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When I posted a keto cream cheese frosting recipe, and mentioned that I had plans to use it more, I got so many recipe requests. Many of you asked for the exact one I was planning: Keto carrot cake! So here it is — my low carb, sugar free carrot cake — just in time for spring around the corner. This ultra moist, spiced cake is the perfect keto dessert after a main course like glazed keto ham, and it’s tasty enough to serve your whole family, even if they aren’t low carb. Make this keto carrot cake recipe with me in less than an hour!
Why You Need My Keto Carrot Cake Recipe
- Sweet and soft, with creamy, tangy frosting – This cake has super fluffy, moist layers packed with spiced flavor and grated carrots, all layered with smooth cream cheese frosting. Unlike many low carb versions, I even found a way to incorporate the pineapple and brown sugar flavors the classic version often has — without actually using either of those ingredients. 😉
- Keto friendly and gluten free – My keto carrot cake has just 5.5 grams of net carbs per slice! And you’d never know by how it tastes.
- Perfect for spring – Serve it for Easter, Passover, Mother’s Day, or any birthday celebration. Even my friends and family who aren’t keto rave about this cake!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my low carb carrot cake recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour – This is my MVP of keto baking. It’s superfine, so it tastes and acts closer to all-purpose flour than many brands that turn out too coarse. Coconut flour won’t work here, as the cake will get too dry, and almond meal will be grainy.
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – I created this sweetener because I hated how most brands made my baked goods dry, plus they left an aftertaste, resisted dissolving, and would crystallize later. Besti is sweet like sugar without any of these issues (and zero net carbs), but what I love most about it here is that it makes this keto carrot cake so incredibly moist. Notes on alternatives:
- You can check my sweetener conversion chart if you want to use plain allulose, which will have the same effect.
- This recipe does somewhat work with other brands of monk fruit or stevia (use the same chart above to convert), but be aware that virtually all these other sugar substitutes are erythritol-based, so they’ll make your cake more dry.
- Shredded Carrots – Grate them fresh, because pre-shredded ones are too dry. Carrots are not keto friendly on their own, but are fine to use in recipes like this where the amount per serving is small.
- Butter – I love this brand. You can use coconut oil for a dairy-free option, but it’s not quite the same.
- Eggs – They hold the cake together. Flax eggs or another egg substitute for baking should work, but the cake will fall apart more easily.
- Basic Flavor Boosters – Vanilla extract and cinnamon for their flavor, and sea salt to balance the sweetness. Feel free to add other warm spices, like nutmeg or ground ginger, if you like.
- Optional Flavor Boosters – I add blackstrap molasses and this pineapple extract to replicate the flavor of brown sugar and pineapple commonly found in traditional carrot cake recipes, without any significant carb difference. (Yes, molasses is sugar, but the tiny amount here adds up to like a drop in each serving.) You can skip these add-ins, but they do improve the flavor. You can also replace 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Besti (above) with Besti Brown Sweetener to achieve that brown sugar flavor without molasses.
- Baking Powder – I like this non-GMO brand. Don’t use baking soda, which is not the same.
- Pecans – They go inside the keto carrot cake and also on top. I like these that come already chopped. Walnuts also work well.
- Frosting – Double up my sugar free cream cheese frosting recipe to layer and top your cake.
Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
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How To Make Keto Carrot Cake
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Cream the butter and Besti. Use a hand mixer to cream them together in a large bowl. I have this mixer and love the built-in storage, as well as the multiple speeds.
- Beat in the other wet ingredients. Add the molasses, vanilla extract, pineapple extract, and eggs one at a time.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together the almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt. I like to use a whisk to break up any lumps.
- Stir the wet and dry ingredients together. The batter will be pretty thick — this is normal.
- Add grated carrots and chopped pecans. Just fold them in.
- Transfer the batter to two cake pans. Make sure to line the bottom with parchment paper first, then spoon the keto carrot cake batter into them and smooth the tops.
- Bake until golden. The cake is ready when the top springs back, and a toothpick comes out clean. I usually cool them in the pan for ten minutes, then a wire rack afterward.
- Make the frosting. While the cake layers bake, whip up my sugar free cream cheese frosting — make sure to double the recipe to have enough.
- Layer, layer, layer. Once the layers reach room temperature, frost the bottom layer, stack the other on top, and frost again. You can frost the sides if you have enough frosting. Sprinkle with more crunchy pecans to finish!
My Recipe Tips
- The wet ingredients may separate if they sit for some time while you mix the dry ingredients. If this happens, just beat the wet ingredients again briefly before combining the wet and dry. Alternatively, you can whisk together the dry ingredients first.
- To measure the flour, scoop into your measuring cup and level with a knife. Don’t pack it down, which will get you too much flour and a dry cake.
- Pineapple extracts can vary in intensity, and some brands bake away. I use and recommend this brand that works well in this keto carrot cake recipe.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go. You don’t want any chunks of butter or dry clumps in your cake.
- You can grate the carrots fine or coarse, depending on your texture preference. I usually go with coarse for a heartier feel, but if you want a sturdier sugar free carrot cake, finely grated works best. This box grater I have is super sturdy and works great for both, or sometimes I use my food processor with the grating attachment.
- Loosely pack the carrots when measuring. Don’t press them down, or you’ll have too much. Too much carrot can mess with the texture. You don’t usually need to drain them, but if they are very wet, I give them a squeeze before adding to the batter.
- Use springform pans for easy release. Any cake pans you’ve got will work, but springform is easier. If you’re using regular pans and the edges are stuck after baking, just run a knife along the edge to release them after 10 minutes.
- These precut parchment paper rounds are super convenient. I love them rounds because I don’t have to cut them and they lay flat.
- Make sure your frosting is at room temperature. I like to make it ahead and store it in the fridge, but always let it come to room temp before using. It’s very stiff out of the fridge and can tear the delicate keto carrot cake.
- Doubling my frosting makes enough for between the layers and the top. If you want to frost the sides, I recommend tripling my frosting recipe. (And if you end up with extra, it’s amazing on my keto chocolate mug cake!)
- Want keto carrot cake muffins? You can find that version in my Easy Keto Cookbook. Or turn them into cupcakes by adding the frosting.
More Low Carb Cake Recipes
If you like my keto carrot cake recipe, try some of my other low carb cakes this spring:
Keto Carrot Cake (Moist, Fluffy Recipe)
By
My best keto carrot cake recipe! This moist, fluffy cake with almond flour is low carb and sugar free, but tastes like the regular kind.
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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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.
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In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the butter and Besti, 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.
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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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Fold in the grated carrots, then 1 cup (99 g) of the chopped pecans. Reserve the remaining 1/2 cup (48.5 g) of pecans for later.
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Transfer the batter evenly among the two prepared baking pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, swapping the positions of the pans halfway through, until the cakes are golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
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Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Meanwhile, make the keto cream cheese frosting here. (Double the recipe by entering "12" into the box for # of servings on that page.)
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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.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 slice, or 1/16 of the entire recipe
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you avoid common pitfalls, like dry cake, soggy carrots, or stiff frosting. I also have notes that make this recipe easier, and a variation to make muffins.
- Store or make ahead: I almost always make this keto carrot cake the day before! Just cover it gently and keep in the fridge. It’s best within a couple days to serve for an occasion, but leftovers may last up to a week.
- Freeze: Freeze the cake uncovered first, until the frosting is solid. Then, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Note on nutrition info: This cake is very rich, so I made the serving size pretty small. The nutrition facts here do include the frosting, based on a doubled amount of my sugar-free cream cheese frosting recipe. You can enjoy a larger serving if it fits your macros (and I did slice it a bit larger for my photos), but I find just a thin slice very filling and satisfying!
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Spring Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Keto Carrot Cake
517 Comments
Byenia
0Made this recipe a couple days back and loved it! Boyfriend loved it too, and planning to share it with my best guyfriend as well. Reduced the recipe by half since we wanted a small cake, and added the xanthan gum & baking soda as recommended by other commenters. Skipped the optional molasses and pineapple extract. Used half pecans and half walnuts for the nuts. Decided to try out a cream cheese/greek yogurt frosting to accompany this, but next time I’ll likely try your cream cheese frosting recipe instead. Thanks so much! This was very tasty and has a great texture! 🙂
Jessica
0Can you freeze this cake? I’m thinking in individual pieces to have on hand.
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jessica, you should be able to do that. Let me know how it goes!
Pam Cameron
0The reviews are right, AMAZING! I’m not a “baker” but had to try this as my husband is type 2 diabetic and we occasionally need a good treat. this is so good, and not difficult, which is important for me. Didn’t have molasses or the pineapple extract (getting some) but enjoyed it without. I took an earlier suggestion of adding 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. The cake was moist, not too crumbly and with the frosting, perfect sweetness. I didn’t have erythritol so did some calculations and used Fructevia (about 4 tablespoons) which seems fine. Thank you so much. This is a big hit and I’ll be sharing with my friends who don’t beleive you can have yummy baked goods without sugar. Love your recipes.
Lisa
0Can this be made in Cupcakes?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lisa, Yes, you can do that. The oven time will probably be around 25 minutes.
Estelle
0I’d been hungry for carrot cake for a long time. I happened to be the recipient of some fresh home grown carrots and decided to make this cake. It is delicious and was satiated my hunger for carrot cake. I made it in a 9X13 pan and it was perfect with the double recipe of the cream cheese frosting! Thank you Maya for the great recipe!
Marcy Smith
0This carrot cake was amazing! I just made it for myself for Easter, the rest of my family is full carbohydrate and sugar. I make stuff for them but leave myself out most of the time. I made my dessert a priority this holiday and I am so thrilled I did!
I substituted walnuts for the pecans as that is my family’s tradition with carrot cake. I didn’t have the pineapple extract, and I made the dairy-free option. I used Switch from Thrive Market as the sweetener for the cake, that was all I had. I found a dairy-free cream cheese frosting recipe and used that recipe. The frosting was not just like the dairy version, but I felt the cake was just like a flour and dairy version. Perhaps it didn’t rise as high as a flour cake, but the taste and texture was bang on! Thank you so very much for this recipe! You really made my holiday great. I am going to have another slice now!
Brenna
0Made this for Easter (2019) and everyone loved it! My Husband even to seconds! Even with the confectioners swerve I still found the frosting a bit grainy, but my dad thought it was great. (and that is coming from a man who can complain about anything.)
Kathy Packard
0Does the carb count include the molasses?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kathy, Yes, it does.
Gloria
0Omygod! I had 22 guests, my keto carrot cake and a chocolate cake. I did double up on the cream cheese for this recipe, and a bit more butter for the icing. It was so incredibly popular. Everyone truly loved it.
Marylyn
0Can I use drained crushed pineapple to this cake? I love carrot cake with pineapple.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Marylyn, You’d need to make other changes to add pineapple, it would make the cake too wet. I have pineapple extract in the recipe for this very reason and recommend using that.
Jennifer
0I made this cake this afternoon and it is positively yummy! Can’t believe that it is low carb! My husband raved about it with every bite! I hope you have more yummy recipes for low carb dieting! Thanks so much for this one! I will be making it again and again!
Mabel
0OMG, this dessert was absolutely outrageous! My guest couldn’t believe that it was made with almond flour and swerve. Only adjustment made omitted pineapple extract and blackstrap molasses and added ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum and ½ teaspoon of baking soda. Texture was moist, not dense, did not taste like almond flour, did not crumble and was very flavorful. BTW, this is my first review ever, so thank you so much for all your contributions and excellent details. This recipe is a keeper!
Samantha Rowland
0As a baker I’m experimenting more with keto creations as I have recently gone semi-keto (mostly low carb).
I like the simplicity of ingredients and it was easy to make. I used Stevia in the Raw with a ratio of 1:1 , so 3/4c same as the Erythritol. I found that the texture and flavors were lovely, but it wasn’t very sweet, at all. I think I’m going to up the sugar for next time but overall great recipe.
Emily
0I baked this last week and it was the first cake I have baked in my life! Being a T1 diabetic cakes were off limits.. Thank you for this recipe it worked perfectly now I’m going to try other low carb baking!
Chris
0I’m a little confused on the pecans. When I measure 1Cup of crushed pecans, I then put it on my scale and I’m only getting about 130g as the measurement. This is no where near the 340g you have stated. Should I stick to my measuring cup or go all the way up to 340?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Chris, Sorry about that. The recipe calls for 148.5g pecans, which is correct, but the weights in the instructions were off. I updated them.
Lisa
0Fingers crossed. Ordered all the ingredients. Will make this for my husband’s birthday April 6th as carrot cake is his favorite.
Marcia
0Lisa – I had to laugh, as I just made this for *my* partner’s April 6th birthday. It was a hit here at our house. I hope it turned out okay for you as well.
Marcia
0Dear Maya: I made this as a birthday cake for my sweetie, who was diagnoses with Type II Diabetes a few months ago. Everyone at the table loved it, and my (30-something) son was sneaking bites of mine off my plate when I wasn’t looking. This one’s definitely a keeper! First, I made a 1/2 recipe as I always do, since 6 slices, with no leftovers, is just right for us. As for the recipe, I used powdered monk fruit instead of erythritol, which was fine. And I didn’t use molasses or pineapple extract, because I didn’t have either of those on hand, but will add them next time. The cream cheese frosting? Well… I forgot to get cream cheese. I tried to use creme fraich instead, but that was *not* a success. Wound up using some additional creme fraich as frosting, and will remember to get cream cheese before the next time. Thank you so much for a tasty dessert that is just as good as a traditional recipe. Question: Would adding raisins or pineapple be okay for a diabetic-friendly recipe, or would those up the sugar too much? TIA for your advice.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Marcia, I’m so glad you and your family liked the cake! Raisins or pineapple would not be low carb or keto, but in small amounts I’m sure some diabetics might be able to have them as part of a low carb cake. Pineapple would also make the cake more wet so would not recommend adding that, but from a recipe standpoint raisins are fine.
Darlene
0Hi Maya,
I am so thankful I found your website through Pinterest. Have made your donuts and blueberry muffins recipes multiple times. You’re so thorough in your decsciptions and research. My question today is about the carrot cake. It came out so delicious but crumbed when taking it out of the pan. Would using parchment paper help or do you have another suggestion? Or is it the timing after I take it out of the oven to cool? This is my first cake so, appreciate any suggestions you can provide.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Darlene! Yes, definitely use parchment paper to line the bottom of the pan, and grease the sides. You could also use a springform pan but that’s not required as long as you use parchment paper. It could be the timing as well – it has to cool completely before removing it from the pan. I’m glad it was still delicious!
Doreen
0Maya, this is absolutely delicious!! Thank you. I thought I was going to have to be carrot cake free for life…you’re a life saver. It’s really the only (apart from lemon drizzle cake) I’ve actually had a hankering for since going keto a few years ago. Bless you!
Heather
0WOW!!! I can’t believe how amazing this cake tasted and turned out!! I think it’s even better than non-keto carrot cakes I’ve had… I couldn’t get enough! I didn’t have the molasses or pineapple extract, but still turned out perfectly. Thanks so much for this recipe 😀
Vee
0I made these into muffins. I’m terrible at baking but I wanted to try this anyway since my hubs is on low carb and loves carrot cake. He asked for no sugar and they came out pretty good without it!! It’s a great idea to grab and go too if you do muffins.