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Carrot Cake Bars | The Cookie Rookie
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4.41 from 15 votes

Gluten Free Carrot Cake Bars (Secret Ingredient)

These simple Gluten Free Carrot Cake Bars are moist, delicious, and topped with the perfect cream cheese frosting.
Prep Time8 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time28 minutes
Course: desserts
Cuisine: American
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 15 bars
Author: Becky Hardin

Equipment

  • Kitchen Scale (optional)
  • Baking Sheet
  • Hand Mixer

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

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 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.

Video

Notes

  • 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

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 546kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 220mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 53g | Vitamin A: 2588IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 1mg