyenne Elwell original
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I'm Cheyenne — Seattle-based coffee lover & writer. On this blog, you'll find brewing tips & tutorials, coffee & food pairing recipes, and FREE COFFEE GUIDES for your favorite brew method.
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