These healthy carrot cake bars take your classic carrot cake and turn it into a bar form for a snack, breakfast, on-the-go option, or dessert!
They are lighter and healthier than a piece of cake, and they have a great consistency with added texture thanks to raisins and walnuts. Of course, you can leave them out if they aren’t your thing. They are delicious either way.

I am a huge fan of cream cheese frosting, but to lighten these up with went with a greek yogurt “frosting”, which is just yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla. It’s the perfect topping for these bars, especially once chilled!
Make them for Easter or just to have a delicious dessert on hand during the week.
Why we love these carrot cake bars
- easy to make – I promise you don’t have to be an expert baker to make these!
- lighten up and a healthier version of a classic! – We are using just 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in the batter.
- gluten-free – but I promise no one would even know!

Are carrot cakes healthy?
Cake is something you would normally associate with the word healthy as they usually have a decent amount of sugar and fat and can be calorie-dense. Although carrot cake does have carrots, which are full of carotenoids (antioxidants high in cancer-fighting properties), vitamin A, calcium, potassium, and fiber, it is still cake. Of course, all foods can be enjoyed in moderation.
When making it at home, you have full control over the quality and quantity of the ingredients. Our version is lightly sweetened with maple syrup and not full of sugar and fat.
Ingredients
- gluten-free flour – I used Bob’s Red Mill
- cinnamon
- ginger
- nutmeg
- baking soda
- baking powder
- salt
- brown/ripe banana – this helps add some natural sweetness and keep them moist. I promise you can’t taste it though!
- milk – dairy or non-dairy will work
- egg
- coconut oil
- maple syrup – for a touch of sweetness
- vanilla extract
- fresh carrots, grated – an essential for carrot cake!
- raisins – for a little chewiness and natural sweetness. You can leave them out if you don’t like them.
- walnuts – for a little crunch. Again, you can leave them out if you don’t like them.

How to make carrot cake bars
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8×8 pan with a little ghee/butter/oil. You can also line it with parchment paper, but I find it’s not necessary.
- Mix together your dry ingredients. Add your flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Mix together your wet ingredients. In a separate medium-large bowl, mash your banana until smooth. If needed, melt your oil. Add your egg, milk, melted oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract and mix well to combine. Add your dry mixture to your wet mixture and mix well. Stir in carrots, raisins, and walnuts.
- Bake. Pour the carrot cake batter into your prepared baking dish and bake for 28-32 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
- While the bars bake, make your frosting. In a medium bowl, mix together greek yogurt, vanilla, and maple syrup. Once bars are slightly cooled, frost. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes to let the frosting chill.
- Enjoy! Cut into 9 pieces, and enjoy!





How to grate carrots
To grate your carrots, use a box grater on a small-medium hole. You don’t want your carrot pieces too large, but also not too small that they disappear. I suggest peeling them before grating as the outside skin can be a little bitter. You can also shred them in a food processor.
Greek yogurt frosting for carrot cake bars
Instead of your classic cream cheese frosting, we are using a greek yogurt frosting. It’s lighter yet still full of flavor and also packs a little protein. You will need:
- Greek yogurt
- vanilla extract
- maple syrup

Simply mix together the ingredients until combined and adjust according to taste. I highly recommend popping it in the fridge after you ice the bars as it makes it even better!
If you prefer a cream cheese frosting, follow this recipe.
Storage
- fridge – first, let the bars cool completely. Add to an airtight sealable glass container or you can wrap the pan you baked them in with tin foil or saran wrap. Store in the fridge for up to a week.
- freeze – if freezing, I suggest not icing them. Let cool completely and place individual bars on a large plate or baking sheet. Place in the freezer and let freeze for 2 hours or until hardened. This will help ensure they freeze individually and won’t stick together. Transfer to a large bag (we love these reusable silicone bags) and freeze for up to 3 months. You can also wrap each one individually and throw it right in the freezer after they have cooled. Thaw by placing them in the refrigerator and then warming up the microwave if desired.

Substitutions
- gluten-free flour – all-purpose flour should work instead of gluten-free flour.
- banana – applesauce or pumpkin puree will work the same.
- milk – dairy or non-dairy will work.
- egg – I haven’t tried it, but a flax egg might work.
- oil – butter or ghee will work.
- maple syrup – any kind of liquid sweetener would work such as honey or agave. If you did want to swap out for a dry or granulated sugar, you would need to add a little more liquid to help ensure they stay moist.
- walnuts – swap out pecans for walnuts, or leave them out altogether.
More healthy treats
- best banana bread bars
- oatmeal chocolate chip muffins
- peanut butter chocolate chip bars
- homemade caramel popcorn
- cinnamon sugar candied nuts
If you love quick and easy meals and want to learn how to build a balanced plate, check out our FREE How to Build a Balanced Plate Guide!


Carrot Cake Bars
ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup 1:1 gluten-free flour (148 grams)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 medium brown banana (100 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (softened/melted)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 heaping cup finely grated carrots (125 grams)
- 1/4 cup raisins (40 grams) – optional
- 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped (45 grams) – optional
Greek Yogurt Frosting
- 3/4 cup greek yogurt (6 ounces – I used full-fat)
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8×8 pan with a little ghee/butter/oil. You can also line it with parchment paper, but I find it’s not necessary.
- Mix together your dry ingredients. Add your flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Mix together your wet ingredients. In a separate medium-large bowl, mash your banana until smooth. If needed, melt your oil. Add your egg, milk, melted oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract and mix well to combine. Add your dry mixture to your wet mixture and mix well. Stir in carrots, raisins, and walnuts.
- Bake. Pour the carrot cake batter into your prepared baking dish and bake for 28-32 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
- While the bars bake, make your frosting. In a medium bowl, mix together greek yogurt, vanilla, and maple syrup. Once bars are slightly cooled, frost. Once frosted, place in the fridge for 10 minutes to let the frosting chill.
- Enjoy! Cut into 9 pieces and enjoy!
Kendall Parkinson says
Loved it! Tastes exactly like carrot cake.
Kelly says
So glad you enjoyed it, Kendall! Thanks for trying it!
Denise says
I loved this recipe! Super quick and easy. I did opt to go with homemade cream cheese frosting and it did not disappoint.
Kelly says
Love a good cream cheese frosting! Glad you enjoyed it Denise and thanks for trying it!
Grace says
You did it again Kelly! So good. And I loved the yogurt “frosting”. It was perfect.
Kelly says
So glad you enjoyed them, Grace! Thanks for trying them!
nancy says
love the banana and carrot combo!! Delicious!
Kelly says
So glad you enjoyed them, Nancy!
Dad says
They were great and good for u too
Kelly says
Glad you enjoyed them!!