TheKitchn.com

These snacks are vegan, require no baking and come together quickly in the food processor. But best of all, they taste like carrot cake! They're also made from whole ingredients (with just a teeny tiny drizzle of sugary icing on top), so even though they taste like dessert, they have enough fiber, protein and fat to keep you ticking right through the afternoon doldrums.

My husband, my parents and four of my most discerning food writer friends all gave these little snack bites an enthusiastic thumbs up. The no-bake dough is moist and soft, with plenty of natural sweetness from cooked, mashed carrots and chopped dates. The cinnamon-spiced dough balls are topped off with a drizzle of vanilla bean icing, creating a taste sensation just like carrot cake with vanilla frosting.

Because this dough is so soft and sticky, it doesn't quite work to roll it into balls with your hands initially. Instead, scoop up a bit of dough on one spoon and then use another spoon to nudge it into a rough ball shape. Don't worry about getting it perfectly round here -- just drop it in some almond meal, sprinkle more almond meal on top and then use your hands to roll it into a ball. This makes it much easier to shape the sticky dough.

These power bites will keep for a few days in the refrigerator, but you can also freeze them for about a month. Freeze them on a baking sheet in a single layer; then transfer them to a freezer bag or Tupperware.

One last note before we jump into the recipe: These bites are best when eaten straight from the fridge or the freezer, since chilling helps firm them up. They become soft and fairly squishy again at room temperature, though they're still just as tasty! If you're taking them in your bag for a later snack, pack them in a hard-sided container; they'll squish and flatten if they're in a plastic bag.

Carrot Cake Power Bites

Makes 24 bites

For the power bites:

4 medium carrots (1/2 pound), peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

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