I love carrot cake! I love it in an unhealthy; you shouldn't eat that much kind of way. Normally, I will politely pass on a slice of carrot cake that is being offered to me because of my complete and total lack of self-control once I take a bite. I even made myself sick on a huge slice of gluten-free carrot cake recently at a restaurant here in Long Beach. I tell you, it is ridiculous and shameful. In my head I say 'Meg, you shouldn't keep eating that you are going to feel horrible!', but it doesn't help. I just keep rationalizing , 'One more bite!' Please, tell me other people have weaknesses like this that usually result in self scolding and total frustration.
Over the course of the past few weeks I have been putting my raw bar making skills to the test and have really focused on developing a raw bar that has all the flavors that I love in carrot cake, without the guilt that I associate with eating 3 slices in one setting. These bars contain a whole host of ingredients that are good for my body and now I don't have to worry if I eat more than I should.
Carrots are rich in beta-carotene which is really great for your eyes, and for healthy skin, but did you know that they also can aid in preventing heart disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer?
Almonds: The mono-saturated fat, protein and potassium contained in almonds are really good for your heart. Almonds also contain vitamin E which acts as an antioxidant and reduces the risk of heart diseases. The presence of magnesium in almonds helps to avoid heart attacks and almonds help reduce C-reactive protein which causes artery-damaging inflammation.
Recent studies have shown that the consumption of dates is good for those who have heart problems. They have the ability to lower LDL cholesterol and since dates are digested very easily they are great for supplying quick energy.
Hemp hearts fall in the "super food" category and are one of the densest sources of plant protein available, which can be a huge benefit to vegetarians, athletes and anyone looking to add a healthy source of protein to their diet.
Ginger improves the absorption and stimulation of essential nutrients in the body, promotes energy circulation, and increases the body’s metabolic rate. Ginger is also wonderful for reducing inflammation, alleviating stomach discomfort, and boosting the immune system.
Of course, if you are in the market for a delicious gluten free carrot cake recipe click here for one of my favorites!
PrintCarrot Cake Raw Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw almonds
- ¼ cup raw walnuts
- ¼ cup hemp hearts
- 1 cup fresh Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup shredded sweetened coconut
- ½ cup finely shredded carrot
- ¼ cup crystallized ginger, chopped small
Instructions
- In the bowl of your food processor, mix together the nuts, hemp hearts, and dates. Process until the pieces are all uniform in size and a sticky dough has formed. Add the coconut oil and cinnamon then process well until combined. Add the shredded coconut, carrots, and ginger; pulse just until incorporated, but not too much that the texture is too soft.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and pour the dough out onto it. Shape the dough into one large rectangle and refrigerate until firm, about 5-10 minutes. Slice the bar into desired shapes. *You can also roll this dough into balls straight from the food processor.
- These raw bars should keep in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for at least a week or up to a month in the freezer.
Carrot Cake Raw Bars
Joli says
Our family-of-8 just found this recipe 2 days ago and have made three batches already. LOVE them! Thank you! (We used 1/2 dates and 1/2 raisins instead of half raisins, because of $$$...and replaced the hemp hearts with chia seeds because they are so healthy and we had them on hand.)
Meg says
Hi Joli, I am so glad you that you and your family love them!! I haven't made them in so long - thanks for reminding me about how tasty they are 😉
Leilani says
What is the nutritional breakdown on each bar?
Meg says
Leilani, I don't have the break down of each bar, but you can use a nutritional calculator like this one ( http://nutritiondata.self.com/mynd/myrecipes/welcome?returnto=/mynd/myrecipes ) and it will give you all of the information you are looking for.
Monica says
*How many carbs and fat are in these bars?
Melanie says
These look really nice however we can't get hemp hearts in NZ so is there anything you could substitute? Is it a wet or dry ingredient?
Meg says
It's a dry ingredient. You can leave them out if you would like.
evelyn says
hi.. lovely recipe and I would love to try.. one question.. is it possible to replace hemp hearts by linseeds or quinoa?? if yes in which proportion please ?? thanks
eve
Meg says
I have never tried replacing them with either of those, so unfortunately I don't know how it would taste.
Joli says
We replaced them (in equal proportion) with chia seeds and loved it!
Aviva Shaw says
These are awesome! I just made my first batch and they taste delicious. I did have a hard time with getting it all blended, maybe my food processor isn't up to the job? In the end I wound up zipping the ingredients individually then stirring it together by hand. I did have a question about the dates: In the recipe you said "fresh Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped", did you mean actual "fresh" dates or did you mean DRIED Medjool dates? Thanks for the recipe, yum!
★★★★★
Meg says
Hey Aviva, I am so glad that you enjoyed the carrot cake raw bars! They are a family favorite around here. I use fresh dates which you can find in the produce department at specialty grocery stores. I have never used dried dates, but I think if you soak them for a bit they would work as well. 🙂
Michelle St. Mark says
These look so yummy! Thank you!
Meg, you are so sweet to respond to every comment 🙂
Enjoy!
Meg says
Thanks Michelle! I really appreciate it that you said that. I feel like if you take the time to comment here then it is the least I could do to comment back:)
Kari@Loaves n Dishes says
I love to make little snacks with dates (aka nature's candy) and I'm always looking for new yummy ways to make these snacks. I can hardly wait to try these...I already Pinned 'em!
Meg says
Hi Kari! Dates are so amazing, I love them too. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.
Dee/reddirtramblings says
Those look amazing. I will try making them. Thank you.
Meg says
Thanks Dee! I hope that you enjoy them.:)
Kiersten @ Oh My Veggies says
I feel the same way about carrot cake. I could probably eat a whole cake myself, but it's the frosting that makes me slow down and feel like uggggh. So these bars are pretty much perfect. 🙂
Meg says
Kiersten, the frosting gets me every time too! I have learned over the years to scrape it off, but then I just eat even more carrot cake. It is ridiculous! 😉