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My keto carrot cake recipe makes for a moist, fluffy cake with tangy cream cheese frosting. Naturally sweetened and flourless, it’s SO easy to make and doesn’t taste low carb.
Craving more keto cake recipes? Try my keto lemon pound cake, keto coffee cake, keto chocolate cake, and keto strawberry cake next.
Table of Contents
Just because I’m watching my carbs doesn’t mean I’m willing to sacrifice my sweet tooth. Quite the contrary, I actually look forward to making my low-carb dessert recipes, especially my low-carb carrot cake.
Why I love this recipe
- Just 3 grams of net carbs. So no fears of kicking yourself out of ketosis.
- Perfect texture and flavor. Like my healthy carrot cake, this one is moist, fluffy, and delicious all on its own. The rich, creamy cheese frosting is just icing on the cake (literally!).
- Everyone will love it. No one will even guess it’s low-carb–I promise!
- Easy to modify. If there’s an ingredient you’d rather not use (or you don’t have it in your pantry), I’ll give you plenty of substitutions.
Key Ingredients
- Almond flour. I prefer using blanched almond flour over almond meal. If you only have almond meal, you’ll need to increase the cooking time to avoid the cake sinking in the middle.
- Baking powder and baking soda. The two combined give the cake fluffiness and rise.
- Spices. I used cinnamon and nutmeg, but you can also use apple pie or pumpkin spice.
- Salt. To amplify the other ingredients.
- Eggs. Preferably room temperature eggs. To make this egg-free, use flax eggs.
- Granulated sweetener. I used a brown sugar substitute, but any sugar-free sweetener will work.
- Vanilla extract. A must for any excellent cake!
- Oil. Any neutral flavored oil can be used, like vegetable, canola, or refined coconut oil.
- Carrots. Finely shredded carrots.
- Shredded coconut. Look for unsweetened shredded coconut flakes or finely milled coconut flakes.
- Shredded apple. While apples are not technically keto, a small amount is used to give extra moisture and sweetness to the cake. It’s a replacement for pineapple, which is extremely high in carbs. If you are worried about using apples, you can also use shredded zucchini.
- Walnuts. Optional, but it gives some delicious crunch throughout. If you don’t have walnuts, use chopped pecans.
- Cream cheese frosting. I used a simple keto frosting recipe.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to make keto carrot cake
Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F, and line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Lightly grease with cooking spray.
Step 2- Mix the ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and sweetener until smooth. Add the vanilla extract. In a third bowl, whisk together the rest of the ingredients until combined.
Step 3- Finish the cake batter. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until combined. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until fully incorporated.
Step 4- Bake. Pour the carrot cake batter into the cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes.
Step 5- Cool and frost. Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, frost and layer.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Make an 8-layer cake. While totally optional, I like the look of a multi-layered cake. You won’t have to change any proportions; simply slice each cake into 4 thin pieces.
- Make a single-layered cake. Simply halve the ingredients.
- Don’t overbake the cake. It’ll continue to cook as it cools, so remove it from the oven as soon as a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
- Swap the frosting. Use keto vanilla frosting, or skip it altogether and just dust the cake with keto powdered sugar instead.
Frequently asked questions
If you don’t want to use carrots, use shredded zucchini (with moisture squeezed out) and add carrot extract. The carrot extract has no carbs or sugar but adds a delicious carrot flavor.
I haven’t tried this recipe with coconut flour, so I can’t vouch if it will work, but if you try it, you’ll want to use less coconut flour since it’s more absorbent than almond flour.
You sure can. Pour the batter into a muffin tin lined with muffin liners and bake them for 20-22 minutes.
More keto dessert recipes
- Keto bundt cake
- Keto pound cake
- Keto red velvet cake
- Keto chocolate chip cookies
- Or any of my keto desserts
Keto Carrot Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups keto brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup oil I used canola oil but any neutral flavored oil can be used.
- 2 cups carrots shredded, approximately 3 large ones
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup apple shredded, approximately 1 large apple * See notes
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
- 1-2 cups keto frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease two 8-inch cake pans with cooking spray and lightly dust it with almond flour.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine your almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, and mix well. In a separate bowl, using a stick mixer, beat together the eggs and sweetener until smooth and almost double in size. Add in the vanilla extract. In a third bowl, whisk together the rest of the ingredients, until combined.
- Fold through the dry ingredients into the egg/sweetener/vanilla mixture, until just combined. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until fully incorporated.
- Distribute the cake batter amongst the two cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean.
- Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes, before carefully turning them on to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, layer and frost, before letting it sit for 30 minutes, before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published April 2022, updated and republished February 2025
I’ve made many Carrot Cakes 🎂In my days but this one “takes the cake”😄
I have made this for work, for family, and dinners. I have yet to find anyone who believed me when I say it’s Keto friendly. The only one that can confirm is my husband. He has watched me make it to confirm because he follows a keto diet closely. So THERE! It’s delicious!
Aw thanks Catherine!
I’ve recently began learning & researching more about keto. I can honestly say you take the “confusion and overwhelming” component out of the equation and make it enjoyable. I really believe the reason people, including myself, don’t follow through with anything out of the ordinary is because it can feel too complicated. Sorry for my run on sentence…but thank you at the same time for your KISS method= Keeping It Super Simple!
Recipes look great! I can’t wait to get baking / cooking ! I have been LC/ KD for 25yrs !! Ready for some new recipes!
Thanks for the new recipes!
DrHeather
Just beautiful I added pineapple and pecan ‘ hard to believe no sugar or flour
I used Swerve sugar ‘ thank you ❤️
After making the award winning cheesecake here , my husband asked me to make a carrot cake. I found this recipe and I made it today and my husband who is a carrot cake enthusiast said it was amazing! I didn’t have nutmeg so I put in some all spice and I made the frosting with full fat Greek yogurt and honey. My husband had no idea the frosting was Greek yogurt. He thought it was cream cheese. Great recipe! Thank you
My husband and I loved this cake! I have been baking for years but I am new to using substitute sugars and “Keto” type baking. I cut the recipe in half to prevent eating cake for days (no control). The only thing that I changed to the recipe itself was to use half melted coconut oil with butter. I used parchment paper in the bottom of one cake round to ensure easy removal. Also, instead of using the frosting I dusted the top lightly with SWERVE confectioners sugar and some chopped walnuts and then a dollop of whipped cream! This will definitely be a saved recipe and a guilt free desert!
WOW 🤩 Thank YOU ! Love that it is a healthier sugar and almond flour. Excited to make for someone’s birthday treat, okay to use the pineapple instead of apples ?
I don’t see why not!
WOW 🤩 ThanK you ! I love that it’s not white sugar and almond flour . Not concerned about carbs for a birthday cake. Will it still work with pineapple instead of apple ?
Is the icing included with the 3 carbs? If so WOW!
I am diabetic. I know you are using non sugar sweetener, but does the apple raise the sugar a lot? My doctor said no fruit due to the natural sugar.
You are best to speak with your doctor, I am not a medical professional so unable to answer that.