Name: Carrot Cake Snack Bars
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour; ¼ teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; ½ cup unsweetened applesauce; 1 cup peeled and grated carrots; ¼ cup butter, melted and slightly cooled; 2 eggs; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; ½ cup maple syrup; 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature; ½ cup powdered sugar; ¼ cup plain unsweetened Greek yogurt; ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

These carrot cake bars are amazing!

I am calling these carrot cake snack bars, but honestly they are so good they could double as dessert.

This super moist carrot cake has the perfect crumb and is topped with a light sweet cream cheese icing.

Each one has 5 grams of protein and is made with balanced ingredients and far less sugar than the average carrot cake.

These are seriously my FAVORITE way to eat carrot cake!

Ingredients and notes

The full recipe with instructions is located in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but here is a quick overview of the ingredients you will need to make it.

Salt, baking powder, and baking soda
Cinnamon
All-purpose flour: this recipe has not been tested with another type of flour.
Unsweetened applesauce: this gives the carrot cake such a delicious moistness.
Whole carrots: peeled and grated.
Butter
Eggs
Vanilla extract
Maple syrup: real pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup.
Cream cheese
Powdered sugar
Greek yogurt: plain and unsweetened.

How to make carrot cake snack bars

Step 1: Whisk together the dry ingredients: salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and all-purpose flour in a mixing bowl.

Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk together the applesauce, grated carrots, melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and maple syrup.

Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined.

Step 4: Line an 8 by 8 baking dish with parchment paper. Pour the carrot cake batter in and smooth out the top.

Step 5: Bake the carrot cake bars at 375 degrees for 27-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Recipe Tip

Allow the carrot cake to cool completely before frosting it.

Step 6: To make the frosting, beat the softened cream cheese in a bowl until fluffy. Add the greek yogurt and beat it until smooth.

Step 7: Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

Step 8: Frost the cooled cake.

Step 9: Cut the carrot cake into 12 even squares.

adding greek yogurt to whipped cream cheese

Storing

Leftover carrot cake snack bars should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Leftover cake will be good for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Serving

For the best texture, serve this carrot cake at room temperature or warmed up. I find that this gives the best texture to the cake! You can eat it cold too, of course. This is just my personal preference for this recipe!

These would make a great lunch box treat, after school snack, or mid afternoon sweet treat.

The perfect lightened up snack for carrot cake lovers!