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Carrot Cake Bars

These vegan carrot cake bars are easy to make, moist, loaded with caramelized shredded carrots, perfectly spiced, and topped with a generous crumb topping made with pecans, cinnamon and brown sugar. Gluten-free Nutfree options 

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 9
Calories: 220 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the caramelized carrots
  • 2 to 2 ½ cups of grated or shredded carrots
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon Vegan Butter or Oil
For the dry ingredients
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup almond flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon all spice
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Zest of half a small orange or zest of half of lime
  • ¼ cup chopped dates
For the wet ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon flax seed meal mixed in with 3 tablespoons of water
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup or more nondairy milk
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the topping
  • 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons Chopped Pecans

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Make your caramelized carrots: add all of the ingredients under carrots to a skillet over medium heat and mix really well until the butter melts, and the maple syrup and sugar coat the carrots.
  2. Continue to cook for 13-15 minutes or until the carrots don’t feel liquidity. The carrots will keep leaking moisture into the mixture so you just want the maple to get absorbed into the carrots and the excess moisture to evaporate.
  3. It shouldn’t be absolutely dry but it should also not have any kind of film of water on the skillet. Then take off heat.
  4. Make the cake bar batter: In a bowl mix all the dry ingredients, the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg, salt and mix well.
  5. To the bowl of the flour ingredients add the flax egg, sugar, oil, vanilla and ¾ cup nondairy milk. Mix until almost combined, if the mixture is too thick add in another tablespoon of milk. You want it to be like muffin batter, you don’t want it too thin like a pancake batter but slightly thick
  6. Then add in the dates, and zest. Add in 3/4 of caramelized carrots and mix in.
  7. Transfer to parchment line, 8x8 or 9x9 inch baking dish. Even it out. Top with the remaining carrot mixture.
  8. Make the topping: In a bowl mix the cinnamon sugar topping by mixing the sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Then sprinkle this all over the batter. Then bake at 350F (170C) for 35-40 minutes.
  9. Check at 35-minute mark, if the toothpick comes out clean or almost clean then it’s done.
  10. Let it sit for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool for another 10-15 mins then slice and serve.Storage: store on the counter for the day in a covered container. Refrigerate for upto 5 days

Notes

  • Make a frosting: This cake is really moist so it doesn’t really need more topping. If you like, you can add a cream cheese drizzle on top. I make a quick frosting with ¼ cup of vegan cream cheese, a few drops of vanilla and 2 tablespoons of  maple syrup. Mix really well until it is a smooth, thick frosting consistency then drizzle all over.
  • Nutfree : omit the pecans and almond flour. Use 2 tablespoons more all purpose flour instead of almond flour
  • Glutenfree: mix ½ cup of almond flour, ½ cup of oat flour, ¼ cup potato starch and use. And use ½ a cup of milk instead of ¾ cup and add  ¼ cup of club soda.
  • Oilfree: Omit the oil, add 2 tablespoons applesauce or non dairy yogurt 
  • To bake into a carrot cake, bake in 8 or 9 inch round cake pan and top with frosting of choice. 

Nutrition Information

Calories 220kcal (11%) Carbohydrates 31g (10%) Protein 3g (6%) Fat 9g (14%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Sodium 131mg (5%) Potassium 257mg (7%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 17g (34%) Vitamin A 6021IU (120%) Vitamin C 4mg (4%) Calcium 82mg (8%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 9Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 220

% Daily Value*

Calories 220kcal 11%
Carbohydrates 31g 10%
Protein 3g 6%
Fat 9g 14%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 131mg 5%
Potassium 257mg 5%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 17g 34%
Vitamin A 6021IU 120%
Vitamin C 4mg 4%
Calcium 82mg 8%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.