Carrot Cake Bars
I don't know how it happened, but I LOVE carrot cake everything. I still remember years ago when my sister told me she was baking her husband a carrot cake for his birthday and I joked around that he must have been really bad that year.
The trick is no raisins and lots of walnuts.
Anthony is the health nut around this house, so I spend a lot of time researching ingredients and experimenting with different flours and sugars, he's also on a gluten-free diet. Making things GF that doesn't taste GF has not been the easiest task but it's one I've enjoyed tackling. Sometimes baking with almond flour can leave cakes heavy and crumbly. Adding a finer flour like oat or tapioca will make the cake lighter.
Ingredients:
2 cups almond flour
1 cup oat or tapioca flour (I used tapioca)
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup cashew milk (any nut milk will do, I usually use almond)
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla
1.5 cups shredded carrots (I use a zester size grater, so the kids don't notice the carrots)
1/2-3/4 cup crushed walnuts (I crush walnuts like garlic, smashed with the flat part of a knife and chopped if needed)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Grease an 8" square pan with coconut oil and line with parchment paper.
Sift together the spices, baking powder, and flours.
Add the sugar (coconut sugar doesn't sift well)
Stir in the vanilla, oil, and nut milk.
Fold in carrots & walnuts.
Pour into greased/lined pan and bake for 30 - 35 mins.
Let the cake cool for 20 mins before removing from the pan.
Icing Ingredients:
1 tub of vegan cream cheese
2 cups organic confectioner sugar (sifted)
2 tsp vanilla
2 tbs cashew milk
Directions:
Using an electric mixer, mix the vegan cream cheese with the vanilla until smooth and creamy.
Add 1/2 cup of the confectionery sugar and alternate with drops of the nut milk until you've added it all.
Let the icing sit for a few minutes before you ice the cooled bars.
Garnish with crushed walnuts, and enjoy!
Megan, xo
