Whenever the weather starts to get warmer and I see flowers popping up around town, I instantly crave carrot cake. Especially dairy-free carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.
There’s something about carrot cake, the carrots certainly, that just is spring.
One thing to know about me is that I love birthdays. Another thing to know is that I will generally make a cake or some sort of baked good for your birthday if there is the opportunity.
To that end, a few (perhaps 10..) years ago, I asked one of my friends what his favorite cake was, and his answer was, as you may have guessed, carrot.
At the time, I thought…really? I’m such a chocolate-loving gal.
Then I proceeded to get that same answer of ‘carrot cake’ for ‘what’s your favorite kind of cake’ over and over again.
It’s beloved. It’s moist. It has just the right amount of sweetness to balance the complexity and earthiness of the carrot. And that moist and tender cake is topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting to make it feel indulgent and special.
Even I, a chocoholic, have fallen in love with carrot cake.
I modified my go-to carrot cake recipe to create these dairy-free carrot cake bars. They can be cut into small squares or large rectangles and are easy to slice and share, making them wonderful for Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, and spring gatherings. No one would ever guess they’re dairy-free! (I’ve included simple swaps in the recipe card below to make them vegan and/or gluten-free, too.)
Why weighing ingredients is a baking game-changer
Measuring by weight is a game-changer—it’s the easiest way to bake consistent, delicious results. A cup of flour can vary depending on how it’s scooped, but 120 grams? Always the same. Plus, it cuts down on dishes! But don’t worry, I’ve included cup measurements too, so you can bake however you feel most comfortable.
How to enjoy your dairy-free carrot cake bars
- Bring them to a potluck or gathering: You’ll never have to worry about showing up empty handed again. Carrot Cake Bars are easy to share and great for Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, BBQs, campfire nights, kid and adult birthday parties, picnics, and gatherings of family and friends.
- For an indulgent treat: Enjoy with a scoop of dairy-free vanilla ice cream (cake & ice cream, classic).
Tips for irresistible carrot cake bars
- Use baby carrots, dump them in the food processor, done. No need to peel and grate whole carrots. This is one of my favorite baking hacks.
- Place your butter and cream cheese on the counter about an hour before you start baking. That way, they come to room temperature, which makes them easier to mix and combine to the creamy consistency we’re looking for.
- Avoid overbaking: Take them out when the edges are just set to avoid a dry cake.
- Cool completely before frosting: That way, the frosting doesn’t melt on the cake.
Baking tools you’ll need, and the ones I recommend
Here’s a quick rundown of the key tools that I use to make this recipe:
- 13×9 inch baking pan: I like this one because it comes with a lid.
- Parchment paper: A must for easy removal from the pan and mess-free slicing.
- Silicone spatula: Perfect for mixing and spreading.
- Kitchen scale: For precision and fewer dishes.
- Offset spatula: A frosting swoop’s best friend. (Feels worth noting that I have had this one for 13 years. Such a handy little baking tool.)
More spring bakes? I’ve got you.
A few of my other favorite recipes for spring are:
Super Moist Zucchini Bread | Dairy-Free w/ Vegan & Gluten-Free options
Vegan Strawberry Shortcake | Gluten-Free Option
Vegan Rhubarb Coffee Cake | Dairy-Free + Egg-Free
Dairy-Free Carrot Cake Bars | Vegan & Gluten-Free Options
Description
Whenever the weather starts to get warmer and I see flowers popping up around town, I instantly crave carrot cake. The bars can be easily sliced and shared, making them perfect for a group gathering like Easter, Mother's Day, or Father's Day. The moist and tender cake is topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting. No one would ever guess they're dairy-free! See the notes to make them vegan and/or gluten-free, too.
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Bars
Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Frosting
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set it aside.
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First step, carrots. Instead of having to peel and shred whole carrots, grab a 16oz bag of baby carrots and dump them into a food processor. Process for a few seconds until they're fulling 'minced.' Nice small little pieces, as if we shredded them. Set that aside.
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In a large bowl, mix together your flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Mix them together with a spoon. Then set that bowl aside.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, place the two sticks of room temperature (soft) vegan butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Beat them with a paddle attachment with the mixer on a medium speed until the sugar is dissolved into the butter. It should be pale in color and fluffy.
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Then add in the 3 eggs and the vanilla extract. Mix again until fully combined.
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With the mixer on the lowest speed, slowly add in your flour mixture. Be careful not to overmix here.
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Once the flour streaks are almost all mixed in, add in all of the carrots. Mix again with the mixer just until combined. Then remove the bowl from the machine and give the batter a few gentle folds with a rubber spatula to ensure everything is combined and you have a beautiful carrot cake batter.
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Grab your parchment-lined baking pan and spread the batter in. It'll be sticky but you got this. Use a spatula to make it nice and even.
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Then bake in your preheated oven for about 22 minutes, or until the top is set and the edges are just starting to show some browning.
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Remove the pan from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire cooling rack.
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In the meantime, make the cream cheese frosting.
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Combine 8 oz vegan cream cheese and 1 stick of vegan butter in a large mixing bowl. Use a stand mixer or hand mixer to beat them together until light and fluffy. Then with the mixer on the lowest speed, slowly add in your sifted powdered sugar. Stop about halfway through to add 2 tsp vanilla extract. Then finish adding the powdered sugar. Beat for a minute or two, just until the creamy frosting is as dreamy as you'd imagine. No clumps, smooth luscious frosting.
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Plop the frosting with a rubber spatula onto the cooled carrot cake bars (please make sure they're completely cooled before frosting). Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting in swoops and swirls over the bars.
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Slice them into your desired size. I like to do 3 across and 4 down, making 12 bars total.
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Sprinkle with your favorite sprinkles (pictured here are dye-free Sweetapolita). Serve & Enjoy!
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If you have extras or you're saving them for later, store them in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days, the fridge for up to 7 days, or the freezer up to 3 months.
Note
- I include both the volume (cups) and weight (grams) measurements in the recipe. I highly recommend baking by weight (i.e. 120 grams per cup of flour, rather than 1 cup of flour). It’s more accurate, consistent, and results in fewer dishes. That said, do whatever is most convenient for you. (If you want to learn how to bake by weight, here's a quick how-to guide and conversion chart.)
- For a gluten-free option: Swap out the all purpose flour for King Arthur measure-for-measure gluten-free flour.
- For vegan, swap out the eggs for 3 flax eggs. 3 flax eggs = 45 g ground flaxseed mixed with 135 g of water. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before using.
- Vegan butter: I recommend soy-free Earth Balance sticks, Country Crock Plant Butter, or Violife Plant Butter.
