This post was originally posted in 2014. I've updated with new photos and better information. I've also made the recipe vegan.
A healthy breakfast bar - so you can have carrot cake anytime. Drizzled in cinnamon frosting, this vegan bar makes for quick and tasty on the go breakfast.
These carrot cake breakfast bars have become a habit of ours lately. When I first started making these bars the kids were just tickled about the idea of carrot cake for breakfast.
I was just happy to have a grab and go breakfast bar that was healthy. Something that would make a few mornings a bit easier.
I've updated the recipe to use flaxseed in place of the eggs and added a cinnamon sugar frosting, and I must say the frosting makes for a prettier and sweeter bar and something akin to cinnamon strudel carrot cake... yep, it is really good.
And I would highly reccomend the frosting.
How to make a healthy breakfast bar
A healthy breakfast bar has to have all the ingredients to make
- Whole grains. These bars are packed full of oats. I also used whole-wheat flour to add some bulk.
- Use a generous amount of fruit or veggies to add texture, moisture, and get some good healthy plants into breakfast! CARROTS -- of course! these bars are meant to remind you of carrot cake.
- BANANAS - also add moisture and naturally sweeten the bars too.
- Use some good fats - almond butter and flaxseed help hold these bars together. The flaxseed actually stands in for eggs and helps bind everything.
- Sweeten naturally if possible. I've used bananas and maple syrup.
- I "LOVE" walnuts here -- a generous half cup. Adds more healthy fats. Walnuts are so, so good. Consider it as an optional ingredient (it is not listed in the recipe below).
Are these breakfast bars vegan
This recipe is vegan. If you don't have ground flax on hand or just prefer baking with eggs, one egg can replace the ground flax with no change to baking times, etc.
For sweetness, use your favorite liquid sweetener. I tend to use honey or maple syrup - but agave or brown rice syrup is nice too. I haven't tried this recipe with a dry sweetener like sugar, brown sugar, etc.. So I don't know how it would turn out.
For a fun and variety - considering adding walnuts, pecans or raisins to the bars.
How to store these healthy breakfast bars
These babies are essentially fat-free. They will dry out fairly quickly, so do yourself a favor and wrap up whatever is leftover and stash them in the freezer if you want these to last you more than a couple of days.
Straight out of the freezer, these bars make great grab-and-go snacks. Just wrap un-frosted bars individually in plastic wrap and store in the freezer. My kids usually eat them up in a day or two. so I have been adding the frosting and don't bother freezing.
These bars freeze beautifully but unfrosted. So if you are going to freeze them, skip the frosting.
You can skip the frosting - but why? Well... in case you want to freeze these, the frosting gets very sticky for long-term storage.
Makes 8 generous sized bars or 16 snack sized.
📖 Recipe
Healthy Breakfast Bars
Ingredients
- ¾ cup almond milk
- ½ cup almond butter or nut butter of your choice - peanut, sunflower, etc
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup mashed banana about ½ of a large banana
- ¼ cup liquid sweetener agave, maple syrup or brown rice syrup
- 1 cup grated carrot about 2 large
- 2 tablspoons ground flaxseed meal
- 1½ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
for the frosting:
- 1 cup icing sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1-2 tablespons of almond milk or more to desired consistancy
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Line an 8X8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients and mix well.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Spoon into the prepared baking pan and bake for 32-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of bars comes out clean.
- Once completely cool, cut into bars.
- Combine icing sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add almond milk, 1 tablespoon at a time and mix well before adding more. Repeat until desired consistency is reached. I prefer a thicker glaze. Drizzle over bars. Allow glaze to harden before storage.
- Alternative, skip frosting and wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for quick take-along snacks.
Notes
Helpful tools for this recipe:
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Dolores Rush says
this sounds great, have all the ingredients in the cupboard will give it a try. So many of the breakfast bars have some form of chocolate and are too sweet which I am very tired of this sounds great.
Jerilyn says
Hi, can you use oat flour instead of wheat flour, or is the wheat flour essential to these bars? Thanks!
Trish says
I haven’t tried these bars with oat flour. The amount is relatively small and really just gives the bars some body. Oat flour will change the texture slightly.
Mariana says
Can I sub the banana with applesauce?
Trish says
Yes! The flavour will be a bit different. But applesauce is a good substitute. Use the same amount
LouAnn says
Would date paste work in place of the agave?
Trish says
I've never tried date paste so I could not say. I would be afraid the date paste would be too thick. It's not something I have worked with in this recipe
Rachel says
Could I use honey for the sweetener? And if so, would it still be 1/2 cup?
Trish says
If you are following a strict vegan diet, you may want to avoid honey. But otherwise, any liquid sweetener will work, and I have used honey as well. I would use the same measure.
Rachel says
I have made these several times now & my kids love them. We are not vegan so I do regular milk & sweeten with honey. I don’t do the icing overtop but have done chocolate chips. This recipe has been written out & lives in my recipe box!