Ginger & Spice Carrot Bites: One Recipe, Two Snacks!

Carrot ginger & spice balls

Flex your GF snacking using just one recipe! When you’re on a GF or allergen-free diet, it pays to use one jumping off point for multiple meal/snack options. It’s something I enjoy helping my clients with that can make life a little easier. These Ginger & Spice Carrot Bites can be adapted to what you’re doing and where you’re going.

Many whole foods-based GF treats need to be refrigerated after making, which is no problem if you’re home, but what about if you happen to be on-the-go?

There are some certified GF snack bars out there with decent ingredients, but the majority are loaded with sugar, processed syrups, or other suspicious ingredients. These Ginger & Spice Carrot Bites taste like carrot cake and are delicious kept cold in the fridge or freezer, but they can also be BAKED for a perfect hiking/camping/road trip snack! GAMECHANGER.

Fridge carrot ginger spice balls
Fridge/Freezer Bites

Ok now let’s talk more about what makes these so tasty and wholesome. First, they are sweetened only with dates, which add fiber and a caramel-y flavor. There are only 5 deglet dates used here because the carrots lend so much natural sweetness. However, here’s another way to flex the recipe based on your needs: If you are taking these on a backpacking/hiking trip or engage in a large amount of energy-intensive activity where you need to pack in a lot of fuel, feel free to increase the dates. I have made these with up to 12 dates before and they still work out quite well (just a lot sweeter in taste!).

On-to-go baked carrot cookies
On-the-Go Bites

Make sure not to skip the roasting carrots step as this is key to enhancing their sweetness and adding way more depth of flavor than using grated raw carrots!

I hope you enjoy these tasty bites as a new snack option. Let me know if you give them a try!

Carrot ginger & spice balls
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Ginger & Spice Carrot Bites – Two Ways

Pin Recipe
Flex this snack for what you're doing and where you're going!
Course: Dessert, Snack
Keyword: dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, soy-free, vegan
Author: Maya Rose, MS, CNS

Ingredients

  • 2 cups carrots cut in coins
  • coconut oil for roasting
  • 5 deglet dates* pitted
  • 3/4 cup almond flour
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut flour
  • 2-3 tablespoons crystallized ginger tweak depending how much ginger you like
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom optional
  • 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
  • Shredded coconut for rolling, if making fridge/freezer balls

Instructions

For Fridge/Freezer Bites

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss carrots with just enough coconut oil to coat them for roasting. Spread out on baking sheet and roast for 40-50 minutes, until soft when pierced with a fork and slightly golden.
  • Put roasted carrots, dates, and vanilla into a food processor and process until they start to form a dough-like consistency.
  • Add in the remaining ingredients, except shredded coconut, and process until the mixture starts to form a thick ball of dough.**
  • Using your hands, roll into balls slightly smaller than ping-pong balls, then roll in the shredded coconut, if desired.
  • Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before eating, or keep in the freezer for a treat to have on hand anytime

For On-the-Go Bites

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Follow steps 1-4 above, but do not rolls the balls in coconut.
  • Put balls on a parchment lined baking sheet and flatten with your fingers into a cookie shape.
  • Bake for 17-20 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet before removing and eating.

Notes

*If you have an active lifestyle or are going hiking/backpacking and need more fuel, you can increase the dates up to 12.
**Add in a tablespoon or two of ground flaxseed for added fiber or ground hempseed for added healthy fat and protein.

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