The Best Healthy Carrot Cake Tray Bake
The BEST healthy carrot cake tray bake that is jam packed with carrots, walnuts and raisins! These moist carrot cake bites are naturally sweetened with applesauce and a touch of maple syrup making them a perfectly glorious healthy snack or afternoon bite with a cup of tea!
Hands down my favourite cake of all time is carrot cake; the moist texture from the carrots, the light spicing from the cinnamon, the crunch from a well placed walnut piece….don’t get me started on the cream cheese icing - it’s essentially the best part of my birthday, as it is not my birthday without a slice…or two!
Now, who wants to wait for their birthday to enjoy all the carrot cake goodness - not me that’s for sure but during these times of lockdown, I figured I would experiment in the kitchen, healthifing my favourite treat; so as to enjoy it with a little more ease, knowing it is nourishing me and not attacking my blood sugars with every bite.
Carrot Cake cravings - be prepared to be crushed!!
Walnuts have the highest antioxidant properties of any other nut!
Despite the lack of butter and sugary goodness, these carrot cake bites are just as delicious, made with whole grains and naturally sweetened with applesauce and a touch of maple syrup making them the perfect snack for an afternoon pick me up or after school hunger pangs!
White Whole Wheat Flour: with the same nutritional content as whole wheat flour, but creating a lighter texture and more subtle flavour.
Almond Milk: despite this recipe not being vegan due to the use of eggs, I chose to use almond milk instead of regular cows milk as that it what I had and it turned out great, I am sure regular milk would work just fine too.
Unsweetened Applesauce: applesauce is such a great fridge stable if you enjoy baking sweet treats. It helps to add fibre and nutrients as well as helping to reduce added sugars due to the natural sweetness. It also helps to add great texture and moisture, meaning less use of oils and butters too!
Eggs: this recipe uses 1 egg to bind the ingredients together. If you are vegan or sensitive to eggs, an egg alternative such as chia or flax eggs could be used but I have no tried this myself.
Carrots: kind of the star of the show! I used two large carrots for this recipe, grating on the larger setting to ensure they didnt disintegrate during the baking process. I also peeled the carrots before grating, mainly for aesthetics.
Maple syrup: when wanting to create a healthier alternative to a normally highly sweetened cake, it was important to pay attention to how much additional sweetness I was going to add. This bake is not overly sweet, with more emphasis on the spices for flavour. If you would like a sweeter taste, increasing the maple syrup is an option, I would suggest increasing from 1/3 to 1/2 a cup.
Walnuts: a traditionalist a heart, a carrot cake bake needs walnuts. They are an incredibly nutritious nut, packed with antioxidant properties as well as heart healthy omega 3. If you dont like walnuts or have an allergy, just omit them completely. You could try adding flaked coconut or maybe even chopped pecans.
Ingredients:
Dry
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon or a pumpkin spice mix works really well
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 walnut pieces
Wet
1 1/2 cups grated carrots
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon olive oil or melted coconut oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond milk
Carrot and Apple are natural sweet and add great flavour and texture to this bake; meaning less use for refined sugars!
Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F non fan and prepare a baking pan lined with parchment paper. I used this square tray with the dimensions 9.4" in length and width and 2.5" in depth.
Next add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
In another bowl, add the grated carrots, whisked egg, maple syrup, olive oil, applesauce almond milk and vanilla. Mix to combine then slowly stir in the flour mixture until combined. Do not over mix.
Fold in the walnuts and raisins until evening distributed.
Pour the mix into the pre prepared tin and place in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes.
Use a toothpick to check the mix is fully cooked through and remove from the oven and let cool for as long as possible.
Cut up into equal squares to serve!
Recipe tips:
To make gluten free: try using an all purpose gluten free flour like this one that I get great results with.
Freezer-friendly: these bites freeze perfectly for up to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer bag. I suggest heating them up once defrosted either in the microwave or oven, giving a slightly toasted texture, great with a spread of butter or nut butter!