These Gluten Free Carrot Cake Bars are so moist and delicious, thanks to our secret ingredient. You’ll never believe how simple and delicious this moist carrot cake recipe is! Try not to eat all the perfect carrot cake frosting before piling it on and serving it to your Easter guests. Best carrot Cake bars ever!
Gluten Free Carrot Cake Bars
There are so many things to love about these moist carrot cake bars. The fact that they’re gluten free is just a small part of what makes them amazing!
These GLUTEN FREE carrot cake bars are an Easter favorite. All the flavor you love in an easy-to-eat bar, topped off with the best cream cheese carrot cake frosting…YUM!
I was going to make you wait to find out what we use to make this the most moist carrot cake recipe ever, but I guess I can’t keep a secret. It’s Carrot Baby Food! You’ll have to trust me that it is amazing. I’m never looking back now that I know about this secret ingredient.
Every Easter dessert table needs a good carrot cake, and these gluten free bars are my new favorite dessert option. I’m always looking for the easiest way to make things, and this recipe is it!
I loaded our Carrot Cake Bars with chopped walnuts and cream cheese icing. I simply cannot get enough!
Gluten Free Carrot Cake Recipe
Making our favorite desserts into gluten-free desserts is surprisingly easy. These gluten free carrot cake bars are proof!
I’m obsessed because you don’t have to change a recipe at all to make it work for your family. Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour is such a quality ingredient. If you prefer regular all purpose flour, Bob’s also has that. I go back and forth as to which is my favorite! You can’t go wrong.
Don’t you love a recipe that you can customize? Add in those walnuts, raisins, or whatever else you think your carrot cake bars are in dire need. Carrot shreds? Sure! I was just too lazy. Let’s be honest!
Homemade Carrot Cake Bars (Secret Ingredient)
Okay, I know I already gave away my secret, but let’s really talk about it. We used carrot baby food to make these easy Carrot Cake Bars extra moist and flavorful.
It might sound strange to add baby food to your grown-up desserts, but it’s good. Trust me. Look at the ingredients and you’ll see carrot baby food is just CARROTS and WATER. They make this moist carrot sheet cake extra amazing (and easy), and that’s never a bad thing!
Would you consider gluten free carrot cake bars healthy?
Well, maybe they were before I piled on the cream cheese carrot cake frosting. Listen, I used low-fat cream cheese, okay, what more can you ask for? What would carrot cake be without the cream cheese icing? I can’t even fathom it!
How to Make Carrot Cake Bars
I told you this gluten free recipe was easy, and I wasn’t lying. It’s just a few simple steps, throw those bars in the oven, frost ’em, and serve ’em up!
- Start by beating the eggs and oil, then combine the flour, salt, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda, and add that into the egg mixture.
- Then mix in the carrot baby food and applesauce, and stir in walnuts.
- Pour the mixture into a baking pan, then bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.
- To make the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy, then beat in the vanilla, and finally the confectioner’s sugar.
- Let the carrot cake bars cool, then frost them.
Be sure to watch the video to see how it’s done!
You’ll definitely want these gluten free carrot cake bars on your dessert table ASAP. The ultimate Easter feast is much easier than you ever thought! And of course you need to try our easy Skillet Carrot Cake recipe too.
Watch How to Make Carrot Cake Bars or see the recipe card below for full details. Enjoy!
We have so many great dessert recipes for Easter and beyond that you need to try:
- Easy Peach Cobbler
- French Silk Pie
- Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies
- Gluten Free Lemon Squares
- Hummingbird Cake
Gluten Free Carrot Cake Bars (Secret Ingredient)
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake Bars
- 3 large eggs 150 grams
- 1¼ cups vegetable oil 250 grams
- 2 cups Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour 296 grams
- 2 cups granulated sugar 400 grams
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 6 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking powder 4 grams
- ½ teaspoon Bob's Red Mill Baking Soda 3 grams
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup carrot baby food 188 grams
- ¾ cup unsweetened apple sauce 188 grams
- ½ cup chopped walnuts 57 grams
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces light cream cheese 227 grams, room temperature (1 brick)
- ½ cup unsalted butter 113 grams, room temperature (1 stick)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- 3 cups powdered sugar 339 grams
Recommended Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
Instructions
For the Carrot Cake Bars
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 15x10-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 Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon Bob's Red Mill Baking Soda, ½ teaspoon 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 ounces light cream cheese, ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 3 cups powdered sugar
- Frost the pan with the cream cheese frosting and cut into bars.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- You can use regular flour if you're not gluten free.
- If you can't find carrot baby food, puree carrots in a food processor.
Nutrition Information
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.
I 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!