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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
Andrea
0Hello,
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
0Hi 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
0Thank you very much. I will be posting the final result here in the comments.
TINA BOYD
0Loved 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
0Made 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?
Carrie
0Mascarpone cheese is similar in flavor to cream cheese with much less sodium.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi 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
0Hi, I have a question. Can I substitute the molasses for something else?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi 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
0I 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
0I 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
0Can 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
0Hi 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
0This 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
0Hi 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
0Reading 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
0Hi 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
0Delicious!
C. Tebo
0I 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
0Can’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
0Hi 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
0I 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
0Hi Susi, If you are using 2″ tall (4″ diameter) springform pans, then you will want the pans to be 1/2 full.
Aaron Johnston
0Anyone use the metric version of this recipe run into any problems with grams? I am in the UK and would like to make this.
Squeaky
0Yes! 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…..
sonia
0absolutely 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!
Shanthi
0Cake 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
0If I make it into cupcakes instead how long would it cook. The recipe sounds yummy.
Squeaky
0I 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.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sharon, Start checking for doneness around 22 minutes.
Selcen
0Can i just use ground almonds? Thanks
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Selcen, That’s not recommeded. Finely ground almond flour is best for this recipe.
Sandy
0Can 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
0Hi 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
0Excellent 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
0Absolutely delicious.