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A few weeks ago I posted a keto low carb cream cheese frosting recipe, and mentioned that I had plans to use it more. And, I love that I got recipe requests for ways to use it! Well, you guys are totally my people, because many of you asked for the exact recipe I was planning. Low carb keto sugar-free carrot cake with almond flour! Yay!
With spring just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to start thinking about how to make sugar-free carrot cake. It makes such a wonderful spring dessert!
Granted, it doesn’t exactly feel like spring with the foot of snow (!!) we got last week. But I know the Midwest by now. We can easily go from arctic tundra to heat wave in a matter of days.
So, whether it’s still cold where you live or already starting to warm up, pin or bookmark this keto carrot cake recipe. It will come in handy soon.
It’s good enough to share with the whole family, even if they aren’t low carb. Try it for Easter, Passover, Mother’s Day, or any birthday coming up!
Low Carb Carrot Cake with Almond Flour
You probably know by now that I try to accommodate a variety of diets here at Wholesome Yum. The entire site is low carb and gluten-free, but I also have sections for special dietary requirements in the low carb recipes index.
Choosing a low carb flour for this keto carrot cake was a little challenging. Even though I love almond flour, I know many people have nut allergies, so I attempted with coconut flour.
But, almond flour carrot cake just turned out so much better, I had to go with that. If you can’t have almond flour, you might be able to get away with using ground sunflower seed meal instead. Of course you’d also have to skip the pecans if you have a nut allergy.
If you don’t have an allergy-related reason not to, I highly recommend making this low carb carrot cake with almond flour. It turned out so moist and flavorful! I served it for guests and they kept asking if I was sure that it had no wheat flour or sugar in it.
For those that are keto, you may be wondering how there could possibly be a keto carrot cake. Yes, it’s true that carrots contain more carbs than many other vegetables.
Still, a sugar-free carrot cake can work for a keto diet if it works for your macro requirements. A slice has 5.5 grams net carbs, so it’s totally doable!
I used a tiny bit of blackstrap molasses in this low carb carrot cake. It’s there for flavor, not sweetness, and does not add a significant amount of carbs per serving. But, if this is problematic, feel free to skip it. That is why it was listed as an optional ingredient.
Dairy-Free & Paleo Options for Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
Since we are talking about special diets, I’d like to give some dairy-free and paleo options for this sugar-free carrot cake recipe. In my opinion they are not quite as good as the original version with dairy, but pretty close!
I’ll share my modifications if you want to know how to make paleo gluten-free carrot cake with almond flour.
If you are able to tolerate grass-fed butter, I recommend leaving that as is. It provides the best flavor, and creaming the butter with sweetener creates air pockets. You can still do this with coconut oil, but I like the result best with butter.
But if butter is not an option, using ghee or coconut instead will work! There is just a slight difference in texture and flavor of the end result.
Since erythritol is a natural sweetener, I feel comfortable using it in paleo recipes. That being said, I know some people would rather not. Feel free to replace it with coconut sugar instead. Here is a conversion chart.
Finally, there is the cream cheese frosting for low carb carrot cake. The version I make is neither dairy-free nor paleo, but you can easily swap it with any frosting you like.
I don’t have a paleo one yet, but have heard that some people make it with whipped coconut cream. You can also omit it, too!
How To Make Sugar-Free Carrot Cake
Okay, are you ready to see how to make sugar-free carrot cake with almond flour? Don’t be put off by the number of steps. They are all straightforward!
You might be wondering about the number of ingredients. Isn’t it more than ten? Well, I have a couple of optional ingredients, which I don’t include since they are up to you. The frosting is also considered its own “ingredient”, which is what I always do when using one recipe in another.
I know that’s a bit of a stretch, but I hope you won’t get caught up on the ingredient count. This keto carrot cake recipe was too good not to share!
To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenhei. Line two cake pans with parchment paper, then grease the bottom and sides. I like to use springform pans for easy release, but whatever you have is fine.
Cream together the butter and erythritol, then beat in the remaining wet ingredients. These include molasses, vanilla extract, pineapple extract, and finally eggs, one at a time.
Pineapple extract is optional because it might be a little harder to find, but if you can get it, it’s so good! I included it because many traditional carrot cake recipes include crushed pineapple, and this was a great way to get the same flavor.
Mix together the dry ingredients in another bowl – almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt. Make sure you use finely ground blanched almond flour, not almond meal, for the right texture.
Stir the wet and dry ingredients together, then add the grated carrots and pecans.
Make sure the carrots are just loosely packed when measuring, don’t cram them into the measuring cup or you’ll end up with too much. You don’t really need to drain them, but if they are very wet and oozing water, give them a squeeze first.
You don’t want to get rid of all the moisture, though. The carrots help keep the batter moist. For this reason, pre-shredded carrots are not recommended. Grate them yourself right before using, so that they are somewhat wet.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pans, and bake until the top springs back. You can also use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Final Touches for Keto Carrot Cake
Let the layers of low carb carrot cake cool completely before frosting. I usually cool them in the pan for ten minutes, then a wire rack afterward.
What about the cream cheese frosting? You can make it anytime using this recipe. Don’t forget that you’ll need to double it to have enough for the cake! If you happen to have any leftover, try it on this chocolate mug cake – so good!
It’s fine to store the frosting ahead in the fridge, or just make it while the keto carrot cake bakes or cools. It only takes a few minutes.
Make sure it’s at room temperature before frosting your low carb carrot cake. Otherwise, it will be difficult to spread. You can always thin it out with a little cream if needed.
When the cake layers are completely cool, you can frost one of them. Stack the other one on top, then frost again. Top with more crunchy pecans. Yum, yum!
If you’re not ready to serve your sugar-free carrot cake right away – and if you can resist! – go ahead and refrigerate it. Gently cover it to avoid absorbing odors in the fridge. It’s best within a day or two, but may last up to a week.
Tools To Make Keto Carrot Cake
Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- 9″ Springform Pan – This carrot cake is a lot easier to remove when using a springform pan. This is a perfect size for this cake and my cheesecake recipes.
- Box Grater – If you don’t have a food processor, then this is a must have! A box grater is perfect for grating carrots, cheese, cauliflower, and broccoli.
- Pineapple Extract – Real pineapple is higher in carbs and not always a great option in recipes. This extract is lovely and adds the perfect amount of tropical flavor to make this Sugar-Free Carrot Cake shine.
Low Carb Keto Sugar-Free Carrot Cake Recipe with Almond Flour:
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Low Carb Keto Sugar-Free Carrot Cake Recipe with Almond Flour
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GET BESTIInstructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line two 9 in (23 cm) round cake pans with parchment paper. (Use springform pans if you have them.) Grease the bottom and sides.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and erythritol, until fluffy. Beat in the molasses (if using), vanilla extract, and pineapple extract (if using). Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Set aside.
- In another bowl, mix together the almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients.
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Stir in the grated carrots. Fold 1 cup (99 g) of the chopped pecans, reserving the remaining 1/2 cup (48.5 g).
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Transfer the batter evenly among the two prepared baking pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top is spring-y.
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Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the sugar-free frosting according to the instructions here. (Double the recipe by entering "12" into the box for # of servings on that page.)
- When the cake has cooled to room temperature, place the bottom layer on a plate or cake stand. Frost, then add the top layer and frost again. Top with the remaining chopped pecans.
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Recipe Notes
Nutrition info includes the frosting, based on this sugar-free cream cheese frosting recipe.
Serving size: 1 slice, or 1/16 of entire recipe
Video Showing How To Make Low Carb Sugar-Free Carrot Cake:
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324 Comments
Lakeasha (AbiYah)
Good recipe…However, this is NOT an ok to recipe for Passover.
Shan
Can we use sorghum flour with xanthan gum, instead of almond flour?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Shan, Sorghum flour and almond flour have very different properties. These flours are not interchangeable, sorry.
Desiree
Beautiful recipe, made it for a dinner party of 10, needless to say they ate the whole cake. Delicious!
Kristen
This cake is amazing!! I usually doctor up recipes but decided to make this one exactly as written (except I quadrupled the icing instead of doubling…we like icing!) and it was DELICIOUS. It’s not super spiced like some carrot cakes so if you want that then maybe add some nutmeg or ground cloves but you won’t be disappointed making this as it is written.
Vidya
This was so delicious! Totally hit the spot and we really couldn’t tell it was low carb. Thanks for sharing all your great recipes!
Michele
Loved this.
Didn’t have the pineapple but it was very moist without. Also switched pecans for walnuts as that’s what I had in the cupboard.
Might add more cinnamon next time or even some ginger.
Made as one as didn’t have 2 cake tins the same.
Wendi
So so good! Our new favorite cupcake. I didn’t have the sweetener called for the batter so used Sukrin Gold. Carrot cake is my husband’s favorite, so I surprised him with a batch of jumbo cupcakes so only needed one batch of the icing. More work than the fabulous Almond Blueberry muffins, but totally worth the extra effort. I’m sure it will be quicker the next time. Thank you!
Rachel
This cake was a huge SUCCESS! This was my first carrot cake. I made it for mother’s day, as this type of cake is my mom’s favourite. Everyone at the table wanted a second slice. (my dad had 3). My grandfather rated it an 11 out of 10. My mother was in cake HEAVEN.
I made a couple changes though. I added ginger and nutmeg. I used real butter and no pineapple extract. I also made a heavy cream + vanilla icing instead of the traditional creamcheese one. I find that the cheese icing makes the whole cake a little heavier. Instead, I ended up with a really light and minimally sweet cake that everyone loved.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I will definitely return to this recipe time and time again.
Teresa
Excellent!!! My daughter made it for me for Mother’s Day. Truly divine!
cary
excellent cake…. will be making it often…. frosting was also good. I kept the 2 t of cinnamon..but had no pineapple extract. I make 14 cupcakes and filled them full as it doesnt rise much… Moist, light, crunchy nuts… yum
Allison
Hello, I’ve been baking a carrot cake which has been our family for many years which everyone loves, but now working on a more healthier & delicious version.
Can vegetable or canola be oil be used with your recipe instead of butter?
Thanking you in advance for your response.
Sincerely,
Allison
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Allison, I don’t recommend using highly processed vegetable or seed oils. The best substitute for the butter in the recipe is actually coconut oil. I hope this helps!
Danielle Meverden
I have gestational diabetes so I have to do low carb. This cake makes mom and baby happy, very happy. I would make it again
Ryan
Can I swap for regular wheat flour? Thank you!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Ryan, Sorry, I don’t think that would work in this recipe. Wheat flour behaves differently from almond flour, so the recipe would need to be reworked to accommodate using wheat flour.
Elsa Butterfield
I used with carrots and apples, wonderful
Patricia
This is a really delicious recipe. Thanks for sharing it!
Kathy Peters
Awesome! I made these tonight for my husband’s birthday, his favorite cake is carrot. I have Celiac and we both stay low carb, so keto recipes keep me gluten free and low carb. After reading the comments, I decided to make these as cupcakes. I left out the pineapple extract and molasses. I added about 1/4 tsp of nutmeg and took the suggestion of adding 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum and 1/2 tsp of baking soda since that works well with gluten free baking. The batter was thick, but carrot cake usually is. I filled the cups to the top since I know gluten free things don’t rise much. This made about 16 cupcakes. We tried a couple while they were still warm and before icing them. They are fantastic! I’ve made several recipes from this site, and they have all been great. I plan to try your German Chocolate Zucchini cake in June for my birthday!
Squeaky
I made half the recipe and the icing, and it made 9 cupcakes for me. They took about 23 minutes to bake. They are very nice! I might add more spice next time, the regular carrot cupcakes I make for the non keto people also has ginger, nutmeg and cloves. They are nice with or without the cream cheese icing, but the icing is so simple and tastes nice.
Andrea
Hello,
If I want to make the carrot cake in 6” pans, how much time in the oven do you recommend? And approx how many pans would yield the entire recipe?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Andrea, You will likely yield 4 layers from a 6″ baking pan. The oven temp will remain the same, but the bake time will decrease. I would start checking for doneness around the 20 minute mark.
Andrea
Thank you very much. I will be posting the final result here in the comments.
TINA BOYD
Loved this cake. It’s the first cake I’ve made since deciding to reduce the white flour and sugar in my life. I was a professional baker prior to this and I must say this cake is as good, or even better, than cakes I made that weren’t keto.
I made a couple of alterations
1. added 1 overripe banana
2. added 1 cup coconut (should have been 1/2 cup)
3. Added 1/2 t ginger, nutmeg, and a sprinkle of clove, reduced cinnamon to 1 t
4. I used a different icing recipe
5. Used 1/4 t pineapple oil (reduced in amount) as I had no pineapple extract
6. Used the coconut sugar instead of erythritol since my daughter doesn’t care for the flavor of erythritol.
Things I wish I’d done differently
1. Used the parchment paper in my pan. The cake stuck and broke apart when removing (part of that I attribute to using too much coconut – see above)
2. Doubled the pineapple oil I used
3. Used the molasses. I think it would have added the extra special something something
4. Kept the full amount of cinnamon, doubled the other spices.
Of note, the coconut sugar does not appear to cream as well as erythritol might.
RM
Made this today. Turned out very good. However, the cream cheese frosting turned out salty because of the cream cheese. Any one have any suggestions on what type of cheese would be a good substitute that is not so salty?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi RM, Did you use salted or unsalted butter? Using unsalted would likely make a big difference if you were sensitive to the salty flavor.
Elizabeth Rosado
Hi, I have a question. Can I substitute the molasses for something else?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Elizabeth, Feel free to omit the molasses if you don’t have it/want to use it. The recipe will still turn out great! Enjoy!
Karen
I left out the molasses and pineapple extract and this was the best carrot cake I have ever tasted.
I also upped the cinnamon (as there is no such thing as too much cinnamon).
Patricia Sullivan
I used Lakanto monk fruit sugar because that is what I had. I only used 1/2 cup because I didn’t want it to be too sweet. My first try at making powdered sugar and I now know that I should have ground it a bit longer. Frosting he as a bit if a grainy texture but still very good. I used large baking cups and they look lovely! I had to watch the time and kept adding time. Went from 25 to 35 minutes. Did I mention that the cups were large. Overall, it was a success. My husband is ore diabetic and this works well for him. It is his birthday today and he is having one of his favorite desserts, so for this we both thank you. If you have any dark chocolate recipes let me know. Many thanks.
Patty
Can I sub monkfruit sugar and how much? Sorry if I didn’t see a previous response, I went through a bunch but didn’t see it.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Patty, Do you mean monk fruit erythritol blend or pure monk fruit? Pure monk fruit is highly concentrated and comes in a small jar. It is usually dark brown in color and in powdered form. Pure monk fruit is not recommended for this recipe. Monk fruit erythritol blend will work fine, but you will need less than what the recipe calls for. When using monk fruit erythritol you will need 1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon. Enjoy your cake!
Bunny
This is absolutely the very worst keto recipe I’ve ever made. We threw the whole thing out. It was terrible. I’m really sorry but I don’t want to have anyone else waste the ingredients and time to make this. It was a huge disappointment. It was for my husband’s birthBunnyday.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Bunny, Sorry this recipe didn’t turn out as expected. I would be happy to help you troubleshoot if you could provide more information. Did it not turn out or did it not suit your personal tastes?
Nancy
Reading the recipe and great reviews I would like to try this cake but I avoid dairy for health reasons. Do you think I could sub avocado oil or olive oil? I like your idea for coconut cream for the frosting.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Nancy, If you want to replace the butter with something dairy-free, I recommend coconut oil. You’d also need a dairy-free cream cheese for the frosting.
Jackie
Delicious!
C. Tebo
I did a sheet cake and it turned out like “bars”. They were tasteful bars but was in mood for very moist cake that melts in your mouth. My husband loved it and said better the next day. He put whipped cream on top.
Kim
Can’t wait to try this cake
Since i don’t have or use pineapple extract
And i’ m ok with it being more paleo than keto could i use crushed pineapples and if so how much would you recommend ??
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Kim, This recipe would be too wet if you added crushed pineapple to it. If you don’t have pineapple extract, feel free to omit it. The cake will still be delicious.
Susi
I made this with 4” springform pans so we could control the portions better, but it seemed to take a very long time because the bottom was still so wet. Do you have any recommendations? How full would you think the pans should be, as maybe I filled them too full? Otherwise, this is the best carrot cake and cream cheese frosting recipe ever!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Susi, If you are using 2″ tall (4″ diameter) springform pans, then you will want the pans to be 1/2 full.
Aaron Johnston
Anyone use the metric version of this recipe run into any problems with grams? I am in the UK and would like to make this.
sonia
absolutely amazing! couldn’t tell the difference between normal and this version. If anything this one was way nicer cos you could taste all the flavors as opposed to just sugar!
Squeaky
Yes! The carrot conversion from cups to grams yields way to much carrot! I halved the recipe and stopped at about 120g, because it seemed like an awful lot. That was also 1 large carrot, so I figured that was a good place to stop. Came out nicely though. I might have another little slice right now…..
Shanthi
Cake turned out really yummy. Just the right amount of moisture! I have a Breville mini oven, so baked it at 325 Deg F for 30 min.
I tried this recipe with beets (1 cup) and zucchini (1/2 cup) instead of carrots. Also, used 1/4 cup yoghurt, 1/4 cup coconut oil and 1/4 cup butter. Reduced the amount of pecans as I didn’t have much left at home. I skipped the frosting though.
Sharon Harvey
If I make it into cupcakes instead how long would it cook. The recipe sounds yummy.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Sharon, Start checking for doneness around 22 minutes.
Squeaky
I just made this in to 9 cupcakes with a half recipe. Was still like soup at 20 minutes but were nicely done at a little over 25 minutes.
Selcen
Can i just use ground almonds? Thanks
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Selcen, That’s not recommeded. Finely ground almond flour is best for this recipe.
Sandy
Can the same recipe be used to make cupcakes/muffins?
Would it make more than 12?
Thank you. Can’t wait to try this!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Sandy, Yes, you can make muffins with this batter. I’d start checking after 22 min and every few min after until a toothpick comes out clean. I see other readers comment that they get around 18 muffins.
Charissa
Excellent 5 star recipe. I made this as per the instructions for Diwali. I used a donut shaped cake tray in one batch did not divide in two trays, so it took a further 20mins to cook, I took it out when a knife stuck in the deepest part of the cake came out clean. Lovely recipe, decorated with the frosted icing on this website and whole pecans. The cake was very moist and delicious. My husband loved it soo much. Will be making this again soon!
Melissa
Absolutely delicious.
terry
I just made this recipe for Halloween a few days ago. It was the best carrot cake I have ever eaten! My family was amazed that it was even keto. I even took some to a few co-workers and they told me they almost felt guilty for indulging in it. I assured them they had nothing to worry about. The only thing I added to the recipe was 2 tsp of ground ginger and 1 tsp of nutmeg. Since it was halloween I wanted to give it a little autumn kick. I am not a fan of any pumpkin anything, and this hit the spot. I am definalty making this again and again. Thank you so much!
Kelly
Hi,
How should I change the ingredients in the recipe if I want to make a sheet cake in say a 13×15 pan instead? Thanks.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Kelly, If you change the servings to 24 it should cover your 13×15 inch pan.
Val
Wowee! This is the best carrot cake I have ever tasted, I love it. It is very light and so easy to make. The frosting is great. Not heavy cream cheese frosting that you might come across which doesn’t appeal to me. I added extra heavy cream and it was delightful. I can’t wait to share it with my friends and family. As soon as it had cooled enough for frosting I had to have a slice. Oh! Boy! I couldn’t stop there so had another…… very naughty but worth it. Thank you so much for sharing.
Caroline
Hi, what an absolutely lovely cake. My husband and I loved it and I’ll definitely be making it again, my only problem is that there is no way it would serve 16 people because eating only 1 piece is near on impossible. Be warned, once you start you won’t stop. 🙂