Teach your kids that veggies CAN be delicious! 

Moist, easy to make, and loaded with the classic flavors you expect from carrot cake, these carrot cake bars are the perfect anytime treat and a fun way to serve veggies, especially to the little ones. They're free from refined sugar and get their sweetness from applesauce, golden raisins, and honey, so you can feel good about packing them in the kids' lunchboxes. If you want to go all out, try substituting the raisins for chopped walnuts or chocolate chips!

To make the carrot cake bars

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease an 8" x 8" pan with nonstick spray.
2. In a medium bowl with a spatula or wooden spoon, stir together the eggs, carrots, oil, applesauce, and honey.
3. Add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and raisins to the bowl with the egg mixture and gently fold together, taking care not to overwork the flour. Pour mixture into prepared pan and use a spatula to spread the batter evenly in the pan.
4. Bake for 26-28 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then carefully invert onto a wire rack to cool fully.

To make the cream cheese frosting

1. In a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer, beat softened cream cheese, vanilla extract, and honey for 30 seconds, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
2. Spread frosting over the cooled cake, then cut into 12-16 bars (depending on your preferred size) and serve.

Nellie's Notes

Bars can be made up to 24 hours ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature and frost before serving. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.