Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are fluffy, moist and so delicious. They are made in just one bowl!
If you love carrot cake, you must make these bars! The cake is super moist with very minimal oil and sweetened with a bit of pure maple syrup.
To make these cake bars extra special, they are topped with a 3 Ingredient Cream Cheese Frosting. Seriously, it's the best NO butter cream cheese frosting ever.
Why you'll love Carrot Cake Bars:
- Easy to make - All you have to do to make the cake batter is mix all of the ingredients together in one bowl.
- Healthier - This carrot cake recipe is a lightened up version. It's made with little oil, sweetened with pure maple syrup, made with some almond flour in addition to the all purpose and the frosting contains no butter.
- Each bar is under 200 calories!
- Perfect spring dessert - I highly recommend making this for any spring holiday or get-together.
Ingredients for the carrot cake:
- eggs - Helps create spring and fluff.
- unsweetened applesauce - This replaces a good amount of oil in this recipe.
- avocado oil - Helps create a moist cake.
- vanilla extract - Always a must in baked goods!
- pure maple syrup - The sweetener in this cake.
- flour - We're using a mix of all purpose flour and almond flour for a wonderful moist crumb.
- pumpkin pie spice - Gives the perfect warming spice to this cake.
- salt - A must in sweet recipes.
- baking powder & baking soda - This helps create a nice fluff.
- grated carrots - You can grate carrots with a box grater or use a food processor.
- chopped walnuts - For a nice crunch!
Ingredients for cream cheese frosting:
- 2-5% plain Greek yogurt - This adds some more creaminess and a little tang.
- softened cream cheese - You can also use neufchatel cheese spread or low fat cream cheese instead.
- pure maple syrup - The sweetener.
How to make carrot cake bars?
A complete list of ingredients, amounts and instructions is located on the recipe card below.
- First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and/or spray it.
- To a large bowl add the eggs, applesauce, oil, vanilla extract and maple syrup. Whisk well.
- Next, add in the flours, pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
- Use a rubber spatula to combine.
When the flour is almost all mixed in, add the carrots and walnuts and combine just until incorporated.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared 8×8 baking pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Once baked, let the cake cool for about 8 minutes in the baking pan.
- Then, transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Make the frosting as the cake is cooling.
- Use a mixer or food processor to make the frosting.
- Combine the yogurt, cream cheese and maple syrup until creamy. There should be no lumps.
- Once the cake is cooled completely, evenly spread the frosting over the cake. I added a sprinkle of extra chopped walnuts over the top.
- Slice into 16 bars and enjoy!
Expert tips:
- Properly measure flour by spooning the flour into the measuring cup. Then, level off the top of the cup with a knife. Do not place the measuring cup into the bag and scoop. You could end up with more flour than needed.
- Don't overmix the batter. Mix until just combined. You can wind up with tough cake that won't rise well if over mixed.
- Make sure the cake is cooled completely before adding the frosting or it will melt.
Dietary adaptations:
- gluten free - You can use all purpose gluten free flour. Buy a gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum added. I HIGHLY recommend Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour! Make sure the baking powder you use is gluten free.
- dairy free - Use non-dairy Greek-style yogurt and non-dairy cream cheese. I love tofu cream cheese.
- vegan - For this recipe to be vegan, use non-dairy Greek-style yogurt and non-dairy cream cheese. I never tried using an egg substitute in this recipe. I can't guarantee great results for this reason. If you try, let us know in the comments!
Of course, always check to make sure all the products you are using comply with the diet you follow.
Storage instructions:
- It's best not to frost the cake until you are ready to enjoy.
- Store the cake on the kitchen counter in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Store the frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5 days.
- If you have already frosted the cake, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. I just don't recommend this because the cake won't be as moist if it's sitting in the fridge.
Carrot Cake Bars
Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are fluffy, moist and so delicious. They are made in just one bowl!
Ingredients
Ingredients for the carrot cake:
- 2 eggs - At room temperature.
- ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅔ cup grated carrots - You can grate carrots with a box grater or use a food processor.
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Ingredients for cream cheese frosting:
- ⅓ cup 2-5% plain Greek yogurt
- 8 ounces softened cream cheese
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Instructions
- First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and/or spray it.
- To a large bowl add the eggs, applesauce, oil, vanilla extract and maple syrup. Whisk well.
- Next, add in the flours, pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Use a rubber spatula to combine.
- When the flour is almost all mixed in, add the carrots and walnuts and combine just until incorporated.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared 8×8 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Once baked, let the cake cool for about 8 minutes in the baking pan. Then, transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely. Make the frosting as the cake is cooling.
- Use a mixer or food processor to make the frosting. Combine the yogurt, cream cheese and maple syrup until creamy. There should be no lumps.
- Once the cake is cooled completely, evenly spread the frosting over the cake. I added a sprinkle of extra chopped walnuts over the top. Slice into 16 bars and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Carrot Cake Bars
Amount Per Serving
Calories 190
Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Trans Fat 0.002g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 22mg7%
Sodium 257mg11%
Potassium 125mg4%
Carbohydrates 20g7%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 777IU16%
Vitamin C 0.3mg0%
Calcium 121mg12%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This nutrition information is an estimate and should not be taken as fact. The owner of this website is not liable for this estimation.
Tried this recipe?Tell me how it was!
Lara
just made them,they're so delicious !!
Yay! Glad to hear that, Lara. 🙂
Grace
So yummy and easy!
That's the goal! 🙂 – Krista <3
Thuy Lan Pham
How do you make the tofu cream cheese?
You can purchase it at any major grocery store! I love Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
Tawni Miller
These were so yummy! I made them for Easter and subbed GF flour for whole wheat to accommodate our family and they were a big hit! I can’t believe how yummy that frosting is!!!
Honestly, one of my favorites! So glad they were included at your Easter celebration. 🙂
Belina
I made it this morning. Very delicious😋 Thank you for this healthy version carrot cake bard’s recipe. Can these bars store in Frozen? I can’t finish whole within 3 days by myself😆
Love to hear that! 🙂 You can freeze the bars unfrosted and leave the frosting stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Elissa
Could this be made using all almond flour?
No, every flour has a different texture. You could try a gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum added in place of the whole wheat pastry flour if you're looking for a gf option. I like Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.
Bev
Can you just double for a 9x13 pan
Probably but I haven't tried to guarantee results.
Ishita Agarwal
Hi! I was interested in making these carrot cake bars, but I don’t have applesauce or pumpkin spice available where I live. Could you suggest a substitute and the ratio I should use? I was thinking of using greek yoghurt or cottage cheese, but I’m not sure if that will replace the applesauce.
Thank you!
Hi! You can use cinnamon instead of the spice. You can probably use mashed banana in place of the applesauce, but you will need to mash it very well until it's liquidy. I haven't tried this sub so I can't guarantee the same results and the cake will have a banana flavor.
Tawni Miller
DELICIOUS!!! The best Carrot Cake Bars and love the velvety frosting:)
Yay! 🙂
Ashley
These look so good and I can’t wait to make them! My husband can’t hand almonds. Is there another nut flour or other flour I could sub? Thanks!
Since flours have different textures, you wouldn't be able to sub the almond flour one for one with another flour. You could use more whole wheat pastry flour, but you will have to play around with the measurement a bit to obtain the right texture.