Carrot Cake Bars (Gluten-Free)

These carrot cake bars are delicious, perfectly moist, and soft – easy dessert for any holiday. Simply the best gluten-free carrot cake treat.

Carrot Cake Bars – Easy Holiday Dessert

Carrot cake is my favorite cake. I wanted to create a dessert with the same delicious flavor but that’s easy to make.

These carrot cake bars are the ultimate sweet indulgence for any holiday – perfect for Easter, Mother’s Day brunch, Memorial Day, 4th of July and even Thanksgiving. I think it’s such an incredible dessert that should be enjoyed all year long. It’s a great dessert to bring to a potluck, a family gathering or to make for a birthday. This gluten-free carrot cake bars recipe makes about 20 mini cakes.

Ingredients You’ll Need

How To Make Carrot Cake Bars

This gluten-free mini carrot cakes recipe has a few steps but it comes together quickly and easily. The prep time takes about 15 minutes and the recipe doesn’t require any special equipment. All you need is 2 mixing bowls, spatula, baking dish, and parchment paper.

Mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately, and fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix well until there are no dry pockets. The batter will be relatively thick. Add chopped walnuts, raisins, and shredded carrots to the bowl, and mix until everything is well incorporated.

Spread the batter in a baking dish and bake it in a preheated oven. While the cake is baking, make the frosting and frost the cake once cooled.

TIPS FROM NELI’S KITCHEN

Tips For Mini Carrot Cake Bites

• Line the baking dish with parchment paper so the paper hangs over the sides. This prevents the cake from sticking to the dish and makes it easier to remove.
• Cool the carrot cake before you add the frosting so the frosting doesn’t melt.
• Refrigerate the frosting for 15 minutes so it holds its shape when you frost the sheet cake.
• Chop the raisins and the carrots in small pieces with a knife for best texture.
• For equal size cakes, if you are using a 9 x 13 baking dish, cut the cake horizontally in the middle and then cut each half in the middle again. Cut the cake vertically in 5 even rows. This should yield 20 equal carrot cake bites.

Healthy Carrot Cake Bars Recipe (Gluten-Free, Paleo-Friendly)

Most carrot cakes are loaded with sugar and oil to achieve a sweet and moist cake. These homemade carrot cake bars have a balanced sweetness and are crafted with wholesome ingredients. If you’re following a Paleo lifestyle, try topping these bars with a coconut cashew cream cheese frosting instead of the traditional version. I also made them gluten-free by using almond and coconut flour. Even though the bars are made with gluten-free ingredients, they taste incredible and the texture of the cakes is amazing.

How To Store Carrot Cake Bars

You can store the carrot cake bars in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. The bars taste even better after they have been refrigerated and the frosting is cool.

You can also make this sheet pan carrot cake and cream cheese frosting ahead of time and keep it refrigerated until it’s time to serve. Cover with the frosting, cut into squares and top with chopped walnuts.

More Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes

You can never have too many gluten-free dessert recipes! If you love this carrot cake bars recipes, you might also love these:

• Gluten-Free Mini Cakes with Berries – Simply impressive! Perfect mini cakes for 4th of July or any other special occasion!
• Paleo Banana Walnut Brownies – Favorite brownie recipe using ripe bananas
• No Bake Chocolate Bites – perfect afternoon treat!

If you enjoyed this Carrot Cake Bars recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.

Carrot Cake Bars

These carrot cake bars are delicious, perfectly moist and soft – easy dessert for any holiday. Simply the best gluten-free carrot cake treat. Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 20

Ingredients  

Carrot Cake Bars

• 2 cups almond flour
• ⅓ cup coconut flour
• 1 cup coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup melted coconut oil
• 5 large eggs, beaten
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 2 cups chopped walnuts, divided
• ½ cup raisins, chopped

Cream Cheese Frosting (see Notes for Paleo version)

• 4 oz cream cheese
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 ½ cups powder sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions 

Carrot Cake Bars

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9×13 dish with parchment paper so that the paper hangs over the sides. This helps to easily remove them once baked. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients – almond flour, coconut flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, allspice, salt and baking soda.
• In another bowl, mix together the wet ingredients – melted coconut oil, eggs, vanilla extract. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until everything is well incorporated and there are no dry pockets left. The batter will be thick.
• Fold in carrots, raisins and 1 cup chopped walnuts. Spread the batter evenly in the baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting (see Notes for Paleo version)

• While the carrot cake bars are baking, make the frosting. Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium mixing bowl and mix with a mixer for a minute. Add powdered sugar in batches until frosting is smooth and creamy.
• Once cake is cooled, spread cream cheese frosting evenly over the cake. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup chopped walnuts on top and refrigerate for about 1 hour or until frosting is firm.

Video

Notes

*For a Paleo-friendly option, use this Coconut Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting.

Nutrition

• Calories: 484 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 41 g
• Protein: 9 g
• Fat: 34 g
• Saturated Fat: 15 g
• Cholesterol: 75 mg
• Sodium: 285 mg
• Potassium: 160 mg
• Fiber: 5 g
• Sugar: 26 g
• Vitamin A: 2105 IU
• Vitamin C: 1.1 mg
• Calcium: 75 mg
• Iron: 1.6 mg

Nutrition Disclaimer: Nutritional values are estimates and may vary with ingredients, brands, and portion sizes. For accuracy, use your preferred nutrition calculator.