Macro Friendly GF Carrot Cake Bars with Protein Vegan Cream Cheese Icing (gf)

Updated: Feb 25, 2021

Sometimes you want to dig into all the sugary decadence of a bomb ass dessert... but sometimes you want something sweet & yummy that actually isn't all that "bad" for you. Remaking classic desserts in a way that "aren't all that bad for you" is always so fun for me. I love creating low sugar, low fat, high protein etc options to treats that I actually crave. When tracking macros (proteins, fats & carbs) in an effort to reach personal goals, it's important to align to sustainable and ENJOYABLE eating habits... which means not demonizing certain food groups or adhering to overly strict "rules" that quite frankly are usually made up diet culture jargon.. and making foods and treats that are aligned to your goals and satisfy your YUMS.

This Carrot Cake bar recipe utilizes protein powder. Because ALL protein powders vary in sweetness and react differently when baked, I can only really stand by the one I used, but I'd love to hear about any alternatives that worked for you. For me, I accidentally bought a whey protein, when my stomach can only really handle vegan powders in shakes. BUT, I've discovered that this Quest Vanilla Milkshake Protein powder bakes incredibly. It actually contributes to a fluffier bake than a lot of other powders I've tried... even if it's pretty terrible as a shake. PLUS for some reason it doesn't upset my stomach when baked into goodies, so really its a win win if you aren't strictly vegan.

Carrot Cake Bar Ingredients:

3/4 cup liquid egg whites ( can sub 3 flax eggs for vegan option)

1/3 cup Earth Balance Vegan Butter Spread (melted)

1/2 cup granulated monkfruit (or calorie free sweetener of choice or white sugar)

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup organic brown sugar ( I don't recommend swapping this out. It helps with the fluffy structure)

3/4 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp apple cider vin

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp vanilla

2 servings vanilla protein powder ( I use Quest Vanilla Milkshake for baking. It has 24g protein per serving and is whey based so it fluffs up really well)

180 g grated carrot

1 1/2 cups gluten free flour ( I use 1:1 gf all purpose flour)

1/4 -1/2 cups Ripple milk (or plant milk of choice)

3/4 cup raw walnuts, chopped (omit for lower fat- raisins are a good addition for higher carb)

Protein Vegan Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients:

1 tub/200g vegan Cream Cheese ( I suggest Voilife Original Cream Cheese)

2.5 servings Vanilla Protein Powder ( I use Quest Vanilla Milkshake for this)

1/4 cup Ripple Milk ( or plant milk) - as needed to reach desired thickness

1 tbsp Vanilla Extract

pinch of salt

1 tsp Rum Extract ( optional)

Instructions:

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Spray & flour 2- 8 inch baking tins. Set aside. Using 2 8 inch tins would also allow you to stack these into a 2 layer cake if that's preferred over a sheet cake bar, just be sure to double the calories/macros per serving.

In a bowl, combine egg whites, melted vegan butter, granulated monk fruit, applesauce, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice & vanilla extract (all ingredients listed until the protein powder). Stir until combined but do not over mix. Stir in 2-3 servings of vanilla protein powder. If unflavored protein powder is used you may need to adjust the amount of vanilla and/or sweetener. Fold in grated carrots. Fold in gluten free flour until combined. Add 1/4 -1/2 cup of plant milk to get mixture to a thick cake batter consistency. Stir in chopped walnuts.

Bake at 350 for about 35 mins or until a skewer comes out pretty clean. For me this meant the edges were just starting to get a little darker & the pick came out ALMOST clean with a little crumb on it... not wet but not spotless.

While that's baking... make the icing.

Combine 1 tub of your favorite vegan cream cheese. Honestly, Voilife is the BEST IMO. Add 2.5 servings of vanilla protein powder. I do NOT recommend using unflavored for this. The powder I use for baking has 24g protein and is whey based. A vegan protein powder would be totally fine for this icing so just adjust to your desired amount of protein & flavor). Add 1/4 cup of plant milk but adjust based on your desired consistency. It's going to be different for all powders. Using a hand mixer, beat until super smooth. Add Vanilla extract & Rum extract for flavor.

Once cakes are finished baking, set them aside to cool COMPLETELY before icing. The icing will melt off if they are even a little warm. Store icing in fridge until you are ready to put it on the cake.

These also FREEZE really well. To store, let cake cool, then ice. Then place in freezer uncovered until completely frozen. Remove from fridge & cut into servings. Individually wrap each serving in plastic wrap & place all wrapped squares in a freezer bag. Store for up to 3 months!