These raw carrot cake bites taste just like a carrot cake - slightly sweet, cinnamony, moist, and tender. Compared to a layered carrot cake, carrot cake bites are much faster to prepare. The recipe is vegan (dairy-free, egg-free), grain-free (gluten-free), soy-free, and refined sugar-free.
You’ve probably heard of energy balls, protein balls, bliss balls, power bites, etc. They’re all pretty much the same thing – bite-size treats made from energy-boosting ingredients. They are typically raw, almost always no-bake, and come in endless combinations. You will often find them shaped into balls, but energy bars and energy squares are also very popular.
A slightly newer, but no less popular, are cake bites.
As the title suggests, cake bites are essentially a spin-off of raw cakes. Any raw cake can be turned into cake bites. I have done it with these raw carrot cake bites, but brownie bites, banana bread bites, pumpkin pie bites, lemon poppy seed bites, or even triple chocolate bites are all a thing.
Tips for Making Carrot Cake Bites
Ingredients
These carrot cake bites are essentially a raw carrot cake in a bite-size form. The ingredients are nearly identical:
- Carrots: since this recipe is raw, the flavor of carrots is quite prominent, and their natural sweetness really shines through. So, my most important tip is to freshly grate whole carrots at home. Do not use packaged pre-shredded carrots because they are hard and dry.
- Dates: I used dates to naturally sweeten the carrot cake bites and bind all the ingredients together. Medjool dates work the best here because they are soft and juicy. They also have caramel undertones, which pair so well with the carrots. Yes, carrot caramel is actually a thing.
- Pecans: I go back and forth between pecans and walnuts. Both pecans and walnuts have a wonderfully rich, nutty flavor, but pecans are sweet, while walnuts have a bitterness to them. What makes these nuts perfect for this recipe is their soft, almost buttery texture. If you're looking for a nut-free substitute, sunflower seeds will work the best.
- Coconut: desiccated coconut adds a slightly sweet flavor and a chewy texture. If coconut isn’t for you, leave it out or replace it with chopped nuts or raisins.
- Spices: in my opinion, carrot cake bites are only good if they’re spiced. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger are all warming and aromatic spices that are frequently used in carrot cakes, pumpkin pies, fall (Starbucks) lattes, etc. Make sure the spices are fresh because spices are what you’ll taste the most in these cake bites. For the most flavor, you can grind the spics yourself.
How to Make Carrot Cake Bites
Even though this recipe requires a few steps, it is quick and easy nonetheless.
- Grate the carrots. You can either use a food processor or a grater. I prefer the grater (using the finest holes) because it makes the carrot pieces finer. The finer the carrots, the more evenly distributed they will be. Squeeze out any excess juice from the carrots. If the carrots are wet, they will make the carrot cake bites too dense.
- Process the carrot cake bites ingredients. Add the pecans to a bowl of a food processor fitted with an S blade and pulse until the nuts are coarsely ground. Be careful not to over-process the nuts; they should retain some texture. Add the dates, coconut, lemon juice, lemons zest, vanilla extract, and spices, and process until all the ingredients begin to stick together. The mixture will be tender and slightly crumbly at first, but it should be sticky enough to hold together when you press it between your fingers. Be careful not to over-process the mixture. Both walnuts and coconut turn into nut-/coconut-butter if processed for too long.
- Fold in the carrots. Finally, add the carrots and pulse a few more times until the carrots are just incorporated.
- Roll the mixture into balls. Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop out about 2-tablespoon amount of the mixture and roll it into a ball. Place on a serving platter. Repeat until all the mixture is used up. Roll the balls in extra coconut, if desired.
- Chill. Transfer the carrot cake bites to the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to firm up. I highly recommend waiting for at least 20 minutes to give the flavors a chance to meld and develop and the texture to become firmer and chewier.
Carrot Cake Bites Variations
Raw cake bites are one of those recipes that are very customizable. To introduce some variety into the carrot cake bites, you can fold in some raisins, swap some of the walnuts for rolled oats, or drizzle the balls with coconut butter (instead of rolling them in shredded coconut). Just make sure that you maintain the ratios in the original recipe and chop any mix-ins to a small size so that the balls still hold together.
You can also turn the bites into carrot cake bars by pressing the mixture into an 8 × 8-inch/20 x 20-cm baking pan and then cutting it into bars.
How to Store Carrot Cake Bites
- Refrigerate: transfer the carrot cake bites to an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 1 week.
- Freeze: transfer the carrot cake bites to an airtight container, separating each layer with parchment paper, so the balls don't stick together, and freeze them for up to 1 month.
More Raw Energy Balls Recipes
If you like bite-size snacks, you might enjoy other energy balls recipes.
- Almond butter energy bites: sweet, nutty, and chocolaty - these energy bites are a classic.
- Nut-free energy bites: these nut-free energy bites provide the right energy boost, whether first thing in the morning or midafternoon. They have the perfect combination of sweet and tart flavor and a tender, slightly crunchy texture.
If you try any of these recipes, please, leave a comment and rate the recipe below. It always means a lot when you do.
Carrot Cake Bites
Ingredients
- 2 cups pecans
- 2 cups Medjool dates , pitted
- 1 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut **
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ½ lemon , juice and zest
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
- 2 cups carrots , finely grated
Instructions
- Process the carrot cake bites ingredients. Add the pecans to a bowl of a food processor fitted with an S blade and pulse until the nuts are coarsely ground. Be careful not to over-process the nuts; they should retain some texture. Add the dates, coconut, lemon juice, lemons zest, vanilla extract, and spices, and process until all the ingredients begin to stick together. The mixture will be tender and slightly crumbly at first, but it should be sticky enough to hold together when you press it between your fingers.
- Fold in the carrots. Finally, add the carrots and pulse a few more times until the carrots are just incorporated.
- Roll the mixture into balls. Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop out about 2-tablespoon amount of the mixture and roll it into a ball. Place on a serving platter. Repeat until all the mixture is used up. Roll the balls in extra coconut, if desired.
- Chill. Transfer the carrot cake bites to the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to firm up.
- Store. Leftover carrot cake bites keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. For longer-term storage, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Joyce
These are perfection to say the least! I am so grateful to you Petra! Thank you for the time you put into your recipes to perfect them for us. Your writing skills, baking/cooking skills, and your skillful way you make and present your videos is perfection! Yum was the word from us as I just made the cake balls with my carrots that needed to be used soon. Yay! What a treat! This seems like a great recipe to vary and play with different ingredients. . Love and hugs!!!!!
PetraScott
Thank you so much, Joyce!❤️ I am SO happy you liked the recipe and took the time to share your feedback. It means a lot!
Lori Bongarzone
These look amazing, can’t wait to try them! Just a question, wondering about the white ball in your beautiful picture? What is it made of?
Lori
PetraScott
Hi Lori - thank you for the kind words! It is a carrot cake ball covered in coconut butter. I made the coconut butter myself (using desiccated coconut) and then poured it over a FROZEN carrot cake ball. I made the coconut butter really thick, so it would sort of stick to the carrot cake ball (and froze the carrot cake ball so that the coconut butter would quickly set). Let me know if you have any questions 🙂
Kareem
Hi Petra,
I was wondering if I could be able to use the regular cashew frosting in this recipe or would it not work?
Thank You
PetraScott
You could, but the bites would be quite messy to eat. The frosting doesn't harden unless you freeze it. It does solidify in the refrigerator, but stays soft, almost like cream cheese.
Geraldine
Hi there Petra
Made these balls today and they came out amazing. As it is winter on this side had to soak
the m madjool dates in hot water while preparing the ingredients. I did not have coconut flour
and left it out. The whole thing came out amazing. Like it without the coconut flour so will
keep the recipe that way. How do you make coconut butter. Thanks for an amazing recipe.
PetraScott
Thank you Geraldine! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! I use flaked coconut to make coconut butter, but shredded coconut works too. You can use a food processor, but it takes about 15 minutes to make coconut butter. It is much faster in a Vitamix blender (about 1 minute), so I use my Vitamix. One more thing I am going to mention is that you need a minimum amount of coconut in the blender, so the blade has something to grab onto. I need about 6 cups of coconut when using my 64-oz low-profile container.
Geraldine
Can i toast the coconut before blending. What other uses do this butter have.
Geraldine
Hi there Petra
Made this again and the more i make it the better it comes out. Looking for one that is made with banana and biscuit crumbs. Can you help. Have you heard of peanut butter powder. Sounds like peanut butter powder mixed with peanut butter can give you a healthier option for the peanut butter cup in place of all that icing sugar and maybe create a peanut butter bite.
PetraScott
Hi Geraldine - yes, I have heard of peanut butter powder. It's essentially powdered peanuts that have been pressed to remove much of the oil (fat). You can certainly make peanut butter cups with powdered peanut butter (you just mix the ppb with water). I prefer regular peanut butter, but powdered peanut butter is a great low-calorie alternative for sure. I can share a recipe for banana bread energy balls if you'd like (I make them for my kids all the time), but they are with oats, not with biscuit crumbs.
Geraldine Pike
Hi Petra
Thanks would love to try the recipe with oats and bananas.
I have been making Peanut butter energy bars/balls, from the Purely Kaylie site. They are amazing.
170 g roasted ground peanuts to powder
200g dates
1/2 cup rolled oats gruffly grounded
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt (optional)
Was thinking that maybe to replace the peanut butter with coconut butter
PetraScott
You could use coconut butter instead for sure. One thing to keep in mind is that straight out of the blender (or in hot weather), coconut butter is a bit runnier than peanut butter (especially if you normally use store-bought peanut butter). In cold temperatures, on the other hand, coconut butter tends to harden more. Have you ever tried coconut manna by Nutiva? This coconut butter has the exact same consistency.
PetraScott
Oh and I am going to email you the recipe right now 🙂