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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
Ummie
0AMAZING CAKE!
so delicious and moist and just a perfect cake! My family enjoyed it!
I remember reading a comment saying the cake turned out dry, I think it might be because of using too much almond flour, since it can easily over packed when measuring with a cup (its dense and almost moist like). So you might have ended up using too much almond flour. I spooned it on to the measuring cup and used a knife to level it, to avoid over packing the cup. The cake turned out better tben I had expected! Thank you for sharing this recipe, it made my husbands birthday so much more special:))
Talia Maloof
0What are the exact measurements for this recipe???
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Talia, The measurements are found in the recipe card. You may need to turn off your reader mode to find them.
Jennifer Jones
0This cake is amazing!
Carol
0The BEST carrot cake ever!!!!Everyone loves it…even if they are not on a keto diet !
Brittany
0I am not on a low carb/keto/sugar-free diet at all. I made this cake because I have a friend who is low carb, her birthday was recently and her favorite cake is Carrot Cake. I’ve had low carb baking before and while my friends who haven’t eaten real sugar in months rave about how good these desserts are I always find them bland and honestly disgusting. I’ve played it off as being too full from dinner to not hurt anyone’s feelings but I don’t like sugar-free food. I’ll diet no problem, but the carb-free life isn’t for me.
That being said; This cake was freaking amazing. I’m not sure if it had to do with the type of fake sugar I used or what but I followed the recipe exactly for the cake and the buttercream (Doubled). I could only taste the chemical taste of the fake sugars a tiny bit in the icing. This is a big deal because normally that is all I can taste. It was so good. My friends were almost in tears because they said it was the best low carb dessert they’ve had in a long time. My husband who is a red-seal chef helped me make it so maybe that had something to do with it and he also wasn’t comfortable leaving it in for the 30-35 minutes it started. I think we only had it in the oven for about 25 minutes give or take a couple of minutes. I’ve sent it to everyone who had the cake that night and they were all super jazzed. Well done, this recipe is a definite win.
Trish
0Hi Maya,
I made so many of your recipes and so grateful that I found your site. I have been baking keto for years before it was popular but there were not many good recipes but yours are absolutely the best!!!.
Now my question is when I make your carrot cake can I use swerve brown sugar instead of the powdered.? Also I want to add some spices. Like cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom. I don’t know how much to use. I made your cream cheese icing and added cinnamon and it was spectacular. Now I need a carrot cake to go with it. My neighbors went crazy over it. Yesterday I made your strawberry cake into muffins with the same icing added strawberries to it. Yummy.
Thanks so much
Trish
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Trish, I am so thrilled you are enjoying the recipes! Yes, you can use brown sweetener in place of the erythritol in the cake, but I wouldn’t use brown sweetener in place for the powdered sweetener in the frosting. The cake already includes cinnamon, if you wanted to add additional spices, I suggest 1/4 tsp of cardamom and 1/8 tsp of nutmeg. I hope you love it!
Lynn
0It seemed to come out dry. Is there something that could be substituted to make it a bit more moist?
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Lynn, it might be overbaked if it’s dry, so try reducing the baking time. Other than that you can add more butter if you’d like but I didn’t find that necessary.
Kurtis
0I made these into muffins. It made 18 regular size and I only needed 1 batch of the icing noted in the recipe. These are quite good, moist and certainly satisfies the old “sweet” tooth. I’ll definitely be making again. Love all the recipes I’ve found, thank you for sharing. It has made starting Keto so much more enjoyable.
Megan Malin
0So, I made this recipe for the first time today and am very pleased with the results. I have tried many other recipes from other sources and was never happy with any of the resulting products. This was everything I was looking for…tender, flavorful, delicate…..sooo good!
Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe!!
Gigi
0I made this cake today, and whilst the flavours are good it is very dry! I followed the recipe exactly, and have triple checked everything. I don’t understand how there are so many comments about how moist it is. My cake batter was pretty solid before baking which I was worried about at the time, but I trusted the recipe and thought it might work out. Well I should have followed my instincts! I might make this again but when I do, I’m going to reduce the amount of almond flour.
PAPAW GIG
0Saturday I am celebrating my 70 years of LIFE along with my Christian brother, business partner and best friend who is celebrating his 77th annual date of his DELIVERY.
Another of our business associates is baking THIS cake as a KETO FRIENDLY carrot cake and we are introducing it to many of our families and friends.
I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Julie
0Hi, I am all set to make this but I cannot see how many eggs to use??
The reviews look so good I have to try this cake!
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Julie, it’s four large eggs!
Shakira
0Hiya
Are you able to make this in a loaf instead?
Thanks
Shakira
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Shakira, It will take longer to bake through, but the recipe will work fine in a loaf pan.
Ashley
0Just thought I’d share a funny story – one that shows how darn good this recipe is.
My family and I travel full-time in a camper. My oven broke a while back, so I use our pressure cooker for everything. Also, I gave ALL my baking supplies other than a few things away before we moved in because I thought we’d lack the space.
So, today is my husband’s birthday, and carrot cake is his absolute favorite, but he didn’t want one unless I could eat it with him. So I decided to make THIS recipe in a pressure cooker and see how it turned out.
Bought all the ingredients, using monk fruit sweeter instead of erythritol in both the icing and the cake, and lemon extract instead of pineapple (because I couldn’t find it). No molasses because I couldn’t find that, either. We are in the actual middle of nowhere, so grocery supplies are limited. Still shocked that they have monk fruit but no molasses.
Then I get home last night, and I cannot find my small cake pans that will fit in the pressure cooker. Yay.
Finally, hubs found an old metal dog bowl that my dog won’t use because he’s terrified of the steel color. LOL.
So anyway, I baked the cake in a dog bowl in my pressure cooker, two layers, added cinnamon to the icing because I ran out of vanilla. Oh yeah, my son poured water in the butter while it was sitting to room temp. So probably a tbsp of water that shouldn’t be in there mixed in. hahahaha.
It still turned out delicious, and it has little paw prints embedded on the bottom.
It’s more moist, less brown, and probably more dense than if cooked in an oven, but it does work, and it is wonderful.
Thanks for this great recipe that can basically withstand a disaster.
Wholesome Yum
0I LOVE this story, Ashley! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Ashley
0Thanks for reading it! Lol!
My husband just finished the rest of the cake for dinner. . He said this is the best he’s ever had, and he’d choose this over “a regular normal cake” any day.
Thanks again for an awesome addition to our treats. 🙂
Georgina Mojardin
0This is the best Keto Carrot cake recipe ever. I make this for my family and friends and co workers. And they love it even though they are not on the Keto diet. I have some non Keto people get seconds!!!!!
Mariana Mariles Alvarez
0I love carrot cake and haven’t had it since I went on a low carb diet, this is the best recipe ever, everyone in my family loved it. My to go carrot cake from now on without the guilt, thank you!
Angela
0I tried to make this today. Sadly, I did not put parchment paper on the bottom of the pans. Now the cakes won’t come out and they have crumbled. It is impossible to assemble the cake. I am upset with myself. I did not realize parchment paper is so important. I also do not quite understand how to bake with almond flour because it does not hold up well in cakes or cookies. Live and learn.
Szilard Molnar
0Thank you very much for this recipe! I baked it for my wife’s birthday because she loves carrot cake, but I wanted to find a sugar free option. It worked perfectly, we both loved it!!!
Hannah
0Made this twice and in love.
Katey
0Yum! I made this for my husband for his bday and it was a huge hit!! I ended up using lactose free butter and cream cheese. I also used local honey instead of other sweetners which i know isnt keto.. but tasted amazing! So moist and so delicious.