• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Healthy Midwestern Girl
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Sign Up
  • Contact
  • Resources
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Sign Up
    • Contact
    • Resources
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home / Breakfast

    No-Bake Carrot Cake Bites

    Last updated: Nov 24, 2021 · Published: Dec 31, 2018 by Elizabeth Shah. This page may contain affiliate links.

    1155 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    There are a plenty of energy bite recipes floating around—and even carrot cake bites. No surprise there, because they’re absolutely delicious! So why reinvent the wheel? Because I wanted a go-to recipe that would: 1) be healthy enough to eat daily and use key, super-nutritious ingredients, 2) be vegan and WFPBNO compliant, 3) be budget friendly, and 4) include some fun variations. These easy No-Bake Carrot Cake Bites check all the boxes!

    Carrot Cake Bites

    1. Packed with Super Nutritious Ingredients

    Hemant and I follow Dr. Michael Greger’s (author of How Not to Die) ‘daily dozen’ eating recommendations, so including super-nutritious ingredients like flax, walnuts and turmeric is important to us. We often just stir these into our oatmeal.

    Carrot Cake Bites

    But for mornings when we don’t manage to find the time to make oatmeal (too often, lately)—or when Hemant’s about to run out the door without breakfast—I think these carrot cake bites are going to be a lifesaver.

    Carrot Cake Bites

    2. WFPBNO Compliant

    These no-bake carrot cake bites are 100% vegan and WFPBNO compliant. They’re oil free, flour free and gluten free. They have no added sugars, and other than ½ teaspoon of vanilla, no processed ingredients, either. (I’m sure you could skip the vanilla, if you’d like.)

    Carrot Cake Bites

    3. Budget Friendly

    Since I plan to make this recipe a lot (and hope you will too.) I wanted something easy on the budget. For example, Medjool dates are on the expensive side, at least where I live, so I use a combination of dates and raisins to keep the cost lower. (I saw one recipe that called for 14 Medjool dates. That’s a whole lot of dough--and sugar.) Also, you can decrease the walnuts and increase the flax more cost savings.

    Carrot Cake Bites

    4. Fun Carrot Cake Bites Variations

    These carrot bake bites are healthy enough to eat every day. Of course I realize, on occasion, you might want to you want to indulge yourself a bit. For those days, I created a ‘donut hole’ variation that amps up the sweetness with a bit of coconut sugar and cinnamon to create a sweeter, almost syrupy bite. My husband likes this version best, of course, and I have to admit, it’s really, really good.

    Carrot Cake Bites

    I also offer different variations for coating your bites (coconut or walnuts) and various methods for creating balls vs. bars, depending on how much time you have and how portable your snacks need to be.

    Carrot Cake Bites

    These delectable, portable, no-bake carrot cake bites are super nutritious and easy to make. Keep them on hand for an instant breakfast, healthy snack--or in case of a hunger emergency.

    If you love nutrition-packed whole food plant-based recipes, you might also like:

    • Healthy Brownies with Peppermint Frosting
    • Skinny Chocolate Mint Chia Powder Pudding
    • Skinny Pumpkin Spice Pudding
    • Healthy Twice-Baked Potatoes
    • 1-pot Curried Rice & Lentils

    No-Bake Carrot Cake Bites

    Delectable, portable, no-bake carrot cake bites are super nutritious and easy to make. Keep them on hand for an instant breakfast, healthy snack--or in case of a hunger emergency.
    4.75 from 4 votes
    Print SaveSaved! Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes
    Resting Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 16
    Calories: 101kcal
    Author: Elizabeth Shah
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 2 large carrots grated (about 1 ½ cups)
    • ¼ cup roughly chopped Medjool dates softened (about 3 large dates)
    • ¼ cup coarsely ground flax seed (or more-see notes)
    • 1 cup rolled oats
    • ¼ cup plain unsweetened natural style almond butter
    • ½ cup raisins
    • ½ cup walnut pieces
    • 1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or make your own - see notes
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Optional: 1 teaspoon fresh ginger finely grated
    • Optional: 1 teaspoon turmeric powder (or more)
    • ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut to roll the bites in
    • Variations: For a sweeter, donut-hole type bite, roll in a mixture of coconut sugar and cinnamon, then dredge in shredded coconut or ground walnuts. For extra crunch, roll the bites in ground walnuts.
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Grate the carrots using the grating/shredding blade of your food processor or a box grater. If using ginger, grate it by hand with the fine section of a box grater or a micro-planer.
    • Soften the chopped dates by placing them in a small dish with a tablespoon of water and microwaving on high for 30 seconds.
    • Add all ingredients (except the shredded coconut) to a food processor and pulse until well blended stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides. Add water (or you could use applesauce) a tablespoon at a time to thin the mixture. Continue to process until well blended and just slightly chunky.
    • Place in a bowl (or just leave in the food processor bowl) and cover. Allow to rest for 15-30 minutes in the refrigerator, or until the mixture is slightly firm.
    • To make the balls, scoop out a bit of mixture at time using a tablespoon or cookie scoop and roll into approximately 1-inch balls. (See notes for an alternative method.)
    • Dredge each ball in shredded coconut--or variation of your choice.

    Notes

    • To make this recipe easier on the budget and get more flax into your diet, you can increase the flax to ½ cup and decrease the walnuts to ¼ cup.
    • I intentionally kept these bites not too sweet so they're healthy to eat every day. You can always add more dates if you want a sweeter bite--or roll in coconut sugar and cinnamon before dredging.
    • If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, sub 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon allspice and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg.
    • METHOD 2: Line an 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper longer than the pan (for easy removal). Spoon mixture into the pan, spread evenly with the back of a wooden spoon. Cover with parchment paper and press down gently to even out the mixture. Allow to rest for 15 minutes in the refrigerator. Using the ends of the parchment paper, lift the chilled mixture out in one piece. Place on a cutting board and slice into 16 or 20 pieces. Either top with coconut and enjoy as bars, or roll each piece into a round ball. 
    • METHOD 2 is a bit of extra work, but I prefer it because pressing the mixture helps firm in up and it's easy to cut into even-sized bites. (Plus, I don't own a cookie scooper, and seem to have a mental block when it comes to making even-sized balls!)

    Nutrition (approximate)

    Serving: 1bite | Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 153mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1285IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 0.8mg
    Tried this Recipe? Please share it!Mention @HealthyMidwesternGirl or tag #HealthyMidwesternGirl!

    More Breakfast

    • Mexican Breakfast Casserole
    • Healthy Apple Crisp - 4 Ingredients
    • Vegan Oatmeal Cookies - Easy & Healthy
    • Sugar Free Granola
    1155 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nancy Manchester

      January 09, 2020 at 6:40 am

      4 stars
      Really, really good! Just getting started on the WFPBNO journey, and seeking out some recipes that truly make it work...this is one of them! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Shah

        January 09, 2020 at 10:37 am

        So glad you liked this recipe. Good luck on the journey, Nancy!

        Reply
    2. Caitlin Pakkala

      December 11, 2019 at 6:56 am

      Can these be frozen and stored for later?

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Shah

        December 11, 2019 at 2:16 pm

        Yes Caitlin, you can freeze them. I've kept them in the freezer for up to a few weeks.

        Reply
    3. Leatha

      August 21, 2019 at 11:23 am

      Mmmmmmm....these sound SO good. I will make these very soon.

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Shah

        August 21, 2019 at 12:19 pm

        Hi Leatha, I sure hope you do! I'd love to know how you like them if you give them a try. 🙂 Have a lovey day.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Elizabeth Shah

    My husband calls me his "healthy Midwestern girl," because I LOVE TO EAT! Fortunately, I also love to cook. I'm so excited to share my 100% vegan, whole food, plant-based, no oil recipes with you! MORE...

    Certified by WFPB.org

    whole food plant based (WFPB) Certified logo

    Featured On

    Image of logos: T. colin campbell center for nutrition studies, She knows, buzz feed, bloglovin', food network revolution, best of vegan, one bite vegan, live kindly, food gawker, yummly

    Whole Food Plant Based Diet

    The WFPB Diet -- What the heck is it, anyway?

    Favorite Recipes

    Dish of sauce and spoon.

    Chickpea Cheese Sauce

    Jar of mayo and spoon.

    Vegan Oil Free Mayonnaise - 4 Ways

    Pesto jar and spoon.

    Easy Vegan Oil Free Pesto

    Vegan Mushroom Walnut Bolognese

    vegan alfredo sauce in a bowl.

    Easy Vegan Chickpea Alfredo Sauce

    Lemony lentil turnip chowder bowl.

    Lemony Lentil Turnip Chowder [Vegan]

    eggplant Parmesan slice.

    Easiest Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

    almond ricotta in ramekin with crusty bread on the side.

    Almond Ricotta Cheese

    chile relleno with cheese drizzle.

    Healthy Vegan Chile Relleno

    Best Vegan Chili

    Best Damn Vegan Chili

    MORE FAVORITES →

    As an Amazon associate, I may earn a small commission from your purchase, at no cost to you. Thanks for your support.

    Footer

    Learn More

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility
    • About

    Sign Up!

    • Sign up for recipe emails and more

    Get in Touch

    • Contact Us

    Copyright © 2022 Healthy Midwestern Girl

    1155 shares