These Healthy No Bake Carrot Cake Bars taste like a treat but make a healthy breakfast or snack! 
Luke, Meghan, and I were in the car yesterday and Luke said, “Mommy, I love you, Meghan, and Daddy, but I love YOU the best!” My logical and sensitive 6-year-old chimed in, “You shouldn’t say that, Luke!”
Just like you probably shouldn’t admit if you have a favorite in your family, I probably shouldn’t play favorites with my blog recipes. I can’t help it, though. These healthy carrot cake bars have immediately made their way to the top of my favorites list. 
There’s so much to love about this healthy dessert/snack/breakfast. Yep, these are healthy enough to eat for breakfast or a snack. And we most certainly have.
First, they are very low in sugar. The bars are sweetened with dates, raisins, and just a little maple syrup. They are gluten-free, too. I used some rolled oats, but no flour or wheat at all. The texture is perfect! They aren’t Larabar-ish, despite the dates and nuts used to create the bars.
Because carrot cake isn’t carrot cake without a cream cheese frosting, I used real cream cheese for these. I wanted to ensure the frosting stayed nice and thick and I didn’t want to add anymore sugar, so I used liquid stevia drops
Last, these Healthy Carrot Cake Bars could not be any easier. I used my food processor
And you don’t even need to turn on your oven. These Carrot Cake Bars are not baked! They can be ready in about 20 minutes, tops. 
I cut these into small bars for portion control in hopes that I’d be able to eat just one or two in a sitting. It didn’t work. You are going to LOVE these healthy carrot cake bars! But be warned: they are addicting.
How to Make Healthy No Bake Carrot Cake Bars
Healthy No Bake Carrot Cake Bars
You are going to LOVE these healthy carrot cake bars! But be warned: they are addicting.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 30 small bars 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
5 medium carrots, tops cut off and scrubbed clean (no need to peel)
1 cup walnut pieces
1 cup whole almonds
1 cup whole pitted dates, packed
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats, packed
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried pineapple pieces (use more raisins if you don’t have these)
1/8 cup+1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch salt
for the frosting
8 ounces cold cream cheese (can use vegan cream cheese)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
20–30 drops liquid stevia
Instructions
Using the fine shredding attachment on your food processor, shred the carrots. (Alternatively, use a hand grater) Put in the S-blade and then add the walnuts, almonds, and dates. Process until everything is broken down and you have a crumbly mixture. Add the oats, raisins, pineapple, maple syrup, and spices and pulse until everything is well mixed. (Alternatively, you can chop the nuts and dates by hand and then mix in the rest of the ingredients. The texture may be slightly different, but it should still work. Disclaimer: I have not tried this.)
Line an 8X8 inch pan with parchment paper or lightly oiled tin foil. Press the carrot mixture into the pan. Put it in the freezer to help it set while you are making the frosting.
Rinse out the food processor and put the S-blade back in. Add the cream cheese, vanilla, and stevia and process until it is just mixed. Don’t over process.
Use a spatula to put the frosting on top of the carrot cake bars. Cut into the size you desire. These need to be stored in the fridge because there is no sugar in the cream cheese. Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 125
- Sugar: 5.9g
- Sodium: 39.9mg
- Fat: 7.9g
- Carbohydrates: 12.5g
- Protein: 2.8g
Keywords: no bake
This post was originally published in 2015. A video was added in 2019.
Recommended for this recipe: Food Processor
*Links to products are affiliate links
[email protected] says
May 15, 2015 at 5:47 pmHoly yum! I loooove carrot cake and I love this healthier version. I may need to try it this weekend.
Maryea says
May 15, 2015 at 9:38 pmYou really should! 🙂
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) says
May 15, 2015 at 6:22 pmOh my goodness! YUM! I have to try these.
Maryea says
May 15, 2015 at 9:37 pmThanks Kelli! I hope you do. 🙂
Becky {Milo & Oats} says
May 15, 2015 at 7:02 pmWow!! These look amazing! We can’t do walnuts, but I wonder if maybe using all almonds would work? I need to give it a try!
Maryea says
May 15, 2015 at 9:37 pmYes, I think all almonds would work. Let me know if you give it a try!
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake says
May 15, 2015 at 8:07 pmMmm those look great! Love how healthy they are 🙂
Maryea says
May 15, 2015 at 9:36 pmThanks June!
lindsay says
May 19, 2015 at 10:43 pmman oh man, i am pinning these. or rather, can you just come make them? please?
Maryea says
May 20, 2015 at 6:13 amI would love to make these for you! 🙂
Yolanda says
July 12, 2015 at 2:07 pmHow do you think these would work if frozen?
Judy says
July 12, 2015 at 2:29 pmCan you replace the dates with something else?
Mary says
July 13, 2015 at 12:02 amim in love. I want to try this but my children are allergic to nuts. What to do?
Maryea says
July 13, 2015 at 6:36 amOh, my heart hurts for you! If I were you, I’d substitute seeds for the nuts. It won’t be exactly the same, but I think it’ll work. I’d go for larger, sturdier seeds like sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds (not chia or sesame). Please let me know if you try it and if it works!
Isabelle says
July 13, 2015 at 1:53 pmThank you for this recipe. Would you say those bars would stay together well enough to be taken on hiking trips?
Maryea says
July 13, 2015 at 9:16 pmYes, I think so! I’m not sure how well the cream cheese will hold up, but I they are good without the frosting, as well!
Isabelle says
July 13, 2015 at 10:10 pmI would definitely take unfrosted bars on hikes. Thank you. 🙂
Rosa says
July 14, 2015 at 10:04 pmYum. Thank you. I had a lot of leftover carrot sticks from a BBQ so this recipe was perfect. To make the bars more portable, increase the protein and therefore slow the carbs, I added some plain whey isolate and didn’t frost. Thanks again.
Maryea says
July 15, 2015 at 8:34 amYou’re welcome! I’m glad these worked out for you.:)
Jessica says
July 20, 2015 at 6:31 pmHow long do these bars last?
Maryea says
July 21, 2015 at 9:41 pmAbout a week!
Maryea says
July 21, 2015 at 9:42 pm…I should have added in the fridge. 🙂
Karla says
December 24, 2015 at 5:19 pmNutrition?
Tara says
March 14, 2016 at 2:28 pmThese are amazingly delicious! I may have put a tad too much maple syrup in them, because they were a bit gooey.
Carrot cake is my favourite and it’s nice to have a healthier alternative!!
Thank you.
Tara
Maryea says
March 15, 2016 at 6:44 amI’m glad you liked them, Tara! These are definitely one of my favorites. 🙂
Jane says
April 1, 2016 at 5:12 pmThese look delicious. Do you have a suggestion for a grain free alternative to the oats?
Maryea says
April 3, 2016 at 9:07 amI wonder if some almond meal would work? It’s worth a shot! 🙂
Jane says
April 5, 2016 at 11:12 amWowzers! This is sinfully delicious, without any guilt. I decided not to sub the oats, but next time I think I’ll add some melted coconut oil to help it stick. I also omitted the stevia and the frosting is still perfect. This is definitely going into my recipe book.
Maryea says
April 5, 2016 at 3:36 pmThanks for the feedback, Jane!
Lauren says
April 10, 2016 at 7:47 pmThank you!!! I wanted to make a sugar-free dessert for my aunt’s birthday, so I tried your recipe. These bars were freaking amazing! They were perfect even without the cream cheese frosting. I am excited to try more of your recipes.
Maryea says
April 10, 2016 at 10:25 pmThanks Lauren! 🙂
Katie says
June 4, 2016 at 4:18 pmAny ideas on what to sub for the oats to make these grain free?
Maryea says
June 4, 2016 at 7:54 pmI would try 1/2 cup extra almonds and 1/2 cup extra walnuts. The texture won’t be exactly the same, but I think it’d still be good. Let me know if you try it and how it turns out! Thanks! 🙂
Karen says
March 10, 2017 at 6:31 pmCan you sub stevia granular for the liquid?
Maryea says
March 16, 2017 at 8:19 amI think that would work!
Emily Watts says
April 22, 2019 at 12:02 pmHi Maryea,
Thanks for this healthier carrot recipe. I love this version. I want to cook it this weekend.
John says
April 23, 2019 at 5:24 amAnother great recipe!
thank!
★★★★★
Linda M. Thomas says
May 5, 2019 at 6:01 amI am loving this recipe. You know what I love to cook no-bake recipes. Probably this carrot cake will love my kids. They really love cakes. Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★★