This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

These Healthy Carrot Zucchini Bars are so easy to make, are a nutrient-dense snack and made without any refined sugars! They’re gluten-free but nobody will know it! Make these now for the perfect way to use up any excess garden veggies!

Gluten-Free Carrot Zucchini Bars

A gluten-free cake batter made from almond flour holds together shredded zucchini, carrots, and raisins to make for the sweetest, yet healthy, Carrot Zucchini Bars. Whether you want to call these bars or snack cake, they’re the perfect treat to eat midday as a pick-me-up. These bars are dressed up with a glaze too, so they can easily be served at a celebratory family dinner! Do you know what else we love about these veggie bars? They’re simple to make and a fun project to do with the kids.Ingredients, including carrot, raisins and zucchini for zucchini snack bar.

Ingredients Needed

  • Carrots + Zucchini
  • Raisins
  • Eggs
  • Coconut Sugar
  • Coconut Oil
  • Maple Syrup
  • Almond Flour
  • Tapioca Starch
  • Ground Flax Seed
  • Baking Powder + Soda
  • Ground Ginger

Substitutions

You can substitute maple sugar for the coconut sugar. We can’t recommend swapping it out with a liquid sweetener.

You can use another oil for the coconut oil, such as avocado oil or melted butter.

We don’t recommend substituting the eggs for this cake, as the recipe already calls for flax seed.

We haven’t tested this recipe with any other flour, other than almond flour and tapioca. If you’d like to attempt to substitute it out, you’ll have to experiment.

Other frosting options:

We’ve opted to top this with an easy cream cheese glaze, but you can feel free to use either a dairy-free cream cheese or instead top it with our a dairy-free cashew glaze, which can be found on this Overnight Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole. This cake is also delicious by itself and can be served alone, but this gluten-free carrot cake uses less sugar than most carrot cakes so you may notice it more without a frosting.

Zucchini carrot bar batter in a bowl.

Tips for Making these Gluten-Free Bars

  • Peel the zucchini if you want to hide that they are in the bar a bit more from picky kids.
  • Sift your almond flour and coconut flour first if they are lumpy. It makes it easier to fully incorporate.
  • Use an electronic kitchen scale if you have one. It makes it easier to measure the gluten-free flours, and we’ve included grams in the ingredient list.
  • Gluten-free baking is a little tricker to check when the baked good is done. Some signs to look out for: the bars are nice and golden, the bars have completely puffed up throughout, cracks are not uncommon, when you stick toothpick it it should come out clean, and when you gently press in the center of the cake it will spring back as opposed to leaving a dent (which is a sign it is underdone).
  • Let the bars cool completely before frosting.
  • The bars can be made up to two days in advance. Leave it at room temperature covered until ready to frost.

Zucchini carrot bar with decorative cream cheese icing.

How to Store and Serve It

Serve these frosted bars on a plate with a fork! While you can pick them up and make them hand-held, they can get  messy due to the frosting.

Once they are frosted they need to be stored in the refrigerator.

Two pieces of zucchini carrot snack cake on a plate under a peach colored napkin.

Watch the video here:



If you like this healthy sweet snack recipe, check out these others:

Pin this recipe to save it for later!

Pin it!
A piece of carrot zucchini bars on a plate.

Healthy Carrot Zucchini Bars

5 from 4 votes
These Healthy Carrot Zucchini Bars are so easy to make, are a nutrient-dense snack and made without any refined sugars!
Servings 9
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 eggs
  • ¾ cup coconut sugar or maple sugar
  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups 200 grams almond flour
  • ½ cup 60 grams tapioca starch
  • 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1  cup shredded carrot
  • ½ cup shredded peeled zucchini
  • ½ cup raisins
  • 4 ounces cream cheese softened (see note)
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare a 8 x 8" square baking dish by coating with cooking spray and making a parchment paper sling. Set aside.
  • Add the eggs, coconut sugar, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla to a large bowl and whisk together until fully combined.
  • To the bowl add the almond flour, tapioca, flax seed, baking powder, ginger, and baking soda mix it together until it's fully combined.
  • Place carrots and zucchini in cheesecloth or a clean, thin kitchen towel and squeeze out any excess moisture.
  • Fold in the carrots, zucchini and raisins to the batter.
  • Transfer the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth down the top with an offset spatula. 
  • Baking in the middle rack for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is puffy and it springs back when lightly pushed down in the middle.
  • Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
  • Add softened cream cheese, maple syrup and vanilla extract to a bowl. Whisk together vigorously until the frosting is smooth. Drizzle over the zucchini bars.
  • Cut into slices and serve!

Notes

  1. Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens
  2. To make this fully dairy-free either use dairy-free cream cheese, or use this Vegan Cashew Vanilla Glaze for a frosting instead.
  3. This recipe was originally published in 2015 and updated with a new recipe and photos in 2020.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/9 recipeCalories: 317kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 146mgFiber: 2gSugar: 30g
Course: Snack
Author: Lexi


You May Also Like

Secrets to Quick Dinners
Get my practical tips & advice for a healthier life dropped right into your inbox!
newsletter collage

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These are soooooooo good. I love carrot cake and I’m so delighted that I can now have it in GF and refined sugar form. A really tasty but simple recipe that I will happily make again and again. Thank you Lexi.

  2. LCK is my go to for baking and I love seeing all of the “traditional” baked goods in a cleaner version☺️ As there are just 2 of us, do you think this would freeze well, prior to icing?

  3. 5 stars
    Made these today. Absolutely delicious. Made a few changes due to my food requirements and did not put any icing on them. Had all I could do to eat just one.

  4. 5 stars
    INCREDIBLE! So moist and flavorful. Got to use up some garden carrots and zucchini! Had it for breakfast some days and for a snack/ dessert others! I made it into a quick bread because I could not find my 8×8 sheet. I just doubled the cooking time and took it out once my fork came out clean. I would say about 60 minutes. I will he making again!

    1. I’m not sure, as we haven’t tried. But you can try and let us know how it goes? We also have a carrot oat muffin recipe and a zucchini muffin recipe made with almond flour you can search for!

  5. going to store today to get ingredients. Since I do not use anything coconut will change the oil to butter and for the sugar am going to try Stevia or Erythritol. So glad it calls for almond flour. Can’t wait to try this recipe.

  6. Lexi, they look delicious!! I love adding veggies to baked goods too- I’m keen to try beets soon!

  7. Hi Lexi, Thank you so much for your fabulous ideas and recipes. I looked and looked and I can’t find your recipe for these. Please direct me.

  8. Loving this! Kinda reminds me of morning glory muffins! Can’t wait to try your grain free version Lexi!

  9. With a picky toddler, I’m all about hiding veggies! Never thought I would be, but desperate times call for desperate measures. 😉 Love these!