These Carrot Oat Bars make the perfect healthy snack. They’re dense, chewy and easy to make in the blender or food processor. Plus they’re kid-friendly and also make a great addition to breakfasts and lunches.
Hi friends!
I’m so excited to share these Carrot Oat Bars with you guys today. This may be the recipe that sets the record for most requests to receive the recipe early on social media. I’ve had tons of people ask for it already and I happily sent along a photo of my chicken scratch, but i’m glad to have it up on the blog now in a more organized fashion.
I had my whole production crew with me on this one. Squish helped with the photos and Little Miss completed her first solo video!
I’ve actually been testing these bars for a couple of weeks now. I first tried them a few times with steel cut oats. Don’t do that. They were a gooey mess. They work much better with rolled oats. You could even use quick oats. These do require a little bit of prep ahead of time to roast the carrots, but guys…that’s like so easy. I just peel and chop mine into 1-inch pieces, throw them on a baking sheet with a little oil and roast them at 400 degrees F for about 30 minutes, stirring them once or twice.
Roasting the carrots brings out their natural sweetness so you only need a little bit of maple syrup in this recipe. You could also use steamed carrots. I had a friend test them that way and they worked, I’d just recommend adding a touch more maple syrup. You could also mix in some raisins or shredded coconut. I don’t. I just think they’d taste good because they’re often used in carrot cake.
These bars are dense, chewy and very lightly sweetened. Kinda like baked oatmeal, but not exactly because everything is more blended up. They’re moist (I know people hate that word, but it’s true) and very sturdy, not crumbly. Be sure to store them in the fridge! If you’re looking for a fluffy, cake-like texture, this is not the recipe for you. If you want to turn them into dessert, mix together a little cream cheese and powdered sugar and spread it on top!
Carrot Oat Bars
But I like them plain. Little Miss has been devouring them. In fact, between the two of us, we ate an entire pan in 24 hours. Not kidding.
Here’s how you make them:
PrintCarrot Oat Bars
These Carrot Oat Bars make the perfect healthy snack. They’re dense, chewy and easy to make in the blender. Plus they’re kid-friendly and also make a great addition to breakfasts and lunches.
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Makes 9 bars 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups roasted carrots
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup milk (I used non-dairy but cow’s milk would be fine)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2–3 Tbsp ground flaxseed
- optional: raisins or shredded coconut
Instructions
- Add ingredients to blender or food processor in order listed (except raisins and/or coconut if using).
- Blend/process until smooth.
- Stir in optional mix-ins if desired.
- Spread into a 9×9 pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes.
- Store in the fridge!
Notes
You can sub steamed carrots but add 1-2 Tbsp more maple syrup.
I don’t use mix-ins. I just imagine they’d taste good because they pair well with carrot cake.
If you want to add frosting, you can use whatever kind you want. I just mixed together cream cheese (softened) and powdered sugar until it reached the right sweetness and spread it on top of a couple.
You can also make these as muffins.
These are so easy to make. I’ve made them both in the food processor and blender. I actually find it easier to use the food processor! I’ve also baked these in muffin tins and they turned out just fine! I hope you guys love them as much as we do!
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
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These look AMAZING. Don’t think I’ve ever seen a ‘cake’ recipe call for roasted carrots before, but it sounds awesome. Saved, and will definitely be making these soon.
hope they’re a hit!
Hi Lindsay! This looks super tasty and I’ve just put some carrots in the oven to roast to make it, but I don’t have any flaxseed. Do you have any suggestions for a substitute? I do have chia seeds and applesauce (and eggs) but I’m not sure which to use? Thank you!
You can leave it out! You could probably throw some chia seeds in there if you wanted to!
Super- I’ll do so! Thanks again! 🙂
Wondering if you have a carb or sugar content available for those of us with diabetics in the house.
i don’t, i’m sorry! You could try putting them into my fitness pal or something similar!
glad you liked them!
this sounds so good im making these. Today but do u luzt carb and cal and protein count pleasei coyld not find it thank u but i cannt wait to try them
i don’t, sorry! you can try plugging them into my fitness pal!
I will try this recipe with my daycare bunch! What is that blue gadget that your son has? Thanks
that’s just an old i pad in a kid-friendly protective case!
My son has an egg and nut allergy and so many healthy foods use egg and nuts. Would LOVE an expert like you to find a good binder that really works. I haven’t been too thrilled with taste/texture using powdered egg replacement. Thanks.
have you tried flax or chia eggs?
I had used Egg Replacer for years. Also found adding extra baking powder can work. Then I recently learned that soaking chia seeds in water for about 20 minutes can be a good egg substitute. I forget the ratio but you can find it on the internet. Good luck.
What kind of step stool is she on, Lindsay?
it’s a little partners learning tower. http://www.littlepartners.com/
Thank you! Did you put a back on yours? It doesn’t look open, which is one of the reasons I liked it 🙂
Oh my cuteness, that video! She is so proud! 🙂 Best guess for how many carrots makes 2 cups? And any brand of flaxseed you like or anything I should look for? I’ve never bought it before.
i’ve found that a pound of carrots is about 2 1/2 – 3 cups when peeled and chopped. i usually buy bob’s red mill ground flax. it’s not a crucial part of the recipe so you can leave it out if you’d like.
Thank you! Do you think I could bake these as muffins?
i don’t know. i think they’d be pretty flat and dense…so if that ok with you then i’d say you could try it!
No wonder these are kid friendly! YUM! Like carrot cake goodness!!
Yay! Have been waiting for this recipe. Can’t wait to bake some. My little one hasn’t been feeling well either and not eating much so these will be great to get some veggies and goodness in. Thanks for sharing 🙂
awesome! hope they’re a hit!!
Have you subbed in honey instead of syrup?
i haven’t, but i’d imagine it would work just fine!
I like to bake , especially healthier options. When I find a new recipe, and have all of the ingredients on hand, I feel an obligation to make it! I made this recipe yesterday. I like the results. I did make a small change. I always add protein powder to try to up the nutritional value a bit. I added a scoop of Quest Cinnamon Crunch Protein Powder and it worked out well. I did add in raisins and pecans, too, trying to use things that can be found in some carrot cakes. Thanks for the recipe!
so glad to hear it!!! I might add some pecans to mine next time too!
These were great! My 4, 3 snd 1 year-olds inhaled them. I subbed local honey for the maple syrup and they were delicious. A perfect snack for kids and adults!
yay! i’m glad you guys liked them!
These are excellent. I made a batch his morning and I don’t see them lasting through the weekend. I used half honey and half maple syrup because I was low on syrup. Next time I’ll add just a pinch of salt too. But my carrot hating toddler is demolishing these, and I feel good about it!!
so glad to hear it!
These look great! My kids gobble up anything involving roasted carrots, and I’m sure they’ll love these. We use roasted carrots for carrot cake smoothies too.
Do you store these in the fridge or countertop? Thanks for the ride recipe, I’m always looking for heathy yummy treats for my family.
i would store them in the fridge
I’m excited to try these! But I don’t have a blender. Do you think I could get away with mixing by hand?
hmmm you’d have to make sure your carrots are super soft so you could smash them up. A food processor would work too if you have one.
These are amazing!! And toddler approved: both my 1 year old and 2.5 year old LOVED them… and so did I!
yay! a new snack to add to the rotation!
We absolutely LOVE these bars! I make them weekly and my daughter and I gobble them up! 🙂 I do find that the batter is super thick, so thick it gets stuck in my blender and I have to add more liquid in order to get it smooth. Am I doing something wrong?
if you have a food processor you could try them in there! I find that to be easier unless you have a really high-powered blender.
I have a Vitamix so it’s definitely more powerful than my food processor but I will try the food processor anyway next time to see if it works better. Thank you! 🙂
My little one hasn’t been eating much lately so I whipped some of these up and they were a hit! Makes me feel better she’s getting some goodness in her.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
oh good!!! that makes me so happy!
Made these and they are yummy but definitely could use some salt! Most baked goods have a bit to balance out sweetness. Roasted carrots for sure need some in my opinion.
These were delicious. My picky daughter loved them. LIke Vanessa, the batter was super thick. I added another’s 1/4 cup of milk just to get it blended. It was still really hard getting out of the blender. I have a VItamix blender too.
hmm I’m wondering if it has to do with the moisture of the carrots. Not sure. If they’re still turning out well with some added milk then I’m not too worried about it! But i have switched over to using the food processor when i make these because it’s just easier for me.
I made these yesterday for my son and he loves them! He is super picky and hates carrots so I was really excited that he liked these so much!
I did want to add that he has an egg allergy so I substituted the egg for 1/4 cup applesauce and it turned out great! I also used almond milk instead of cows milk. Thank you!
I have some leftover shredded carrots…do you think that would work in place of the roasted carrots? Would I add more liquid,in addition to more maple syrup, to make up for it?
they should work. I’d probably add about 2 more tbsp of maple syrup to make up for the lack of sweetness that the roasting adds.
I have sweet potatoes right now. I wonder if that would work just as well as the carrots.
they would probably be good!
Hey Lindsay!
I Just wanted to come on here and let you know that because of an instagram post/insta-story that you shared the other day, I decided these Carrot Oat Bars looked too good not to try and let me just say, that these are perfect!
I even let my 18 (almost 19) month old to help me pour the ingredients into our food processor. At first, with having him help me I was a little nervous and unsure but I guided him throughout the process of pouring certain things into the processor and he loved it. After they were done, we let them cool and tried them out. We are both loving them. I did think they would be a little sweeter, however the more I have been eating them, the more I like their natural light sweetness better than anything else and so does little man. These will definitely be a weekly staple now around our house. Thank you SO much for sharing. Can’t wait to try more recipes and congratulations again on the arrival of your new little one to come in the next few weeks!
Warmest Wishes,
Kylie
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this makes me so happy! so glad you guys liked them 🙂
These are so good! My incredibly picky son loved them too! He ended up eating half the recipe!! My 2 and 3 year old made them, and loved helping out.
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awesome!!
I love this recipe! The first time I made them I didn’t roast enough carrots so I added one cup of frozen raspberries and it turned out wonderfully well! This is such a terrific recipe to use substitutions in and keep interesting and healthy! Thank you so much for sharing it!
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love the raspberry addition!!
Can’t seem to find a 9×9 glass pan anywhere…
i use a 9×9 metal pan
These have become a staple in our house! My 2 year old and husband love them. We make a double batch in a 13×9 and add approximately 10 more minutes to the baking time. Have tried different mix ins, the usual is pumpkin seeds, raisins and sometimes dried cranberries. They also freeze really well! My daughter loves them so much we need to keep a backup container in the freezer just in case.
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yay! so glad you love them!
Hi.could I use sugar instead if so how much. Txs
you could probably sub equal amount of sugar
I have had these bookmarked for a while and finally made them. My toddler loved helping with prep, and the whole family gives them a thumbs up! Froze some for easy snacks heading into this busy season. Thanks for another recipe that uses staple ingredients with a veggie-packed twist!
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These are fabulous! My 13 month old loves them and my husband has even taken a liking to them. Thanks a bunch for sharing them!!
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This is a wonderful recipe to use with your children in the kitchen. After watching Lyssie make them, I gave it a shot with my 14 month old and we’ve made them regularly for months now. Thanks for the inspiration all around
These are amazing! Thank you so much for the recipe. I will be making them again for sure. I followed the recipe but added mix-ins (raisins, toasted chopped pecans, unsweetened coconut). I baked in a pyrex dish which was more like 8×8 so I added a little time.
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I made these last week and they are absolutely amazing! My toddler, husband and myself all loved them! Added this to my recipie book 🙂
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Any suggestions on what to use if I don’t have syrup?
Thanks!
honey or regular sugar should work!
The carrot oat bars are delicious. I did add raisins and unsweetened coconut. Great healthier choice for a snack.
My kids love these. I’ve made them with and without chocolate chips (1/4 cup) and they eat them both ways.
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So so yummy! My 3yo loved them too! A bit thick so I had to add a little more milk and they turned out delicious. Thank you Lindsay!
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We love these!!
We opted for some chocolate chips to be added and it’s soft and delicious. I make it in a 9×9 pan and bake it in my toaster oven!
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Hi Lindsay! Quick question – if I sub oat flour for the rolled oats, how much should I add? Would the recipe still work?
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Ended up making half of the recipe (didn’t have enough carrots!) with oats not oat flour. Did use an entire egg but cut back a bit on the milk. Halved the rest of the ingredients and baked in an 8 inch circle pan. Turned out great! I cut them into triangles and my almost 2 year old was convinced he was eating cake!
Thanks for another great recipe Lindsay!
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Love these. Easy and a huge hit for my kids.
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I made these for my 11 month old, and they’re super tasty! I made a few changes. No maple syrup since I’m not adding sweeteners for him yet. I subbed avocado oil and it worked fine. I used hemp seeds instead of flax. And I made them in silicone muffin tins! Came out perfect, very tasty, wonderful texture. We’ll be making regularly!
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Kid and mom approved! Only two mods were adding baking powder because I prefer a lighter texture, using agave syrup because that’s what I had, and adding raisins because apparently one child is constipated. The kids inhaled it.
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I substituted no-sugar added applesauce for the maple syrup to make it more diabetic friendly. Turned out great. A very satisfying treat.
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We love these carrot oat bars! My kiddos can’t get enough of them. Thank you for continuing to share your wonderful recipes!
I’ve been making carrot oat bars on and off for years! I store in the fridge and usually freeze part of them all cut up as well. They are a great snack or part of a meal. I add shredded coconut, and ground flax or hemp seeds for the extra boost of omega 3’s! I make with unsweetened almond milk. They’re so good
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ooh love the coconut addition!
My 1 year old loves these so much. Do you have freezer recommendations for making a double batch and freezing half?
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you can definitely make a double batch, maybe in a 9×13 pan? then just slice, let cool and freeze in a ziploc bag.
Do these go in the freezer well? I am trying to find some hidden veggie recipes to use not just for my daycare but for my toddlers also. I want to try and start making these on sundays which means they would need to sit in the fridge or freezer for a few days
yes! They freeze great!
Second time I am making these bars. They are so good and I change the recipe each time. I use raw carrots, oat flour and coconut flour along with coconut sugar or agave instead of maple syrup. I also added golden raisins and used kefir instead of milk. Very moist and a delicious breakfast treat. Thanks!