Healthy Carrot Cake
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My healthy carrot cake recipe yields a fluffy, moist cake with warm cinnamon flavor. It’s made with white whole wheat flour and NO eggs!
If you’ve never baked with vegetables, you’re missing out. It’s one of my favorite sneaky ingredients (hello, zucchini chocolate cake!) because it adds flavor, texture, and even fiber.
Made with a short list of ingredients, my healthy carrot cake turns out wonderfully moist with a light crumb. It is lightly sweetened with a little sugar, carrots, and plump raisins.
Table of Contents
Arman’s recipe highlights
- Great with or without frosting. I love the cream cheese frosting, but it holds up on its own.
- Smart swaps. Just because ‘carrot cake’ has carrots doesn’t mean it’s healthy (I’m sorry to break the news). I use about half the sugar of traditional cakes and far less fat (many classic recipes use over a cup of oil or butter), and swap regular flour for white whole wheat flour.
- Egg-free. I purposely made this cake without eggs, so it works for egg allergies.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need, along with my kitchen notes. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
- White whole wheat flour. I first tested this cake with regular flour, then switched to white whole wheat flour. I didn’t notice a difference in texture, but it did add extra fiber.
- Baking powder and baking soda. They add rise and fluffiness.
- Cinnamon. I like a pinch of cinnamon for a pleasant, warming flavor.
- Sugar. I used white and coconut sugar for a moist cake, but allulose (a lower sugar option) works.
- Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk, but any milk will do.
- Coconut oil. Use refined coconut oil so there’s no coconut flavor. Alternatively, use butter or a neutral-flavored oil.
- Grated carrots. Grate them fresh and don’t chop them, so they easily melt into the cake and add moisture. Avoid using packaged pre-shredded carrots, as they tend to be quite dry.
- Almonds and walnuts. For added texture. I used chopped almonds and walnuts, but pecans would be a great addition, too.
- Raisins. Optional, but I really like the bursts of sweetness added.
- Frosting. Optional.
How to make a healthy carrot cake
Step 1- Mix. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, milk, and oil until smooth. Combine the wet ingredients and dry ingredients, then fold in the carrots and mix-ins.
Step 2- Bake. Pour the cake batter into the two cake pans and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Step 3- Frost. Allow the cakes to cool in the pan. Once cooled, layer the cakes, frost, slice, and serve.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Grate the carrots very finely. The finer the carrots, the more easily they mix into the batter. I like using the small holes of a box grater.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Mix until no visible streaks of flour remain. Overmixing results in a dense or gummy cake.
- Use a different cake pan. This recipe makes two 8-inch cakes in 40 minutes, but you can also make two 9-inch cakes (decrease the bake time by 5 minutes), one 9×13-inch rectangular cake (increase the bake time to 50 minutes), or two 9×5-inch loaf pans (50-60 minutes). As always, do the toothpick test to check.
Variations
- Make a single-layered cake. Halve the ingredients in the recipe.
- Make carrot cake cupcakes. Pour the batter into a 12-count lined cupcake tin and bake for 18-20 minutes. I recommend checking at 18 minutes.
- Make a gluten-free carrot cake. Use a gluten-free flour blend with added xanthan gum.
- Swap the mix-ins. Instead of raisins and nuts, try shredded coconut or crushed pineapple (with the juice drained and patted dry).
Storage instructions
To store: Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
To freeze: Freeze leftover cake slices in a freezer-safe container for up to six months.
More wholesome cakes to try
I’m always looking for ways to healthify cakes, and here are a few more of my favorites:
- Healthy chocolate cake
- Healthy apple cake
- Healthy banana cake
- Blueberry breakfast cake
- Healthy mug cake
Healthy Carrot Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour Gluten free, if needed , 390g
- 2 teaspoon baking powder 9g
- 2 teaspoon baking soda 10g
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup sugar 200g
- 1 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar, 200g
- 1 1/2 cups milk I used unsweetened almond milk, 360mL
- 1 cup coconut oil melted but cooled (can use any neutral tasting oil), 220g
- 3 1/2 cups carrots grated, 385g
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped, 60g
- 1/2 cup raisins Optional, 75g
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease two 8-inch cake pans and line them with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon, and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, coconut sugar, milk of choice, and melted coconut oil, until glossy and smooth. Combine your wet and dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Fold through your shredded carrots, nuts, and raisins.
- Distribute your cake batter evenly amongst the two cake pans. Bake for around 40 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pan completely. Once cooled, you can frost them, if desired.
Truly appreciate the way you made this wonderful and delicious carrot cake. With having fresh carrots this season, I think there nothing best to make your lovely cake. Everything is so nicely described that would help to make this carrot cake at home.
In your muffin and cake recipes can I swap a couple of whipped egg whites for baking powder? I can’t eat it, or baking soda. Thanks. LOVE your recipes!
Haven’t tried that, feel free to experiment and see!
Oh lord, please help me. I am so sorry for the dumb question, but when you say “¾ cup gluten free flour;
½ cup certified gluten free oat flour (can sub for standard gluten free flour)”, do you mean I can use just another 1/2 cup of gf flour instead of the oat flour? Or is it saying use the 1/2 cup of oat flour instead of the gf?? (If that makes no sense, my main question is, how much would it be I only have gf flour??)
Super yummy! Can’t believe how moist given how little oil is in this recipe. I made muffins because they’re just so fun and easy, especially when I use parchment muffin liners, so no greasing is necessary! The recipe made 8 regular-sized muffins. I used 1 c. oat flour and 1/4 c. tiger nut flour. I used an egg, but want to try the vegan version, too. I used Garden of Life Raw Vanilla Chai Protein Powder and Kite Hill plain almond yogurt. I used 365 unsweetened almond milk, but didn’t have to add very much, maybe a scant 1/4 c. I used 1/8 c. coconut sugar, a scant 1/8 c. xylitol and a packet of Truvia. I think they will be lovely spread with almond butter or applesauce. Thanks for the recipe!
Oh wow, tiger nut flour- Thanks so much for the feedback, Kim- I’ll need to try this version out!
Could you use more oat flour to sub. For the gf flour of choice?
That would work, although it will be a little more dense.
I’ll try adding 1 or 2 more eggs and some more milk if needed. Want to try it out for Mother’s Day. Thank you
Ashy! So sorry, my comment got cut off- Try out my flourless blueberry breakfast cake- There is a paleo option, switch out the blueberries for 1 cup of shredded carrots 🙂
Can I use coconut flour for the gluten free flour, usually you have subs for all types of lifestyle paleo, vegan, GF, DF… Maybe I missed it because i was drooling at carrot cake & healthy.
Thank you for all that you do for the flow cooks out there!!
Fellow* lol
Hi Ashy! I haven’t tried it with this recipe sorry!
Do you think this recipe would work substituting the Greek yogurt with coconut yogurt? Thanks for your help.
Can we substitute the wheat flour for something else? like, more oats flour ?
Hi Gaby! You can try it with oat flour- I’m not sure how good it will be- You can try my flourless carrot breakfast cake if you’d like all oat flour 🙂
Hey, I have to tel you this is the best carrot cake I’ve ever had! I substituted the egg for 2 egg whites, I used olive oil and left all the flour to be oats flour, it tastes really good! 😀
Thanks a lot for uploading this kind of recipes! Saludos desde México
Normally I go for carrot cake BECAUSE of the frosting, but this recipe looks and sounds delicious. Can’t wait to try it!!
😀 thanks so much, Rebecca!
You know its a winner when frosting isn’t needed..because daaaaang that cream cheese frosting can make ANYTHING GOOD #bestfrostingever
xo
Sarah Grace