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The lovely recipe is so popular because it’s so simpleto make and it’s sugar-free too. Plus, this keto carrot cake is gluten-free, grain-free, and topped off with the most delicious cream cheese frosting.
Don’t want (or need) a whole cake? Quickly turn this keto carrot cake recipe into scrumptious cupcakes instead!
If you love carrot cake, you can have your sugar-free cake and eat it too! This is an almond flour recipe the entire family will enjoy. Make this special celebration cake for birthdays, Mother’s Day, Easter, Christmas, or just a winter treat with coffee.
Is carrot cake keto?
Regular carrot cake is not keto because it is often made with wheat flour, wholemeal flour, sugar, honey, dried dates, and often has a high sugar frosting on top.
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The easy way to make a healthy keto carrot cake is to use low-carb baking alternatives such as almond flour and sugar replacements. Carrots are a root vegetable and are higher in carbs so fewer carrots can be eaten on a keto diet.
To make sure this keto carrot cake recipe falls within keto carb restrictions, fewer carrots are needed but the same warm spices and vanilla.
Nutrition information (per serving of one slice)
- Traditional carrot cake: 38 g net carbs, 3 g protein, 15 g fat, 290 calories.
- Sugar-free keto carrot cake: 3.8 g net carbs, 5.7 g protein, 31.6 g fat, 321 calories.
What a difference! Check out those net carbs – over 34 grams of net carbs saved in my keto carrot cake recipe!
Nutritional values from cronometer.com
Ingredients you need
All quantities, ingredients, and instructions are in the recipe card below.
Low Carb Carrot Cake
- Eggs – fresh medium eggs
- Butter– I used melted salted butter
- Sweetener – use your favourite sugar replacer and add more or less to your taste
- Vanilla essence – or vanilla extract
- Carrots– grated or shredded
- Walnuts– chopped
- Desiccated shredded coconut– always read the label to make sure your coconut is unsweetened and contains no added sugars
- Almond meal – blanched almond flour or ground almonds
- Ground cinnamon
- Mixed spice – or pumpkin pie spice
- Baking powder – do not be confused with baking soda
- Ground ginger– optional
Why develop a keto carrot cake recipe?
I once asked my Low-Carb and Keto For Beginners Group “who misses carrot cake when going low carb”?
I was overwhelmed by the response … it was a resounding YES!!!
Luckily you don’t need to miss out on carrot cake anymore because my low-carb carrot cake recipe is versatile and super easy.
It can be baked as a one or two-layer cake, muffins, cupcakes, or as a carrot loaf.
Which flour is best for keto carrot cake?
For this keto carrot cake recipe, I prefer to use either almond flour or almond meal. They are naturally low-carb flours and gluten-free flours.
They both work brilliantly. However, as with most natural and unprocessed low-carb and keto flours, they are not standardised and so will vary considerably from brand to brand, and even batch to batch.
So when making any low-carb baking, you will become accustomed to experimenting with possibly adding some additional low-carb flour to your batter to ensure it is the correct cake consistency.
Some almond flour/meal will absorb more liquids from your cake batter than others. Even how you store your almond flour/meal is important to prevent the flour from absorbing moisture from the air (and hence, less from your cake batter).
So if in doubt, add some additional almond flour to thicken your cake batter.
Can I use coconut flour?
You cannot directly substitute coconut flour for almond flour, these two low-carb flours behave completely differently.
Once you understand the difference between coconut flour vs almond flour you’ll understand how to avoid expensive baking mistakes.
The cake tastes wonderful when made with almond flour, however, if you have a nut allergy, then there is a carrot cake with coconut flour version in my Lunchbox Cookbook.
I also have an entire index of coconut flour recipes. You’ll find lots of tasty low-carb and keto recipes that are suitable for those of you with nut allergies or whose children attend a nut-free school.
How to make keto cream cheese frosting
Thisclassic low-carb carrot cake with keto cream cheese frosting recipe is a fabulous treat with your morning coffee or as a low-carb dessert.
Top Tip: Always allow this healthy sugar-free carrot cake to completely cool on a wire rack before adding your keto cream cheese frosting (icing).
Keto carrot cake FAQ
What size cake pan do I need?
I used an 8 inch / 20 cm round cake tin. Prepare the baking tin by greasing the bottom and the sides, or use baking parchment paper to link the cake tin.
Alternatively, you can use a silicon or springform loose bottom cake tin too.
Can I use the keto cake batter to make muffins and cupcakes?
Yes, you can use the same keto carrot cake batter to make carrot cake muffins, keto carrot cupcakes, and even a keto carrot loaf.
Just adjust the cooking times accordingly and ensure the cake batter is completely cooked into the centre of the cakes.
Is there a keto frosting?
Yes, the sugar-free and keto frosting is made with full-fat cream cheese, melted butter, and your favourite sweetener (sugar replacement).
Powdered sweetener is best because it will make the frosting smooth and creamy, however, if you only have granulated sweetener then place it in your food processor or coffee grinder and pulse until you have powdered sweetener.
When do I add the frosting?
Always allow your gluten-free carrot cake to be completely cooled on a wire rack before frosting/icing otherwise the icing/frosting will melt and slide right off the cake rather than rest on top.
What do I do if my cake batter is too wet?
Brands of almond flour/meal vary considerably to how much liquid from the batter the flour/meal will absorb.
To prevent your cake from being too moist use additional almond flour/meal to ensure the correct cake batter consistency. I recommend adding 1 tablespoon at a time until you get that standard cake batter look.
What do I do if my cake batter is too dry?
I have never heard of anyone’s cake batter is too dry, but if it does happen, you can slowly add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream at a time. This will help to keep the cake moist but do not add too much. No one wants a soggy cake.
Why does my cake look so wet and buttery?
Sometimes the butter is still melted and rises to the surface of the warm carrot cake. Always allow the cake to cool completely so it may have time to absorb any butter that may have rendered out during cooking.
How do I measure shredded carrots?
You can shred/grate your carrots by hand or in your food processor with the shredding blade. Some carrots have more moisture than others, so before you measure them, give them a gentle squeeze over your sink and allow any excess water to be removed.
This helps to make a sturdy carrot cake. Scoop your shredded carrots into your measuring cup. Do not overpack or pres down otherwise you will add too much and the nutrition values for the cake will be too high.
Can I freeze carrot cake?
Yes, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost on the counter at room temperature. You can freeze it undecorated or frosted.
Can I reduce the carbs in the cake?
Yes, omitting the frosting is the easiest way OR cutting smaller slices.
Without frosting: 3.8 g NET carbs, 5.7 g protein, 31.6 g fat, 321 calories
With frosting: 5.3 g NET carbs, 8.6 g protein, 35.1 g fat, 370 calories
What can pan should I use?
I usually prefer to use prepared baking pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray or brushed with melted butter. I have baked this delicious cake in round cakes tins, a loaf tin, or cupcake cases.
If you want a healthy birthday cake, use two prepared baking pans then once the cakes are completely cool, add sugar-free cream cheese frosting between the two cake layers.
Does anyone else have a watering mouth yet? This easy keto carrot cake recipe is at the top of my favorite dessert list. It has all the flavour I crave, but none of the guilt or sluggish carbs.
Make one for yourself and see!
Keto Carrot Cake Recipe
A tasty low-carb carrot cake with cream cheese icing. It has a wonderful texture and taste of a traditional carrot cake to fool your friends. Great to take as a dessert for after dinner or a morning tea.
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Course: Cakes and desserts
Cuisine: Gluten Free, Grain free, LCHF, Low Carb, No Sugars, Wheat Free
Keyword: Low-carb carrot cake
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes minutes
Servings: 10 large slices
Calories: 321kcal
Author: Thinlicious.com
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Equipment
Mixing Bowls
Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
Low Carb Carrot Cake
- 5 eggs – medium
- 200 g butter melted
- 3 tbsp granulated sweetener of choice or more, to your taste
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 200 g carrots grated/shredded
- 50 g walnut halves/pieces chopped, optional
- 50 g desiccated/shredded coconut unsweetened
- 150 g almond meal/flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1-2 tsp ground mixed spice
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting (optional)
- 200 g cream cheese
- 1-2 tbsp granulated sweetener of choice or more, to your taste
Instructions
Low-Carb Carrot Cake
Beat eggs, melted butter, sweetener, and vanilla together.
Add grated/shredded carrot, walnuts, and coconut then mix almond meal/flour, spices and baking powder.
Pour into a greased and lined tin. Bake at 180C/350F for 40-50 minutes or until a fork pushed in, comes out clean.
Ensure your cake is completely cool before icing/frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting (optional)
Warm the cream cheese in the microwave for 20 seconds to soften it.
Stir in 1-2 tablespoons of sweetener of choice until you get the level of sweetness you prefer.
You could also add some lemon zest to give it more flavour. This would add a small number of carbs.
Cover with cream cheese frosting.
Notes
- I used an 8 inch/ 20 cm cake tin.
- Always allow your cake to be completely cooled before frosting/icing your low-carb carrot cake
- Brands of almond flour/meal vary considerably to how much liquid from the batter the flour/meal will absorb. To prevent your cake from being too moist:
- you may need to use additional almond flour/meal to ensure correct cake batter consistency
- always allow the cake to cool completely so it may have time to absorb any butter that may have rendered out during cooking
- Nutrition values are for the cake only. Frosting/icing is optional.
Without frosting: 3.8 g NET carbs, 5.7 g protein, 31.6 g fat, 321 calories
With frosting: 5.3 g NET carbs, 8.6 g protein, 35.1 g fat, 370 calories
Nutrition
Serving: 1serve ( serves 10)Calories: 321kcalCarbohydrates: 5.8gProtein: 5.7gFat: 31.6gFiber: 2gSugar: 2.9g
More keto cake recipes
Whole orange flourless cake (no peeling and no boiling)
Chocolate flourless fudge cake
1-minute keto vanilla berry mug cake
Chocolate cream cheese sugar-free frosting
