Healthy Carrot Cake Bars with Greek Yogurt Frosting

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.

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.

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!