These Gluten Free Carrot Cake Bars are so moist and delicious, thanks to our secret ingredient. You’ll never believe how simple and delicious this moist carrot cake recipe is! Try not to eat all the perfect carrot cake frosting before piling it on and serving it to your Easter guests. Best carrot Cake bars ever!

carrot cake bars with cream cheese icing stacked on plate

Gluten Free Carrot Cake Bars

There are so many things to love about these moist carrot cake bars. The fact that they’re gluten free is just a small part of what makes them amazing!

These GLUTEN FREE carrot cake bars are an Easter favorite. All the flavor you love in an easy-to-eat bar, topped off with the best cream cheese carrot cake frosting…YUM!

I was going to make you wait to find out what we use to make this the most moist carrot cake recipe ever, but I guess I can’t keep a secret. It’s Carrot Baby Food! You’ll have to trust me that it is amazing. I’m never looking back now that I know about this secret ingredient.

Every Easter dessert table needs a good carrot cake, and these gluten free bars are my new favorite dessert option. I’m always looking for the easiest way to make things, and this recipe is it!

I loaded our Carrot Cake Bars with chopped walnuts and cream cheese icing. I simply cannot get enough!

sliced carrot cake bars with cream cheese icing

gluten free carrot cake bars

Gluten Free Carrot Cake Recipe

Making our favorite desserts into gluten-free desserts is surprisingly easy. These gluten free carrot cake bars are proof!

I’m obsessed because you don’t have to change a recipe at all to make it work for your family. Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour is such a quality ingredient. If you prefer regular all purpose flour, Bob’s also has that. I go back and forth as to which is my favorite! You can’t go wrong.

Don’t you love a recipe that you can customize? Add in those walnuts, raisins, or whatever else you think your carrot cake bars are in dire need. Carrot shreds? Sure! I was just too lazy. Let’s be honest!

slice of carrot cake bar on plate

how to make carrot cake bars step by step photos

Homemade Carrot Cake Bars (Secret Ingredient)

Okay, I know I already gave away my secret, but let’s really talk about it. We used carrot baby food to make these easy Carrot Cake Bars extra moist and flavorful.

It might sound strange to add baby food to your grown-up desserts, but it’s good. Trust me. Look at the ingredients and you’ll see carrot baby food is just CARROTS and WATER. They make this moist carrot sheet cake extra amazing (and easy), and that’s never a bad thing!

Would you consider gluten free carrot cake bars healthy?

Well, maybe they were before I piled on the cream cheese carrot cake frosting. Listen, I used low-fat cream cheese, okay, what more can you ask for? What would carrot cake be without the cream cheese icing? I can’t even fathom it!

How to Make Carrot Cake Bars

I told you this gluten free recipe was easy, and I wasn’t lying. It’s just a few simple steps, throw those bars in the oven, frost ’em, and serve ’em up!

  1. Start by beating the eggs and oil, then combine the flour, salt, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda, and add that into the egg mixture.
  2. Then mix in the carrot baby food and applesauce, and stir in walnuts.
  3. Pour the mixture into a baking pan, then bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.
  4. To make the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy, then beat in the vanilla, and finally the confectioner’s sugar.
  5. Let the carrot cake bars cool, then frost them.

Be sure to watch the video to see how it’s done!

carrot cake bar with bite cut out

overhead shot of iced carrot cake bars

You’ll definitely want these gluten free carrot cake bars on your dessert table ASAP. The ultimate Easter feast is much easier than you ever thought! And of course you need to try our easy Skillet Carrot Cake recipe too.

Watch How to Make Carrot Cake Bars or see the recipe card below for full details. Enjoy!

We have so many great dessert recipes for Easter and beyond that you need to try:

Recipe Card

Gluten Free Carrot Cake Bars (Secret Ingredient)

4.41 from 15 votes
Prep: 8 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 28 minutes
Servings: 15 bars
Author: Becky Hardin
This CARROT CAKE BARS RECIPE has a secret ingredient, carrot baby food! You'll never believe how moist, simple, and delicious this EASY Carrot Cake can be. Try not to eat all the perfect cream cheese icing before piling it on and serving to your Easter guests. Best Carrot Cake Recipe ever!
These Gluten Free Carrot Cake Bars are so moist and delicious, thanks to our secret ingredient. You'll never believe how simple and delicious this moist carrot cake recipe is! Try not to eat all the perfect carrot cake frosting before piling it on and serving it to your Easter guests. Best carrot Cake bars ever!
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Equipment

  • Kitchen Scale (optional)
  • Baking Sheet
  • Hand Mixer

Ingredients 

For the Carrot Cake Bars

  • 3 large eggs 150 grams
  • cups vegetable oil 250 grams
  • 2 cups Gluten Free Flour 296 grams
  • 2 cups granulated sugar 400 grams
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 6 grams
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder 4 grams
  • ½ teaspoon Baking Soda 3 grams
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¾ cup carrot baby food 188 grams
  • ¾ cup unsweetened apple sauce 188 grams
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts 57 grams

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 ounces light cream cheese 227 grams, room temperature (1 brick)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter 113 grams, room temperature (1 stick)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
  • 3 cups powdered sugar 339 grams

Instructions 

For the Carrot Cake Bars

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 15x10-inch baking sheet with nonstick spray. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the eggs and oil for 2 minutes. Combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; add to the egg mixture. Add the baby food and applesauce; mix well. Stir in the walnuts.
    3 large eggs, 1¼ cups vegetable oil, 2 cups Gluten Free Flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon Baking Soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¾ cup carrot baby food, ¾ cup unsweetened apple sauce, ½ cup chopped walnuts
  • Transfer to the prepared baking pan.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow to cool.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

  • In a small bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar.
    8 ounces light cream cheese, ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 3 cups powdered sugar
  • Frost the pan with the cream cheese frosting and cut into bars.

Video

Becky's Tips

  • You can use regular flour if you're not gluten free.
  • If you can't find carrot baby food, puree carrots in a food processor.
Storage: Store gluten free carrot cake bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Serving: 1barCalories: 546kcalCarbohydrates: 67gProtein: 5gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 13gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 220mgPotassium: 116mgFiber: 2gSugar: 53gVitamin A: 2588IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin is a wife and mother living in Saint Louis Missouri. She founded The Cookie Rookie in 2012 as a creative way to share recipes. Now, she is a trusted resource for easy cooking around the world, being featured in Taste of Home, The Kitchn, ABC’s Home and Family, and more. Here at The Cookie Rookie she is the editor in chief of all recipes and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for cooking for busy families. She has since founded two additional food blogs, Easy Chicken Recipes and Easy Dessert Recipes.

4.41 from 15 votes (15 ratings without comment)
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Gina
Gina
April 11, 2023 1:36 pm

Hi. I was wondering if I could bake these in a 9×13 pan? I don’t have the other size you mentioned. Thank you.

Samantha Marceau
April 11, 2023 4:51 pm
Reply to  Gina

We think they will turn out too thick! You could try halving the recipe and doing it in a 9×13. A standard-sized rimmed baking sheet works best, though!

Jennifer
Jennifer
April 21, 2019 7:58 am

Hi looking for the tip section regarding the pan (“Transfer to a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. *SEE TIP IN THE NOTE SECTION BELOW”), but I don’t see it.

Michelle
Michelle
October 19, 2018 10:00 pm

I have made these for years and it is always a family favorite but we weren’t crazy about how heavy the oil makes them – substitute apple cinnamon apple sauce for the oil and taste the same but much lighter.

diane
diane
March 7, 2018 10:19 am

They look good. could even add some coconut to the batter. can’t wait to make them

Gloria
Gloria
March 7, 2018 7:43 am

How much regular flour do you use….? 2 cups?