Carrot Cake Energy Squares
Guess what? I’m giving you an excuse to eat carrot cake for a snack!
Well, not exactly. But these easy-to-make energy squares definitely give a noble nod to carrot cake while staying right on track in the nutrition lane. Since they’re entirely fruit-sweetened and pack in healthy fats and protein from nuts, they won’t send your blood sugar on an amusement park ride.
In the afternoon when I need a little pick-me-up, it’s so convenient to grab one or two of these from the fridge with a tall glass of water for a nourishing snack. I love it when I can work vegetables into my sweets in subtle ways so that I feel like I’m eating dessert, when really I’m getting in some good vitamin and mineral power. Keeping the carrots raw in these squares leaves their nutrients alone so that they’re as easy to absorb as possible.
Want to make the flavors of your treats pop? Add fresh citrus zest. Read that sentence again, because it’s one of the best kitchen tips you’ll ever read! When I started using more zest in my cooking, I was amazed at a what a huge difference I noticed. Everything just tasted brighter and more alive.
I’m a huge Microplane grater fan because with a quick zip-zip-zip you’ve got super fine zest that’s ready for any recipe—baked goods, salad dressings, no-bake treats…you name it. (And no, they didn’t pay me to say that. I just really love my Microplanes!) Handheld rasp graters are available for everything from citrus zest to chocolate to fresh nutmeg.
I used lemon zest to brighten up the flavor of these Carrot Cake Energy Squares, but orange would be equally mouthwatering. Because you’re literally using the skin of the fruit in recipes like this one, try to choose organic citrus anytime you plan on grating it.
If the dog days of summer have got you dead on your feet, skip the pressing of the dough into the pan. You can easily roll the dough into balls instead. It’s a little quicker and easier (and fun for little ones).
Okay, I’ve kept you long enough. Now go snack on some carrot cake!
Carrot Cake Energy Squares
Makes 12 squares1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup grated carrots (about 2 medium carrots, grated)
1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zestLine an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper, making sure that there is some paper overhanging the sides of the pan.
In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, process the almonds, walnuts, cinnamon, and salt until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Add the raisins and process for 10 seconds.
Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the grated carrots. Then stir in the applesauce, coconut oil, and lemon zest until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the lined pan. Freeze for about 1 hour or until firm.
Remove the bar “slab” from the pan using the parchment paper overhang. Cut into 12 squares. Store the squares in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Filed under: Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts, Egg-free, Family-Friendly, Grain-Free, Recipes, Snacks, vegan, Vegetables
Oh, this looks absolutely delicious! I have been diggin’ non-carrot cake carroty things as of late, and this is right up my alley.
Yum.
Looks amazing!!! We have nut allergies in our family – do you think we could replace the crust with seeds? Thoughts?
These look like something I’d really enjoy. I want to make sure I understand the directions. You freeze them then they can stay in the fridge?
Alexandra: Yes, I think pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds would work great here.
Shannon: Yes, freezing them first sets them up more quickly. Then when you cut them they are nice and firm. I store them in the fridge because I eat them up within a few days, but they freeze well long-term, too.
Just made them with seeds – great call! Super delicious!!!! One of my new favorites now
I’m a huge fan of carrot cake but am wondering if this bar is crunchy like a granola bar?
Shannon: No, it’s soft. More like a fig newton or fruit bar. :)
I am excited about this recipe. So nice to see something without extra sweets, stevia, agave or anything. With the raisins & applesauce I can imagine there is just enough sweetening to make one happy. Thanks so much.
Looks great! I might make these today!
But cooked carrots are more nutritious than raw…
Yum! These look awesome Hallie. I am getting tons of carrots from my CSA – this is perfect timing :) Plus, I get local carrots till the New Year. Love it!
These look wonderful! Is there a good substitute for the coconut oil? I have a problem with coconut and miss out on a lot of yummy recipes. Thanks for any suggestions:)
Peggy: The coconut oil just helps the bars firm up. You can probably leave it out or swap in a tablespoon of almond butter or other nut/seed butter.
Hallie, these are delish! I made them with my kids tonight. At their request for a little more sweetness, I added one teaspoon of coconut sugar. It didn’t alter the taste of the bars….just added a touch of sweetness. Then the kids, my hubby and I ate them up for dessert at dinnertime. Thank you!
Misti: Great to hear! Thanks for reporting back. :)
A no grain recipe – I can’t wait to try these!
Do you think I could use pecans instead of walnuts and dates instead of raisins? Walnuts and raisins aren’t favorites around here with my kids but they love pecans and dates. Thanks for the recipe! Can’t wait to try them!
Carol: Yep, that should work just fine.
Yummy, yummy! Just made and sampled these. Easy and tasty recipe.
Those look fantastic! I’m a huge fan of hmemade energy bars…especially when I don’t have to bake them!
I LOVE these bars. My kids enjoy making them with me in the kitchen too. We have them individually wrapped and in the refrigerator to have as a snack on the go. Thanks for sharing.
*I am also going to share this recipe with my paleo readers. They love your coconut lime chicken bites and have visited your site to see try some of your other wonderful recipes.
Cheers!
Hi! I don’t have a food processor but I have a Vita Mix. Any hints as to how to use my Vita Mix or do I need to go buy a food processor?
Hi! I don’t have a food processor. Any hints on how to use my Vita Mix machine to make these or do I have to go buy a food processor? Thanks in advance.
Pam: Not sure if the Vita Mix would work here. I have one but haven’t tried it for this recipe. Vita Mix’s are so powerful I’m guessing it would be fine, but not sure. I use my food processor just as much as my Vita Mix, so I highly recommend both! :)
Hi Hallie!
I made this about a week ago and love it! It’s the second time I try a raw carrot cake recipe and am finally convinced it’s worth it. The first experience was not that good, but your recipe did the trick :)
I used pumpkin seeds instead of walnuts because we had none in our pantry and substituted applesauce with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Yuummm!
I just have to share…I tried these with carrot pulp, left over from making juice, in place of the shredded carrot. I had done that with some muffins a few days ago with great results, and since I’m always on the lookout for ways to use the pulp, I thought I’d try it here. I can’t compare to the shredded version, but oh MY these are tasty. My pulp even had a touch of ginger pulp in it, too, which was a nice touch. I did one cup, firmly packed. To make sure they’d have enough moisture, I used a heaping tablespoon each of the applesauce and oil, though I’m not sure that was necessary. I just wanted to share, especially since I think you’ve talked about doing a juice fast, Hallie. It’s a great substitution if you’re like me and you hate throwing away all that delicious fiber. I feel very resourceful (or cheap!)!
Julie: Wow, thanks for sharing! This is great to know. :)
Made these with my magic bullet to process the nuts and used craisins rather than raisins. Didn’t have applesauce on hand so I used a bit of honey for stickiness and added a touch of nutmeg. These are super delicious, I love that they are raw and thanks to another commenter I will try and use the carrot pulp from my juicer next time!