Raw Carrot Cake Bites Recipe- Gluten Free, Grain Free, GAPS legal, Refined Sugar Free

Carrot cake bites- top left and bottom right.
The other ones are banana cake bites which I'll share tomorrow..

I first heard about raw carrot cake bites on some blog a few months back, but I can't remember which, or I'd give them credit. But the idea stuck in my mind, and I've made them a few times since, and they've been a hit with my family every time.
What are raw carrot cake bites, you ask me? Well, they're little balls of yummy goodness, with a carrot cake taste, only raw, and healthy, and gluten free, etc...
They're also pretty cheap for a healthy food, and they're relatively easy to make. I make mine with sunflower seeds because I buy them in bulk and they're the cheapest "nut" I can find, but if you have dietary restrictions and can't eat sunflower seeds, you can make them with any ground nuts you have, whether almond or cashews or brazil nuts or walnuts, or even pumpkin seeds. It doesn't really matter, they'll still taste good.

If you've ever had/made Larabars, these are the same basic, basic idea- dates, nuts, and other ingredients, mushed together and raw, but the texture of these are not like Larabars- they're much softer and wetter and less chewy.


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups ground sunflower seeds (or other ground nuts or ground pumpkin seeds)
1 cup raw carrots, ground (about 3-4 large carrots)
1/2 cup date paste or pitted dates
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Ground/desiccated coconut for coating, or more sunflower seeds (less than half a cup)

Instructions:
1. Grind seeds/nuts if they aren't already ground. I grind mine in the coffee grinder.

2. Grind up carrots in the food processor until they're as small as you can get them.

3. If using date paste, remove any hard parts. If using dried dates, remove the pits, then grind up in the food processor.

4. Mix all the ingredients together other than the coconut or extra sunflower seeds.

5. Wet your hands, make little balls of the dough, then roll them in ground coconut or ground nuts until they're completely coated.

6. Store in the fridge until eating.

7. Try not to eat them all at once!

Have you ever made raw carrot cake bites or anything similar?  Does this look like a recipe you'd try?

Linking up to Fresh Bites Friday, Fight Back Friday