During my senior year of high school, my mom’s cousin drove to Northern California with her significant other for an extended vacation. They ended up in our hometown shortly before Easter, so Mom invited them to join us for the holiday.
Although we rarely did anything too extravagant, mainly dye hard boiled eggs and watch “It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown,” we planned a special dinner that year. Mom ordered a honey baked ham from a local spot in town, and we bought the ingredients for some simple homemade sides and a dessert.
Always a baker, even back then, I picked out a carrot cake recipe to try from my favorite cookbook. It seemed to somewhat fit the holiday theme (Easter bunnies? carrots?), and since everyone in my family had a pretty big sweet tooth, I started working on the full-sized cake bright and early on Easter morning.
I carefully followed the recipe, measuring the flour and grating the carrots and gently mixing the batter by hand. After sneaking a quick taste from the bowl, I poured it into our large 9×13” cake pan, slid it in the oven, and set a timer.
Just before our two guests arrived, I pulled out Mom’s electric hand mixer to whip up the cream cheese frosting. I spread the sweet, silky smooth frosting in a thick layer all over the top of my cooled carrot cake, and I set it on the counter alongside the ham, spinach salad, steamed asparagus, mashed potatoes, and bread rolls.
After greeting Mom’s cousin and a little small talk, we all grabbed plates and served ourselves some of each dish. I took small portions of the sides to save plenty of room for dessert but…
I was basically the only one! Everyone else dolloped hefty amounts of the ham, sides, and bread onto their plates, except for my brother, so when the time for dessert rolled around, the four adults cut themselves the tiniest slivers imaginable of my cake.
We ended up with almost a full pan left over! Which meant we continued to eat carrot cake every day for the rest of our spring break… Oops.
In hindsight, these Healthy Carrot Cake Cookie Bars would’ve been a much better option! They’re supremely soft and chewy with the same sweet carrots and warm spices as traditional carrot cake, yet this recipe yields far fewer servings than the recipe I followed for that particular Easter dessert. (And my family agrees that fewer tempting leftovers is definitely a good thing, especially with all of the Easter candy we usually end up with too!)
Even better, this healthy recipe contains no refined flour or sugar, unlike most traditional carrot cake recipes, and just 78 calories in each cookie bar!
So let’s go over how to make these healthy carrot cake cookie bars!
You’ll start with a combination of white whole wheat flour and a trio of spices: cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. I actually buy my favorite cinnamon online here! It tastes stronger and sweeter than other varieties, and it’s actually really affordable. I know it may be tempting to skip the allspice and nutmeg, but they add a lovely depth and richness to the flavor. I promise it’s worth using all three!
Perhaps you’ve read through some of my recipes before and I now sound like a broken record… Or perhaps you’ve never heard me say this before. Either way, white whole wheat flour actually exists, and contrary to what it sounds like, it’s not a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and regular whole wheat flour!
Instead, white whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour is made from a heartier variety of red wheat. They both have the same health benefits (like extra fiber!), but white whole wheat flour has a lighter taste and texture… Which lets the soft and chewy texture and rich spice flavor of your healthy carrot cake cookie bars truly shine!
Just remember, it’s extremely important to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much flour will make your cookie bars dry or cakey, instead of incredibly moist and soft and chewy. It only takes a few extra moments to measure carefully, and it makes a huge difference in the texture!
Hint: If you use a kitchen scale, that also means fewer dishes to wash, and that’s always a good thing! Right??
Unlike traditional recipes that use a full stick or two of butter, you only need 2 tablespoons for this one. That really helps keep your healthy carrot cake cookie bars low fat and low calorie! Even better? You melt the butter, so you (a) don’t have to remember to set it out to soften ahead of time and (b) don’t need a mixer, just a whisk and fork!
Then to make sure your healthy carrot cake cookie bars taste just as rich and buttery as traditional cookie recipes, you’ll use my (somewhat) secret ingredient… Extra vanilla extract! Vanilla enhances butter’s rich flavor, so by using a bit more than in traditional recipes, it makes your healthy cookie bars taste more rich and buttery, just without the extra calories!
Such a great trick, right??
And now it’s time for a…
Nerd Alert!
You’ll use two ingredients to sweeten your healthy carrot cake cookie bars: pure maple syrup and liquid stevia. Here’s why…
If you only used pure maple syrup, then you’d end up adding a lot of liquid to your cookie dough. All of that liquid would give your cookies the same texture as muffins or cake! Not the denser, chewier consistency as cookies.
Yet if you scaled back and only added enough pure maple syrup to give your cookie dough the correct consistency, so your cookie bars turned out soft and chewy, then they wouldn’t nearly be sweet enough. They’d taste like muffins or bread rolls, not like sweet dessert treats!
So that’s where the liquid stevia comes in! Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka it’s clean eating friendly!). It’s also highly concentrated. You just need 1 teaspoon for these healthy carrot cake cookie bars, which is the equivalent of nearly ½ cup of pure maple syrup!
By using half pure maple syrup and half liquid stevia, your cookie bars have the correct texture and the correct sweetness level. That’s definitely a win-win in my book!
Hint: Remember, pure maple syrup is the kind that comes directly from maple trees! It’s not the same thing as pancake syrup. The only ingredient on the bottle should be “pure maple syrup,” and you can generally find it in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs (like this!).
Another Hint: I buy my stevia online here because that’s the cheapest price I’ve found! I love that particular one because I don’t notice the same aftertaste like in some other stevia products. You’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!
One more key ingredient… Freshly grated carrots! Yes, they must be freshly grated! Store-bought pre-shredded carrots (also called “matchstick” carrots) are thicker and drier, and they don’t soften properly while baking. (They’re also not as flavorful, in my opinion!) So please, pretty pretty please, take the time to grate your own!
Once you’ve spread your cookie dough into your pan and slid it in the oven to bake, it’s time to turn to the second component of this recipe…
The cream cheese frosting! You’ll actually use a combination of Greek yogurt and light cream cheese, along with a little more stevia to sweeten it, and instant pudding mix. Yes, I know. Instant pudding mix? In frosting??
As crazy as it sounds, the instant pudding mix thickens the frosting, especially the Greek yogurt, so that this healthier cream cheese frosting turns out just as thick as regular buttercream frosting. It’s a nifty trick I use, especially when I’m making frosting to pipe on top of cupcakes!
Once your healthy carrot cake cookie bars have completely cooled to room temperature, spread your healthier cream cheese frosting on top, slice them into bars, and…
Enjoy your delicious dessert! And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture!) I’d love to see your healthy carrot cake cookie bars!
| Healthy Carrot Cake Cookie Bars | | Print |
- for the cookie bars
- 1 cup + 6 tbsp (165g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg white
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp liquid stevia
- ¼ cup (60mL) pure maple syrup
- ¾ cup (79g) freshly grated carrots (peeled first!)
- for the frosting
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 4oz (113g) light cream cheese, well softened (see Notes!)
- 1 serving (8g) fat-free, sugar-free cheesecake instant pudding mix (see Notes!)
- ⅜ tsp liquid stevia, or adjusted to taste
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and coat an 8”-square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the cookie bars, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together butter, egg white, vanilla, and liquid stevia. Stir in the maple syrup. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the carrots.
- Using a spatula, gently press the cookie dough into the prepared pan in a thin, even layer. Bake at 325°F for 10-12 minutes or until the center feels firm to the touch. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan.
- While the cookie bars bake, prepare the frosting. Beat the Greek yogurt, cream cheese, instant pudding mix, and stevia together using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer for 2 minutes. Cover the bowl with foil, and chill for at least 2 hours.
- Once the cookie bars are completely cool, spread the frosting across the top. (I highly recommend an offset spatula like this to do so!) Slice them into 16 square bars.
Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.
Be very careful when measuring the flour! Use this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much flour will make your cookie bars turn out dry or cakey, rather than soft and chewy.
I highly recommend using the liquid stevia! I buy mine online here, and you’ll also use it in all of these recipes of mine. You cannot substitute additional pure maple syrup for the liquid stevia because the cookies require a precise balance of wet and dry ingredients. However, you may substitute ¾ cup (144g) coconut sugar (or brown sugar or granulated sugar, if you aren’t concerned about keeping these cookies clean eating friendly) for both the pure maple syrup and stevia in the cookie bars, but the cookies will appear “speckled” if using coconut sugar because it doesn’t dissolve as well.
Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.
Do not substitute store-bought pre-shredded carrots (also called “matchstick” carrots) for the freshly grated carrots. Store-bought pre-shredded carrots are too thick and dry, and they don’t soften properly while baking.
Neufchâtel cream cheese, Greek yogurt cream cheese, and fat-free cream cheese all work for the light cream cheese frosting. Regular full-fat cream cheese will also work. Just make sure whatever you use is well softened first!
If you prefer not to use the liquid stevia in the frosting, then substitute 1 teaspoon of this powdered stevia OR 2-3 tablespoons of powdered or granulated sugar.
IMPORTANT INSTANT PUDDING MIX NOTE: This is the instant pudding mix that I use. You just need the dry instant pudding mix—don’t prepare it according to the package directions! You may omit it, but you’ll need to increase the liquid stevia (and just mix the ingredients together until incorporated—not for 2 full minutes!). Without the instant pudding mix, the frosting will be a bit runny and may slightly drip down the sides of your cookie bars. You can also use this cream cheese frosting recipe of mine instead as a clean eating option (no pudding mix required!).
{gluten-free, clean eating option, low fat, lower sugar}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Carrot Cake
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Snack Cake
♡ Healthy Cinnamon Roll Cookie Bars
♡ Healthy Flourless Peanut Butter Cookie Bars with Chocolate Frosting
♡ Healthy Sugar Cookie Bars with Vanilla Bean Frosting
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy carrot cake recipes!
Wow that looks delicious!
Thanks so much Rhonda! 🙂
Hi Amy,
I don’t know what went wrong but the dough was dry, flaky and not spreadable at all. Its like it’s missing a liquid. I measured flour accurately (no scale).. only change was I used 1 egg instead of egg white. Had to add some liquid to get it into the pan.
anybody else have this issue ?
thanks,
Diane V
It means a lot that you tried making my recipe, Diana! That sounds frustrating and not like how these cookie bars are supposed to turn out (the cookie dough should be really moist!), so I’d love to help solve that issue. In order to do so, I have some questions for you!
Can you describe how you used your measuring cups to measure the flour? Did you dip them directly into the container of flour, by any chance? Or if you used my recommended fork method, did you shake the measuring cup back and forth at all while filling it?
Which flour option did you use: white whole wheat flour, my recommended homemade gluten-free flour blend, or something else?
Just to confirm, you didn’t make any other substitutions or modifications (including those listed in the Notes section of the recipe!) other than using 1 large egg instead of 1 egg white, correct?
Did you use the full amount of butter/coconut oil and pure maple syrup?
How much liquid did you need to add to the cookie dough to incorporate all of the dry ingredients?
What was the texture like once you added the liquid?
I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but I’ll have a much better idea of the culprit once I know your answers to all of them! 🙂
Thanks for taking the time for this.
I DID dip 1/2 C measuring cup(s) into flour… I tap cup a bit and level the top, which I thought was correct. I’ve seen comparisons about scooping vs. dipping … hummm…had no idea it made that much difference. I’m a veteran in the kitchen so a little surprised it made such a difference. the other change I made was the Oil. I avoid Sat.Fats so Coconut Oil and Better are usually out. Sometimes I use EVOO but this I substituted with Earth Balance Org. which i softened but not melted, so little liquid there. Would I have been better off with EVOO ??
The dough resembled heavy bread dough .. nothing like a cookie dough at all.
So I panicked and started adding: 1T EVOO and some Sour Cream to smooth it out.
I could barely spread it in the pan. It cooked horribly as you can imagine.
In future, if there is an overabundance of dry vs. wet ingredients, how would you save it ?
thanks,
Diane V.
It’s my pleasure, Diane! I’m happy to help.
How the flour was measured was actually the culprit! If you dipped the ½-cup measuring cup directly into the flour AND tapped the cup before leveling, then you ended up using a little over 2 cups of flour, rather than 1 cup + 6 tablespoons. Those extra 9 tablespoons of flour would definitely cause the issues you experienced!
If you don’t own a kitchen scale, here’s what I recommend doing for measuring flour (and cocoa powder, oats, etc!): use a fork to “scoop” up flour from the container, and lightly shake the fork back and forth over the top of your measuring cup to transfer the flour into it. Once there’s a small mound of flour extending past the rim of the measuring cup, then place the flat back of a knife against the top of the measuring cup, and gently scrape it across the top to get rid of the excess flour. Never “pat” the flour down with the knife or fork, and never tap or shake the measuring cup either. This fork method acts like a sifter (without dirtying another dish!) and guarantees you’ll add less flour to the batter, so you’ll end up with soft and chewy cookie bars.
While many “traditional” recipes will still turn out okay if you dip your measuring cups directly into the flour, my recipes will not. This is because those “traditional” recipes often have an excess of fat (butter or oil) and sugar (or other sweetener like honey, maple syrup, etc). I’ve developed my recipes to have just enough of these ingredients to achieve the right taste and texture — but not much more than that! — in order to keep my recipes healthier. Since those ingredients are not present in excess, they won’t be able to compensate for or mask the extra flour. Does that make sense?
The softened (not melted!) Earth Balance would’ve affected the cookie dough consistency too — although not nearly as much as the extra flour! If the Earth Balance was soft, it wouldn’t have added as much to the “liquid” volume as compared to when it’s melted. It’s fine to use Earth Balance as a substitute for the butter! Just follow the instructions and be sure it’s melted instead. (Olive oil would also be fine to use, but you can sometimes detect a faint savory olive flavor that can be a bit off-putting!)
As to how to save a recipe, it depends on the type of recipe it is. Each type of recipe is different (cookies, brownies, cakes, muffins, etc!). For cookie bars, I typically recommend turning to a combination of milk and butter/oil, depending on how much of the dry ingredient mixture hasn’t been incorporated. If it’s just a tiny bit dry, using milk alone and no butter/oil should be fine. If it’s completely out of whack, as it sounds like yours was, then that’s when I’d use a combination of both.
So if you decide to try making these cookie bars again, and you measure the flour how I outlined above and use melted Earth Balance, they should turn out much better! 🙂
thanks Amy, you’re amazing. Now I understand why I’ve had trouble with a couple of your recipes.
Regarding the flour measure …. I have a sifter, should I just use that ? The fork method sounds laborious …
thanks again,
Diane
You’re welcome, Diane! I’m glad we solved the mystery. 🙂
The fork method isn’t laborious at all — I promise! It’s almost exactly like using a spoon, just with built in “sifting” capabilities. When you scoop up flour from your container, whether with a fork or a spoon, it should “hold” together (for lack of a better term!) in a mound above the piece of silverware. It shouldn’t fall through the cracks between the tines of the fork until you gently shake the fork back and forth over the measuring cup.
However, if you own a sifter and would prefer to use that, you’re welcome to try using it instead!
Can you make it vegan?
Absolutely! My brother is allergic to eggs and lactose intolerant, so I’m really familiar with “veganizing” my recipes. 😉 For the cookie bars, use the coconut oil option (or substitute a vegan “butter” like Earth Balance buttery sticks!), and substitute 1 ½ teaspoons Ener-G + 2 tablespoons warm water for the egg white. Ener-G is my favorite egg replacer! It’s a shelf-stable powder that keeps for ages. It works perfectly as an egg replacer in nearly all of my recipes!
Then for the frosting, I’d recommend using a vegan “cream cheese” for both the Greek yogurt and the light cream cheese. (Most non-dairy yogurts aren’t nearly as thick as Greek yogurt, which can make the frosting really runny — hence why I recommend using vegan cream cheese instead! 😉 ) I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookie bars Ailis!
Hi can i use honey instead of maple syrup?
Thanks!
I’ve actually answered this exact question in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions!). I know it can be easy to miss! 😉 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookie bars!