Healthy Carrot Cake Squares
These tasty carrot cake squares are loaded with fresh carrots and are super moist without adding fat. The Pumpkin Pie Spice adds a wonderfully, warm, nutty, flavor. You could use cinnamon if pumpkin pie spice is not available. To make these a bit healthier there is no need for frosting, a sprinkle of confectioner's sugar is a perfect topping and cuts out unwanted calories and fat. They may not be completely 'guilt-free' but are a great alternative to other recipes that I have tried.
Helpful Hint: If you do not keep buttermilk on hand you can substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let the milk stand for 5 minutes and use as per recipe directions.
Prep Time: 20 min.
Cooking Time: 40 min.
Servings: 8
Cooking Method: Baking
Category: Dessert, Light and Healthy, Baking
Cuisine: American
Ingredients:
- 2 cups whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour.
- 1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup buttermilk (see substitution above)
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 3 cups shredded or grated carrots
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with pan spray and line bottom of pan with parchment paper. Leave an overhang of about 1" on 2 ends and spray paper with pan spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
- In another bowl, whisk or beat eggs and sugars until completely combined.
- Add oil, buttermilk and vanilla to the sugar/egg mixture. Stir to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine thoroughly.
- Fold carrots into batter.
- Pour batter into the baking pan and smooth the top of cake.
- Bake about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool about 10 minutes.
- Put confectioners sugar into a strainer and lightly tap strainer to 'dust' squares with sugar.
- Makes 16 cut squares.
