Keto Carrot Cake

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5 from 347 votes
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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.

keto carrot cake

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
  1. Why I love this recipe
  2. Key Ingredients
  3. How to make keto carrot cake
  4. Arman’s recipe tips
  5. Frequently asked questions
  6. More keto dessert recipes
  7. Keto Carrot Cake (Recipe Card)

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.

low carb carrot cake

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

What can you substitute for carrots in carrot cake?

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.

Can I use coconut flour instead?

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. 

Can I make keto carrot cake muffins?

You sure can. Pour the batter into a muffin tin lined with muffin liners and bake them for 20-22 minutes. 

almond flour carrot cake

More keto dessert recipes

keto carrot cake recipe

Keto Carrot Cake

5 from 347 votes
This keto carrot cake is so moist and fluffy that you won't believe it is low carb. Made with simple ingredients, it's an easy dessert that is sure to impress!
Servings: 12 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes

Ingredients  

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

TO STORE: Leftover carrot cake should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. 
TO FREEZE: Place carrot cake slices in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 195kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 4mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 150IUNET CARBS: 3g
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Originally published April 2022, updated and republished February 2025

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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5 from 347 votes (333 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Delicious cake and very forgiving….i forgot the oil and used a ripe banana instead of apple. Definately I will use this recipe again. Im sure results will be even better as written. Thank you for helping us eat healthy and delicious food

  2. 5 stars
    This was delicious, as good or even better than regular carrot cake. The frosting was a bit too sweet for me, but the cake itself was amazing. Had some for dessert last night and just had some for breakfast this morning!

  3. Your recipes are such a welcome sight, Arman.
    Your “cups to grams” post was very welcome. However, I must admit that I was expecting a metric conversion option on each recipe post; which I have seen on some other sites. Is this a possibility at all? Sorry if this sounds ungrateful. I don’t know how complicated that might be to do each time.
    I will keep my fingers crossed for a reply; although I am not sure where/when you find the time..
    Thanks again for the straightforward, yummy ideas😋.
    Jules.

  4. SO excited to try this tomorrow! have you tried the keto carrot cake using flax eggs or another vegan sub? Looking for a vegan + keto hybrid 🙂

  5. I can’t have Banana’s if I want to swallow at all. Would pumpkin or sweet potato work. I have both flours but unclear really how to use them. Any help would be loved.

  6. Hi Arman. I am carrot cake crazy and would love to try your recipe. My concern is the high carbs from 1/2 C. tapioca – 54 grams + the carbs in 2 bananas. How is this a low carb cake? Did I miss something? Thanks.

  7. What does the nut butter do in the recipe? And do you taste it in the final result a lot? I’m really interested in the cake but not a big fan of nit butters and their taste.