No-Bake Carrot Cake Granola Bites Recipe {Low Sugar & Gluten-Free}

I have a condition. It’s called “raid the basket-itis”. It’s not lethal, except to the waistband of my jeans. It is at its worst in the middle of the afternoon on Easter Sunday, after the hot cross buns are consumed, the backyard is pillaged of all Easter eggs and there’s still at least an hour and a half before the ham is pulled out of the oven.

I have two choices at this point. I could either give in to the siren call of the jellybeans and chocolate eggs. Have you ever heard the call of the hard-shelled Cadbury eggs? They’re relentless.

My other choice is to find a replacement for the chocolate eggs. Something that is just as tasty, with a touch of sweetness, but a heck of a lot healthier.

I don’t want to pat myself on the back too hard (after all, I need to save a little arm strength for heaving that ham out of the oven), but these carrot cake granola bites are ridiculously good. To boot, every kid who passed by our house for a playdate the day I made this (and there were many) gave them multiple thumbs-ups.

The bites are in the style of no-bake cookies, but with a lot less sugar than a traditional version. I used almond butter to hold the oats together and added a sprinkling of flax seed for a dose of omega-3s. The carrot cake part comes into play with some classic carrot cake ingredients – chopped pecans, raisins, cinnamon and grated carrots.

So, what’s the difference between choice one and choice two, calorie- and fat-wise? You may want to look away…it’s not pretty.

Cadbury hard shell milk chocolate eggs (12): Calories 190, Total Fat 5g, Saturated Fat 5g, Fiber 0g, Sugars 27g (yikes!)

Butterfinger Nest Eggs (5…only 5!): Calories 210, Total Fat 11g, Saturated Fat 6g, Fiber 1g, Sugars 24g

Jellybeans (12): Calories 129, Total Fat 0g, Fiber 0g,Sugars 25.8g

Granola Bites (1…but this baby will satisfy those munchies): Calories 101.7, Total Fat 6.4g, Saturated Fat 0.6g, Fiber 1.8g, Sugar 4.4g (now that’s some good news)

I’m sorry to put a damper on your basket raiding party, but I promise that these granola bites will satisfy that sweet craving without leading you to the land of regret.

(Reminder: Hop over to Monday’s post to link-up your favorite Easter recipes and crafts. I’ll be highlighting my favorites in a post this Saturday.)

The recipe:

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, pecans and flax seed.

Stir in the almond butter, agave nectar and cinnamon until well combined.

Stir in the grated carrot and raisins.

Using 2 tablespoons (packed) of the mixture for each bite, roll the mixture into bite-sized balls. Using a medium-sized cookie scoop makes this process easier. Also, spray your hands with cooking spray to stop the mixture from sticking.

Place the granola bites on a baking sheet, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve.

Store the remaining granola bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Other healthy snacks:

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, pecans and flax seed.

Stir in the almond butter, agave nectar and cinnamon until well combined.

Stir in the grated carrot and raisins.

Using 2 tablespoons (packed) of the mixture for each bite, roll the mixture into bite-sized balls. Using a medium-sized cookie scoop makes this process easier. Also, spray your hands with cooking spray to stop the mixture from sticking.

Place the granola bites on a baking sheet, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve.

Store the remaining granola bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes

Calories 101.7 / Total Fat 6.4g / Saturated Fat 0.6g / Cholesterol 0mg / Sodium 3.8mg / Total Carbohydrates 10.1g / Fiber 1.8g / Sugar 4.4g / Protein 2.3g / WW (Old Points) 2 / WW (Points+) 3

2.0

bites,

carrot cake,

cookie,

Dessert,

gluten-free,

granola,

healthy,

no-bake,

recipe,

Snack,

vegan,

vegetarian