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These Gluten Free Carrot Cake Bars turn out moist and delicious, thanks to my secret ingredient. For this carrot cake recipe, I use puréed baby carrots to add rich carrot flavor, loads of moisture, and, best of all, a simple, fuss-free preparation. Topped with a decadent cream cheese frosting, I like serving these bars when I’m hosting for the holidays or feeding a large group.
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Pin ItAll The Flavor of Carrot Cake Without The Fuss
These gluten free carrot cake bars are an Easter favorite of mine as they have all the carrot cake flavor I love in an easy-to-eat bar, that I’ve topped with the best cream cheese frosting.
For these gluten free bars, I take the usual carrot cake ingredients like eggs, oil, gluten free flour, and sugar, and combine them with pureed carrot baby food to make the most delicious carrot cake bars. They turn out moist, flavorful, and because I’ve used store-bought baby food, they are that much easier to prepare. And I find making bars instead of a cake means I can feed more people this delicious treat.
Tips for Beginners
- Use a gluten-free flour with xanthan gum. Xanthan gum acts as a binder, so gluten-free baked goods don’t fall apart. If your flour doesn’t have any, you can add it separately. I’d estimate you’d need about 1 tsp for this recipe.
- Replace the baby food with grated carrots. Use 1 cup of grated carrots in place of the baby food if you don’t have baby food on hand.
- All purpose flour also works. Substitute the gluten free flour with all purpose flour on a 1-1 basis.
- Throw in some raisins. Some people like their carrot cake with raisins. For this recipe, I’d suggest ½ cup.
Gluten Free Carrot Cake Bars (Secret Ingredient)
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake Bars
- 3 large eggs 150g
- 1¼ cups vegetable oil 250g
- 2 cups gluten-free flour 296g
- 2 cups granulated sugar 400g
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon 6g
- 1 tsp baking powder 4g
- ½ tsp baking soda 3g
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¾ cup carrot baby food 188g
- ¾ cup unsweetened apple sauce 188g
- ½ cup chopped walnuts 57g
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz. light cream cheese 227g, room temperature (1 brick)
- ½ cup unsalted butter 113g, room temperature (1 stick)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 4g
- 3 cups powdered sugar 339g
Video
Instructions
For the Carrot Cake Bars
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 15×10-inch baking sheet with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the eggs and oil for 2 minutes. Combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; add to the egg mixture. Add the baby food and applesauce; mix well. Stir in the walnuts.3 large eggs, 1¼ cups vegetable oil, 2 cups gluten-free flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp kosher salt, ¾ cup carrot baby food, ¾ cup unsweetened apple sauce, ½ cup chopped walnuts
- Transfer to the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow to cool.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a small bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar.8 oz. light cream cheese, ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, 3 cups powdered sugar
- Frost the pan with the cream cheese frosting and cut into bars.
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Baking Sheet
- Hand Mixer
Becky’s Tips
- Add 1 tsp of xanthan gum if your gluten free flour doesn’t contain any.
- 1 cup of grated carrots can replace the baby food.
- Use the same quantity of all purpose flour if you don’t require gluten free bars.
- Add ½ cup of raisins for more sweetness and moisture.
- Store leftovers for up to 3 days.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Store
I like to store these bars in the fridge as they have cream cheese icing. Wrap them in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 5 days. They may lose moisture as they sit in the fridge, so. I let them come to room temperature before serving.
Freeze
If you want to freeze a few bars to enjoy later, wrap them tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
Serving Suggestions
These carrot cake bars taste great as is, but are definitely even better with a scoop of creamy red velvet ice cream or this fall-inspired pumpkin ice cream. I like to enjoy a bar (or two!) with a steaming hot cup of bulletproof coffee or a cool, refreshing cold brew. This recipe makes about 15 bars, so it’s ideal when I’m entertaining for Easter or Christmas, but also a great potluck option.
More Gluten Free Dessert Recipes To Try
- These Gluten-Free Lemon Bars feature a buttery gluten-free shortbread crust that I top with a smooth, tangy lemon filling.
- These fudgy and chewy Gluten-Free Brownies, are quick and easy to make.
- These Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies turn out soft, chewy, and absolutely delicious.
Our family has been making these for over 60 years. Original recipe doesn’t have walnuts included. I don’t know that they really add much to the bars. We’re purists in our family. Ha.
Hi. I was wondering if I could bake these in a 9×13 pan? I don’t have the other size you mentioned. Thank you.
We think they will turn out too thick! You could try halving the recipe and doing it in a 9×13. A standard-sized rimmed baking sheet works best, though!
Hi looking for the tip section regarding the pan (“Transfer to a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. *SEE TIP IN THE NOTE SECTION BELOW”), but I don’t see it.
I have made these for years and it is always a family favorite but we weren’t crazy about how heavy the oil makes them – substitute apple cinnamon apple sauce for the oil and taste the same but much lighter.
They look good. could even add some coconut to the batter. can’t wait to make them
How much regular flour do you use….? 2 cups?
Yep! The great thing with the Bobs Red Mill flour is it’s 1:1. So you could sub it in baking to make any recipe gluten free (as long as the other ingredients were as well) and vice versa. Hope you enjoy!