Vegan Carrot & Spice Squares

Vegan recipes are fantastic anytime, but they’re especially useful when you’re baking and you’re running out of eggs…which is what’s happening in our household right now. We have plenty of other things to eat, but our egg supply is running out and we don't want to head to the grocery store JUST for eggs. So, I’m welcoming vegan baking!

I’ve often enjoyed vegan recipes, since eating plant-based is great for your body and for the environment. The base for these carrot and spice squares was inspired by the amazing brownies from the My New Roots cookbook, using a base of almond butter and apple sauce with some coconut flour. But instead of brownies, which I already made and ate in two days (ok one) I opted to try a different mix. These carrot and spice squares are great as dessert but also for breakfast!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of almond butter

3/4 cup of unsweetened apple sauce

1/4 cup of honey

1 tbsp of molasses (optional)

4 tbsp of coconut flour

1/2 tsp of cinnamon

1/2 tsp of ground ginger

1/8 tsp of allspice

1/8 tsp of cloves

1/2 tsp of baking soda

1/4 tsp of salt

1 cup of grated carrot

1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, pecans or almonds (optional - I didn’t have any when I made this and it’s still great)

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line an 8 x 8 square pan with parchment paper (or grease with butter or coconut oil).

To a large bowl, add the almond butter, apple sauce, honey and molasses. Mix together, and then add coconut flour, spices, baking soda and salt. Give it a mix to combine and then fold in the carrot and nuts if you’re using them.

Pour the batter into your pan and pop it in the oven for 30 minutes. Once baked, let it cool to room temperature on the counter and then let it cool for another hour in the fridge. This helps it to be less crumbly, though you can eat it straight out of the pan while warm. If it’s a bit under-baked in the middle, no one cares. It’s vegan. Enjoy!