These Paleo Vegan Carrot Cake Bars are easy to make and so tasty. Moist, spiced just right, and topped with a delicious frosting. Gluten free, dairy free, egg free, and naturally sweetened.
Easter is a couple weeks away which means it's carrot cake season. I'm not sure how that works, but I love carrot cake so I'm okay with it. I have some other carrot cake desserts, but I thought a bar with frosting sounded delicious and I was right. These are so simple and if you love carrot cake then you'll love these! The texture is kind of like a brownies, but with carrot cake flavor. They are thick and dense and there is no baking soda used so they don't rise like cake.
Vegan and Egg Free
These contain no dairy or eggs making them vegan or good if you are working around an egg allergy. Just be sure to use butter flavored coconut oil in place of the ghee in the frosting to keep them vegan.
Add-Ins
These are full of goodies- chopped pecans, shredded coconut, raisins and of course carrots. These add-ins are optional and customizable. Keep what you love and leave out what you don't. I think making them again I would leave out the coconut, but that's just my personal preference. You do you!
The frosting is the same one that I used for my Paleo Sugar Cookie Bars. It's not cream cheese which classically pairs with carrot cake, but it's so sweet and creamy you won't even miss the cream cheese. Yes, you can make a dairy free cream cheese with cashews, but I wanted something simple and this was it. Promise you will love it.
Here are my other carrot cake treats you will like: Paleo Carrot Cake Coffee Cake, Paleo Carrot Cake Bread, and Paleo Carrot Cake Scones.
Hope you enjoy!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Paleo Vegan Carrot Cake Bars
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Bars
- 2 cups almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- ⅔ cup almond milk, room temperature
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- ¼ cup chopped pecans (optional)
- ¼ cup raisins (optional)
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
Frosting
- ¼ cup coconut butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons ghee or butter flavored coconut oil for vegan
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° and line a 8x8 (or 9x9) pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Stir well. Add in the coconut oil and almond milk and stir well until mixture is combined. Add in the carrots, pecans, raisins and coconut (if using) and mix until everything is well incorporated. Scoop into the prepared pan and spread as evenly as possible.
- Bake 30-33 minutes, until edges are slightly brown. Let cool before frosting.
- Once cooled, make the frosting. Warm up the coconut butter until smooth if needed. In a small bowl combine the coconut butter, maple syrup, ghee, vanilla, and salt. Stir well until smooth. Spread over cookie bars and cut and eat or store in the fridge.
Anna says
I had to sub cassava flour for almond flour. Mine turned out very dry. What can I do to help this for next time?
Jessica DeMay says
That's not a great sub as it's much drier. A gluten free mix may work, but almond flour is what is best for this recipe.
Patsy says
Can these be made ahead and frozen?
Jessica DeMay says
Yes! They freeze great!
Rose Marie Kamenitz says
Can u please post the Nutritional Values for your recipes?
Jessica DeMay says
I don't calculate that info, you can use a site like My Fitness Pal if you need to know
Victoria Maillo de Aguilera says
Hi Jessica,
It's the second time that I baked these. So, now, with a little bit more of experience they were wonderful. I did nit have the size pan in your recipe, mine is a little bit bigger, so I add a little bit more and extra frosting as well. They are super easy, the moisture is incredible and the mix of flavors give this recipe a five forks grade. I did not use raisins or coconut because I am not a fan, but I like the flavor of coconut oil. Thank you so much again for all your work!!!
Aubrey Nicole Smith says
Do you have a trick that you use for warming up the coconut butter? Mine is always hard as a rock so I don't use it very often!
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Aubrey- I always place mine in the microwave for 30 seconds and then stir really well. Hope that helps!