Carrot Cake Oat Squares
A yummy take on traditional oat bars with added veggies and flavor, these Carrot Cake Oat Squares are chewy and crunchy with the perfect balance of warming spices and sweetness.
Carrot Cake Oat Bars Recipe
Oat squares are one of those delicious treats that can be so hard to find – and half the time, when you do find them for sale, they are dry, dusty and flavorless. Bleh.
For me, the perfect oat square should be sweet with a bit of warming spice, crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside and leave you feeling completely satisfied.
These carrot cake oat squares definitely hit all of those must-haves for me, and then have the bonus of sneaking in some veggies!
The shredded carrots we added are virtually undetectable since they melt into the squares while baking to add nutrition and natural, earthy sweetness without dramatically affecting the flavor of the dessert. The main flavor notes are the sweetness of the honey and coconut, the warmth of the cinnamon and nutmeg, and the nuttiness of the oats.
We’ve made these carrot cake oat bars with a few different mix-ins and it’s incredibly versatile. My daughter loves them with raisins and yogurt chips (which are similar to a white chocolate chip but melt to make little pockets of tangy, sweet goodness throughout the bars) while I prefer them either plain or with some pecans. Add whichever mix-ins appeal to you.
Can I use maple syrup instead of honey to sweeten these bars? Yes, you can swap out the tablespoon of honey for a tablespoon of maple syrup, if desired.
Can I omit the sugar? I personally haven’t tried removing the 1/4 cup of white sugar from the recipe or replacing with a natural sugar like coconut sugar, however I think coconut sugar would work well as a substitute. The sugar serves as not just a sweetener in this recipe but also helps the bars develop that sticky, caramelized texture, lightens the texture and helps retain the moisture from the carrots to keep these bars from being dry.
Can these oat squares be frozen? Yes, you can cut and wrap each individual square, then place in a ziptop freezer bag or your favorite freezer containers. (This set of freezer containers is a crazy bargain.) Freeze for up to two months and allow to come to room temperature before serving.
More Delicious Snacks Using Oats
- PB&J Energy Bites
- Healthy Oatmeal Cookies from Instant Oatmeal Mix
- Strawberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats
- Apple Spice Granola
Carrot Cake Oat Bars Ingredients
- 3/4 cups butter
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup raisins, optional
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
- 1/2 cup yogurt chips or white chocolate chips, optional
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- 8″ x 8″ casserole dish
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
- Box Shredder or Julienne Shredder
How to Make Carrot Cake Oat Squares
Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease a 8”x8” casserole dish and set aside.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and honey. Melt for 25 seconds in the microwave and stir well.
In a small bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, sugar, shredded coconut and spices. Add in the raisins, carrots and optional white chocolate chips. Stir until evenly distributed.
Stir the dry ingredients into the melted butter mixture until well-combined.
Fold the mixture out into the prepared casserole dish and bake for 15-20 minutes until light brown and set at the edges.
Pin this Easy Carrot Cake Oat Bars recipe for a delicious dessert that sneaks in extra veggies:
Grab your free printable recipe card for our carrot cake oat bars recipe:
Carrot Cake Oat Squares
Delightfully chewy and crunchy oat squares with hidden carrots for a nutrition boost. These bars are naturally sweetened with honey and shredded coconut and you can add whatever flavorful mix-ins you like: raisins, pecans, white chocolate chips, etc.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cups butter
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup raisins, optional
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
- 1/2 cup yogurt chips or white chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Grease a 8”x8” casserole dish and set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and honey. Melt for 25 seconds in the microwave and stir well.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, sugar, shredded coconut and spices. Add in the raisins, carrots and optional white chocolate chips. Stir until evenly distributed.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the melted butter mixture until well-combined.
- Fold the mixture out into the prepared casserole dish and bake for 15-20 minutes until light brown and set at the edges.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 286Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 197mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 3gSugar: 15gProtein: 3g
I hope your family loves these Carrot Cake Oat Squares as much as mine did! They are a great option for dessert, lunch box snacks or even a grab-and-go snack option when you need an afternoon pick-me-up.
For more delicious desserts the whole family will love, check out our full collection here:
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Original image from 2015:
