Keto Carrot Cake Bars

 

These simply delicious Keto Carrot Cake Bars are so elegant yet so easy to make!  Moist and tender cake bars with a slightly spicy flare and then topped with an easy low carb cream cheese frosting...what more could you want!  Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack, these gluten-free and low-carb Carrot Cake Bars are absolutely divine!

This is my favorite recipe for carrot cake! 

It is 100% made from scratch, easy to make, versatile and utterly delicious. 

And after having made Keto Carrot Crumb Cake with Cheesecake Filling, an Easy Keto Carrot Poke Cake Recipe as well as Carrot Cream Cheese Layered Cake (Gluten-Free, Keto), I feel like a know a thing or two about making the perfect Keto Carrot Cake!

 

 

What do I love about these Keto Carrot Cake Bars?

• super easy to make
• they come together in minutes
• they are moist and perfectly spiced
• they can be eaten for breakfast, as a snack or as a dessert
• they can be made into a cake or cupcakes if you desire
• they are ABSOLUTELY delicious!

 

 

 

How hard is it to make this Keto Carrot Cake Bar recipe?

This cake is quick and easy to make, versatile and utterly delicious. 

It wasn’t until recently that I realized just how much I love carrot cake. It wasn’t something I grew up eating and since it did not contain the word "chocolate", peanut butter or caramel, I wasn't interested;-)!

Thanks to this easy recipe, both Mr. Grumble's and I fell in love with carrot cake.

You can make this quickly and easily without lots of fancy equipment.

Not only is this the best-tasting carrot cake I’ve made, but it’s a cinch to make.

 

 

 

What ingredients do you need to make these Keto Carrot Cake Bars?

• Almond, Coconut and Whey protein powder - the combination of these 3 dry ingredients have quickly become my "go-to" when baking low carb.  Almond and Coconut flour act as binding agents and the whey protein powder helps to lighten them a little and helps the bars to rise.  You can omit the whey protein powder but your bars will be a little denser (I actually have made them this way and they are still absolutely DELICIOUS!!!)
• Baking soda helps the cake to rise.
• Salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and vanilla extract make the cake taste like your favourite carrot cake.
• The oil keeps the cake nice and moist — any neutral flavoured oil will work.  I like to use coconut oil in my cakes as I feel like it adds an extra level of moisture.
• Sweetener -  makes the cake moist, light, and delicious. I love a combination of white and brown sugar substitutes, but you can use one or the other. 
• Eggs give the cake structure.
• Lots of carrots make this the best carrot cake. I like to hand grate my carrots since I prefer the texture, but you can use your food processor or buy pre-grated carrots from the store. 
• OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS - Pecans, Walnuts, Unsweetened coconut, Pineapple extract and Molasses -  I know that some people love nuts and coconut in carrot cake, while others cannot stand them. These are completely optional, so go with what you love.  Adding the molasses adds an incredible depth to the flavour of these bars.  I realize that molasses is higher in carbs so you can omit it altogether but if you can spare the carbs, I URGE you to try adding the molasses (adding the molasses adds only 1 gram of carbs per bar)

 

 

 

How do you make these Keto Carrot Cake Bars?

The method for this carrot cake recipe could not be simpler! 

All you need is a bowl and you are ready to make this cake!

• Add the wet ingredients in one bowl: I like to beat my wet ingredients first and then add in the sugar-substitute to help the sweetener dissolve better.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients: Then I beat together the wet and dry ingredients together until they are fully combined
• Finally, I fold in the carrots, nuts, coconut or any other ingredients you want: When I’ve got the batter ready, I fold in the carrots and if I’m using them, the nuts and unsweetened coconut flakes

 

How long do you have to bake the carrot cake bars?

When it comes to baking these bars pour the batter in an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 baking dish that has been sprayed well with cooking spray and bake until they just begin to brown around the edges.

The bars bake in the oven for 28 - 30 minutes. 

Do not overbake the bars as they will become crumbly if you overbake them.

 

 

How do you add the awesome cream cheese decoration?

I loved the way these bars ended up looking and it was so easy to do!

All you have to do is stir the frosting ingredients together and place them in a small ziplock sandwich bag.

Cut a TINY tip of one of the corners and draw diagonal lines across the top of the bars.

If you’re not into frostings or if you don’t have the ingredients on hand, try the cake as-is without any frosting at all. Or, sift a little bit of powdered sweetener on top.

If you want more frosting, you can easily add additional frosting as you serve the bars or frost the bars AFTER they have come out of the oven and have cooled completely.

 

 

Can I make carrot cake cupcakes using this recipe?

Yes, absolutely.

To make cupcakes instead of a cake, I recommend baking the cupcakes for about 14 to 18 minutes (or until a tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean).

Then let them cool for a few minutes in the cupcake pan before transferring them to a cooling rack. The recipe should make about 12 cupcakes. 

 

 

Can I make a single-layered round cake? 

Yes, and you can actually follow the exact same recipe!

You could also double the cake and make a 2-tier carrot cake.  As for the frosting, check out my How to Make Sugar-Free Cream Cheese Frosting and follow that recipe.  It should be enough to frost the cake.

 

 

 

How do you store these Keto Carrot Cake Bars? 

Technically, because there is a cream cheese frosting on the cake, it should be kept in the fridge, but most bakers (even professional ones) are okay with leaving a frosted cake on the counter for a day or two (as long as your kitchen isn’t hot).

If you prefer to refrigerate the cake, it will last for 5 to 6 days.

 

 

 

Can I use butter instead of oil in the carrot cake recipe? 

This is something I have not tried myself so you may need to do some experimenting on your own.

That said, you should be able to swap some of the oil for unsalted softened butter without too many issues.

 

 

 

Can I add pineapple to the carrot cake? 

Yes, absolutely. It will add even more moisture to the cake so use fresh pineapple or if you are using canned, drain it first before adding to the cake. Definitely do NOT add more than 1 cup of pineapple as any more than 1 cup will add too much moisture.

If you want to add the flavour of pineapple without all the carbs, use a couple of drops of Lorann Pineapple extract.

 

 

If you like this Keto Carrot Cake Bar recipe, you may also enjoy:

Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

 

 

 

Keto Creamy Lemon Coconut Bars

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