Keto Carrot Cake
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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.
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.
When developing this recipe, I initially tested it using a mix of coconut and almond flour (my go-to flour combo for keto cakes), but found it was a little too heavy when carrots and coconut were added to the batter. Switching to almond flour only solved the density issue. Adding both baking powder and baking soda, rather than just one, gave it the light, fluffy structure that holds its shape when sliced.
Table of Contents
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 tender. The rich, creamy cheese frosting is just icing on the cake (literally!).
- Uses a secret ingredient. Most carrot cakes call for pineapple, but I replace it with a little apple, which keeps the carbs down without sacrificing flavor.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Delicious recipe! No one could tell it was low carb. The only thing missing is raisins, but that keeps the carbs down. I will definitely make this again. It’s so good you don’t even miss the icing.” – Leah
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. Using both rather than just one gives a lighter crumb. I tested this, and the difference was noticeable.
- Spices. I used cinnamon and nutmeg, but you can also use apple pie or pumpkin spice.
- Salt. A pinch of salt balances the sweetness and makes the spices pop.
- Eggs. Room temperature eggs. Cold eggs deflate the beaten egg mixture, which can affect how well the cake rises.
- Granulated sweetener. I used a brown sugar substitute, but regular allulose also works really well.
- Vanilla extract. I like a touch of vanilla to balance out the spices and elevate the coconut flavor.
- Oil. Any neutral-flavored oil can be used, like vegetable, canola, or refined coconut oil.
- Carrots. Finely shredded carrots work best, as they disperse easily into the cake batter.
- Shredded coconut. Look for unsweetened or finely milled coconut flakes. Large flakes can dry out the cake and have an overpowering flavor.
- 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 to keep things classic. Vanilla would also work.
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 remaining 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, then transfer 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 to do this when I’m entertaining, and it’s super easy. You won’t have to change any proportions; simply slice each cake into 4 thin pieces.
- 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 leave it off completely. The cake is moist and flavorful enough to hold its own.
- Keep the moisture. Grating or shredding the apple will leave a few tablespoons of liquid. Keep that and add it to the cake batter.
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 based on how absorbent it is, I’d start with half the amount and add liquid gradually until the batter matches the consistency in the photos.
Pour the batter into a muffin tin lined with muffin liners and bake them for 20-22 minutes.
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
More keto dessert recipes
Originally published April 2022
Hi! Can I used desiccated coconut to replace shredded coconuts in the recipe? Thanks!
Hi Richelle- yes, abssolutely. It won’t affect the texture or the flavor of the cake. It’s usually large flaked coconut that I’d be cautious of because it can dry out baked goods and have an overpowering flavor, but with desiccated, you’re fine 🙂 Let me know how you go with this.
Delicious recipe! No one could tell it was low carb. The only thing missing is raisins, but that keeps the carbs down. I will definitely make this again. It’s so good you don’t even miss the icing.
Aw, thanks so much Leah! Oo yes, raisins would be a fab addition, if only it wasn’t so high in carbs.
Can I omit the coconut or do I need to substitute in something else?
Hi Julie- the only thing that would work okay is extra carrot. 🙂
Stunning outcome. I did not have walnuts on hand, so I used pecans. I did not have an apple either, so I added a splash of cider to compensate. I also did not have the proper bakeware and had to use a springform pan. These substitutions worked magically, but almost doubled the bake time.
Arman, your recipe is always simple and delicious! This keto carrot cake is no exception. In fact, I left out the sweetener completely as I believed carrots and apple provide enough sweetness for my taste. I only made half portion and it turned out great. I served it with real cream cheese and it tasted like the regular carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
What can I use instead of nutmeg, not a fan, or can I omit it? Cake looks delicious!
You can omit it, Simone. I wouldn’t increase with cinnamon, as it will be a little too overpowering.
If you can make carrots low carb, maybe you can do anything
@Rachel, it’s all about balance. 2 cups of shredded carrots have 11 net carbs. That’s less than 1 carb of carrot per slice.
You are a life saver! We have food allergies of wheat flour, gluten, bakers yeast along with high cholesterol. These recipes look fantastic. I am making this carrot cake next … so excited!!
Super easy.
Love to hear that, Jennifer. Thanks for the lovely review and rating!
I’ve made many Carrot Cakes 🎂In my days but this one “takes the cake”😄