- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
- Serving: Serves more than 10
Carrot Cake Breakfast Bars with ‘Cream Cheese' Frosting
If carrot cake is a favourite in your house, give this equally delicious (but much healthier!) version a try. It's healthy enough to eat at any time of the day, even for breakfast. Set it out on Easter morning as a yummy brunch finger food. These bars are also great in lunch boxes and will travel well in a container for a hike or an easy make-ahead breakfast to take camping.
Recipe Tester Feedback: "I wouldn't hesitate to give this to the kids as a breakfast option. It has featured as afternoon tea after nap time this week." - Tracey
No: Gluten / Dairy
Contains: Egg / Nuts
Preparation Time 10 minutes
Cooking Time 40-45 minutes + cooling time
Makes approx. 20 pieces
'Cream Cheese' can be frozen
Please note: Every oven does vary and you may find your oven needs slightly longer or shorter cooking time. When cooking this recipe for the first time please keep this in mind and factor into your timing.
Ingredients
- Carrot cake breakfast bars:
- almonds - 200g
- carrots - 300g, cut into 2cm lengths
- coconut - 50g, shredded, unsweetened
- raisins - 70g
- eggs - 4
- Sweet Spiced Sugar Blend - 2.5 tsp (or see spices in Notes)
- maple syrup - 50g
- 'Cream cheese' frosting:
- cashew nuts - 300g, raw
- coconut oil - 30g, melted
- honey - 90g, raw
- coconut milk - 80g
- vanilla - 1 tsp, extract
- sea salt - 2 pinches
- lemon juice - 2 tsp, fresh
Method
Carrot cake breakfast bar:
- Preheat oven to 160C. Line baking tray with baking paper ensuring sides are covered.
- Add almonds (200g) to the bowl. Closed Lid / Turbo / 2 x 1 second blasts.
- Add carrots (300g) and coconut (50g) to the almonds. Chop Speed 5 / 6 seconds. Scrape down sides.
- Add raisins (70g), eggs (4), spice blend (2.5 tsp) and maple syrup (50g). Mix Reverse+Speed 3 / 20 seconds.
- Pour mixture into baking tray. Wet hands slightly and press mixture into tray firmly and evenly.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, until golden and firm to touch.
- Cool in tray for 10 minutes before removing and cooling completely on wire rack. Cut into bars of desired size.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
“Cream cheese” frosting:
- Add cashews (300g), coconut oil (30g), honey (90g), coconut milk (80g), vanilla (1 tsp), salt (2 pinches) and lemon juice (2 tsp) to the mixer bowl. Blend for 30 seconds / Speed 6. Scrape down sides.
- Program 2:30 minutes / Speed 6.
- Spoon mixture into an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.
Assembly:
- To serve, top with as much “cream cheese” frosting as you like!
Notes:
- If you haven’t made the sweet spice sugar blend you can use 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, and 1/2 tsp ground all spice. Although it won’t give exactly the same result, it will work in this dish.
- These need to be crunchy when they finish baking as they will soften slightly when stored.
- If 'cream cheese' mixture is looking too thick to spread, just add 1 tsp of water at a time and mix until desired consistency is achieved.
- You can use the frosting for other items too, like the Raw Carrot Bliss Balls, or the Hot Cross Bun Bites. It will thicken once it is refrigerated which makes spreading easier. It can be made vegan by substituting the honey with maple syrup.
