Carrot Cake Bars (No Bake)

Flip to those chewy, lightly-spiced carrot cake bars if you want a simple no-bake recipe assured to please. Made with carrots and pumpkin puree and topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting, it’s addictive from the primary chew!

I do know I shouldn’t play favorites, however carrot cake must be my favourite sort of cake. Every time I’ve further carrots, I really like to make use of them to make these carrot cake bars with cream cheese frosting. 

For those who love carrot cake and dessert bars, pair the 2 collectively to make these decadent bars. They’re the proper candy deal with to make at a second’s discover, and so they’re filled with scrumptious flavors everybody will love.  

Desk of Contents

1. Recipe highlights
2. Components wanted
3. The right way to make carrot cake bars
4. Recipe ideas and variations
5. Storage directions
6. Steadily requested questions
7. Extra dessert bar recipes to attempt
8. Carrot Cake Bars (Recipe Card)

Recipe highlights

• Comparatively wholesome. Like my sugar cookie bars, these carrot bars are stuffed with healthful elements, but they style as decadent as could be. 
• Gluten-free. These bars are made with out gluten-derived elements (or egg, for that matter) and may simply be made vegan and sugar-free with a couple of easy swaps. 
• Nice for making forward. These bars style simply nearly as good recent as on day one or two, so you may make them the night time earlier than you want them. 
• Versatile. You possibly can add mix-ins or take pleasure in them with or with out frosting. 

Components wanted

This recipe makes use of easy pantry staples. Right here’s what you’ll want for the bars:

• Coconut flour. Provides the bars a cakey texture and chewy chew. 
• Sea salt. Only a contact to raise the opposite elements. 
• Spices. I saved it easy and simply used cinnamon, however you might add nutmeg or floor ginger should you want.
• Sugar. I used granulated white sugar, however you might use gentle brown sugar or a sugar-free sweetener if most well-liked. 
• Pumpkin puree. Search for puree and never “pumpkin pie filling,” which could have sugar and spices added to it. Right here’s my tried and true recipe for making your personal. 
• Grated carrots. To place the carrot in carrot cake, after all! Be certain they’re grated and never chopped.
• Maple syrup. So as to add sweetness and bind the dry elements collectively. 
• Almond butter. Gives a wealthy, nutty taste and makes the majority of the bars. Make your personal or use a store-bought easy, drippy almond butter with no added sugar. Not a fan of almond butter? I’d suggest both cashew butter or peanut butter. You probably have a nut allergy, use sunflower seed butter or tahini. 
• Vanilla extract. To amplify the remainder of the elements. 
• Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk, however you need to use any dairy or dairy-free milk of your selecting. 

For the frosting:

• Cream cheese. I like to recommend utilizing full-fat cream cheese, as the feel of low-fat cream cheese gained’t fairly reduce it. For vegan carrot bars, use plant-based cream cheese. 
• Cinnamon. To tie in with the cake bars. 
• Sugar. I used white sugar, however you might additionally use powdered sugar. 

Discover the printable recipe with measurements beneath.

The right way to make carrot cake bars

Step 1- Prep work. Line an 8×8-inch baking dish or baking pan with parchment paper and flippantly grease with nonstick cooking spray.

Step 2- Mix dry elements. In a big bowl, whisk collectively the flour, cinnamon, sea salt, and sugar. Fold within the pumpkin puree and shredded carrots. 

Step 3- Mix moist and dry elements. In a microwave-safe bowl or stovetop, soften the almond butter and maple syrup. Whisk within the vanilla extract, then pour the almond butter combination into the dry elements and stir to mix. 

Step 4- Form. For a comfortable, fudgy cake bar, add milk till a thick batter is fashioned. For a agency and chewy bar, add milk provided that wanted to achieve your required thickness. Switch the carrot cake batter to the ready pan and press firmly into place. Refrigerate the bars for a minimum of 10 minutes.

Step 5- Make frosting. Combine all frosting elements in a medium bowl. For a thicker cream cheese frosting, use a full 8-ounce container of cream cheese. For a thinner frosting, use ½-¾ of the container. 

Step 6- Frost. As soon as the bars are agency, add the frosting and refrigerate for one more half-hour to agency up earlier than slicing. 

Recipe ideas and variations

• Favor thicker bars? Use a loaf pan as a substitute of a sq. baking dish. 
• Skip the sugar. To make sugar-free carrot bars, I like to recommend utilizing granulated allulose and keto maple syrup. You possibly can both skip the frosting or make it with my keto powdered sugar. 
• Use a meals processor. For those who don’t thoughts dirtying an additional dish, I discover utilizing a meals processor to grate the carrots extra handy than grating them with a field grater.
• Use different flours. I’ve examined this recipe with oat flour and blanched almond flour, and each work nice. However plan on needing a little bit further flour as they don’t soak up moisture in addition to coconut flour. 
• Slice with a heat knife. My #1 tip for probably sticky bars is to slice them utilizing a heat (and sharp) knife. I prefer to run the blade below sizzling water, then dry it and slice the bars. 
• Add mix-ins. Once I’m feeling fancy, I prefer to fold raisins or chopped walnuts into the batter. 
• Colour the frosting. I prefer to maintain it easy and use plain cream cheese frosting, however should you’re making this for Easter or wish to go the additional mile, add a couple of drops of orange meals coloring or make carrot designs with orange and inexperienced frosting. 

Storage directions

To retailer: Leftover carrot bars could be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 1 week. 

To freeze: Retailer leftover carrot bars in a freezer-safe container and freeze them for as much as 3 months. While you’re able to benefit from the bars once more, allow them to thaw in a single day within the fridge. 

Steadily requested questions

Extra dessert bar recipes to attempt

Recipe initially revealed August 2016 however up to date to incorporate new data to your profit.