Raw Carrot Cake Bars

I saw a meme the other day that said it's still snowing in April because Mother Nature saw our summer bodies and knew we weren't ready yet. 🤣 Ain't that the truth! My clean eating diet was supposed to start...well, um, 6 months ago. And here we are.
My life is a series of promises to myself that I will eat healthier, snack better, and count my calories and welp, negative. But today, today I made raw carrot cake bars.
I am married to a snack hoarder and that makes it twice as hard for me to stick to my meal plans; but having healthier alternatives like these bars definitely helps out.
They are no-bake so they whip up super quickly! You will have to soak your cashews overnight but that's pretty much the longest step.

Also, I actually realized while making these that I don't own a grater.

But thankfully, my Cuisinart food processor came in clutch with a shredder attachment and I shredded my carrots in half the time it would have taken me to do it by hand....if I had a grater.
Because this is a raw dessert, it will have to be stored in the freezer and served almost immediately after taking it out, since it will start to soften. But as delicious as these bars are, I hardly believe you will have any left over to store.

Raw Carrot Cake Bars

Yield: 16 squares

Ingredients:

2 and 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1 and 1/2 cup raw walnuts
1 cup Medjool dates, pitted
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of salt

For the cashew cream frosting:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

Directions:

Line an 8x8 inch glass baking dish with parchment paper, making sure to leave an overhang on both sides of the pan.

To a food processor, add walnuts and Medjool dates. Process until mixed and well ground into a coarse, sticky texture. Add carrots, coconut, and spices and process together until ingredients are well-incorporated. Scrape down the sides as needed.

Press the mixture evenly into prepared baking dish and place in the freezer while you prepare the frosting.

To a high-powered blender, add soaked cashews, water, maple syrup, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Blend together until smooth. Add coconut oil and blend again, until well-combined and creamy.

Pour frosting over chilled bars and smooth it out. Cover and freeze for 2-4 hours. When ready to serve, remove from freezer and use parchment paper overhang to pull out of the pan. Then, let it thaw for 5 minutes before using a hot knife to cut into squares. Store leftovers in freezer.

Recipe from My Darling Vegan