Healthy Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

If I didn't tell you this was a healthy treat, you'd never know it. Moist, perfectly sweet and laced with cinnamon, these carrot cake bars are incredible. You can't stop nibbling on the tender cake and tangy frosting (trust me, I know). Oh, and that cream cheese frosting? It's sweetened with maple syrup and lightened up with Greek yogurt. The whole ensemble is stellar.

I brought these bars to a track meet recently and whoosh, they were gone in a minute. Thankfully, I stashed a few at home... I kid you not, even I was awestruck when I tasted them. They seem decadent, rich and sinful, but they're perfectly healthy. That means you can enjoy them any time of day, guilt-free.

And I love the fact that you don't need an electric mixer! Just 2 bowls and a whisk!

Want vegan bars? No problem. The bars are already dairy-free, so you just need to replace the eggs with flax eggs. To make flax eggs, combine 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal/ground raw flaxseeds and 2 1/2 tablespoons water PER EGG; let the mixture sit for 5 minutes before using. This recipe uses 2 eggs, so you'll need to double that concoction. For a vegan icing, substitute dairy-free cream cheese and dairy-free yogurt.

Healthy Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

For the carrot cake bars: 
Cooking spray
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs (or 2 flax eggs)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
For the frosting: 
8 ounces cream cheese (regular, light or vegan), softened
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (regular or dairy-free)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well with a whisk or fork to combine. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add the mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until blended. Fold in the carrots.
Pour the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean or with little moist bits clinging to it.
Cool the bars, in the pan, on a wire rack before frosting.
To make the frosting, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl or food processor and mix until smooth and creamy. Spread the frosting over the cooled carrot cake.
Slice into 12 to 16 and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Makes 12-16 bars