Carrot cake granola bars will satisfy a carrot cake craving while being a healthy every day snack instead of an occasional treat – this makes a big batch and freezes well. Make them on a weekend and have enough to last two weeks!
These carrot bars are vegan, gluten-free nut-free, and packed with protein thanks to lots of toothsome seeds and oats, with a little shredded coconut and some spices for that carrot cake sweetness. Before I started OE I was always on the look out for healthy snack recipes, and I’m always happy when I can come up with a new one since we, especially Graham, eat so many snacks between meals.
This recipe is adapted from my oatmeal breakfast cookies, and I’ve kept things sugar free here plus added a vegetable. They taste great and make a great snack.
If you love adding carrots to healthier snacks, try my vegan carrot bread and vegan carrot muffins, too, both sweetened with dates.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Sunflower seeds: if you don’t have a food processor, and store bought almond meal can be used instead of the sunflower meal.
- Dates: if your dates are semi dried, soak them in hot water for about half an hour before blending. They need to be soft for the bars to hold properly.
- Oil: I’ve tried this with sunflower, olive, and coconut oil. All work well. If you’re using coconut oil you don’t need to melt it beforehand, just blend it as instructed.
Recipe Notes
These aren’t particularly sweet so if you like a sweeter granola bar, add the maple syrup. Otherwise they’ll be just lightly sweet.
Change up the spices and add-ins based on your personal preference. Use walnuts instead of seeds, for example, or some chopped chocolate in place of the raisins.
How to Store
Storage: keep in a sealed container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or for about a week in the refrigerator.
Freezing: cooled bars can be frozen for up to three months in an airtight container.
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Expert Tips
- Don’t worry about over-mixing: since these are gluten-free bars, there’s not really a concern that they’ll end up tough if the dough is worked for too long.
- Make them without a food processor: use store-bought oat flour and almond meal in place of the sunflower seed meal, and mash the dates by hand, then mix everything in a large mixing bowl. You might need to add a splash of milk if doing it this way to get everything to hold together.
More Bars and Snacks
Gluten Free Dates Squares
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
Cranberry Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
Spelt Banana Bread
If you make these Carrot Granola Bars or any other snack recipes on Occasionally Eggs, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more OE, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, purchase the Occasionally Eggs cookbook, or subscribe for new posts via email.
Carrot Cake Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 220 grams rolled oats divided
- 110 grams sunflower seeds divided
- 50 grams unsweetened shredded coconut
- 60 grams raisins
- 50 grams chia seeds
- 40 grams pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 120 grams soft dates packed
- 60 ml oil*
- 60 ml non-dairy milk
- 3 tablespoons tahini or nut butter
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup optional, see note**
- 1 medium carrot grated (70 grams or 1/2 cup)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease or line two 20 cm (8 inch) square baking tins.
- Place 110 grams (1 cup) of the oats and 70 grams (1/2 cup) of the sunflower seeds into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Mix on high, until a coarse flour forms.220 grams rolled oats, 110 grams sunflower seeds
- Place the flour into a large bowl and stir in the remaining oats, sunflower seeds, coconut, raisins, chia, pepitas, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.50 grams unsweetened shredded coconut, 60 grams raisins, 50 grams chia seeds, 40 grams pepitas (pumpkin seeds), 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- Blend the dates, oil, milk, tahini, and maple syrup (if using) in a food processor or blender until a paste forms. Add this and the shredded carrot to the oat mixture and mix thoroughly until fully combined. Using your hands works best.120 grams soft dates, 60 ml oil*, 60 ml non-dairy milk, 3 tablespoons tahini or nut butter, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 medium carrot
- Separate the dough into two equal parts and press it into the prepared baking tins. Use damp hands to pack it very firmly in and try to make an even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is turning golden.
- Remove from the oven and cool for about 15 minutes in the tins before carefully removing and cooling fully on a rack. Cut each into nine equal squares and store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to three days, or longer in the refrigerator or freezer.
Notes
* For American cup measurements, please click the pink link text above the ingredient list that says ‘American’.
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Helen Griffin says
Delicious!!!
Can these be frozen. I guess no reason why not?
Alexandra | Occasionally Eggs says
Absolutely no reason why not : ) they freeze well in a sealed container for up to three months.
Steph says
These look awesome – but I don’t have a food processor. I imagine you must get asked this sort of question quite a bit, but can you imagine making these without one? As in, just mixing everything together? I do have a blender to help turn to oats into flour, but it’s never great at mixing up these sort of sticky bar type things.
Alexandra | Occasionally Eggs says
You certainly can! If your blender can also grind up the sunflower seeds, then you can do that as well, or sub almond flour. Then just mash the dates well with a fork, and everything else can be mixed by hand in a large bowl.
Stephanie Mason says
Thank you so much I’m going to try these babies now then! Came across your site only v recently and am so in love and grateful for ALL the recipes! (AND I’m not even a vego!)
Steph says
OK I am just about to embark on a second batch of these coz the first ones were so yummy, and a great breakfast on the run/snack!! I didn’t follow the recipe to a tee, but they still turned out really yummy. I used prunes instead of dates, omitted the raisins as I’m not a fan, added a bit of grated apple, decreased the liquid to compensate, threw in a few whole cloves… yum. Thank you!
Alexandra | Occasionally Eggs says
Those sound like great substitutions! Thanks so much for sharing, Steph, and I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipe : )