I remember being introduced to the concept of carrot cake as a kid; the idea of vegetables in the cake didn't go together. Then I tried it. To this day, I'm still in love with carrot cake, however odd it might seem. Now, as an adult, I'm always looking for ways to reimagine my childhood favorites...namely, to make them with better, whole ingredients that are just as delicious as what I grew up with.
When Abbie brought this recipe to my attention, our goal was to create guilt-free healthy carrot cake bars that are easy to make and as good for you as cake can be. Abbie made the first test run on this recipe, and I thank her! This was her first foray into making recipes from scratch with honey - and they were delicious.
Carrots are similar to butternut squash in that they become very soft and sweet after baking, lending themselves well to desserts and baked goods. Finely shred the carrots using a mandoline or even a cheese grater; the goal is to have uniform pieces, with no large chunks leftover (since these will not cook at the same rate as fine pieces). Don't completely pulverize the carrots, though, or you'll end up with a very homogenous, mushy texture.
Adapting this Healthy Carrot Cake Bars Recipe
A recipe is not perfect until you’ve added your touch. That’s why we encourage you to play with your food. Let your inner chef come out and play and change up this recipe. Here are some ideas to get the ideas rolling:
- Use part almond or oat flour instead of all-purpose gluten-free flour
- Raisins or dried cherries would be delicious in this recipe
- Try hemp seeds or raw sunflower seeds instead of flax meal
- Add unsweetened raw coconut in place of the walnuts
Be sure to keep these Healthy Carrot Cake Bars in the fridge so they’ll last longer. Of course, they may go pretty quickly anyway. They’re perfect for an afternoon snack, but you can even use them as an on-the-go breakfast.
Are you big into baking with carrots?
Try these amazing Carrot Bran Muffins, they are delicious, and nice and moist from using raw carrot in the batter. This is a recipe that the whole family will enjoy!
